Living the high life DIVING AND LIVING IN THE SEA

 

 

Living the high life! Magnificent images of death-defying cliff divers tumbling into Thailand's clear seas for world championship final 14 cliff divers gathered in Phi Phi Island, southern Thailand, for the sixth annual Red Bull world champion series The sport originated in Hawaii in the 1700s when King Kahekili challenged his men to prove their loyalty as an initiation Now a global phenomenon, the championship sees athletes compete all over the world - from Wales to Brazil Artem Silchenko, of Russia took the title on the final day but Britain's former Olympic hopeful Gary Hunt won overall It looks like the definition of paradise, high in the sky, surrounded by luscious green branches, with the sun glowing softly and nothing but clear blue water down beneath. But clad in nothing but a pair of Speedos, faced with a 27-metre tumble from a crumbling cliff, many would think twice about that. Not these men. Scroll down for video Paradise: Phi Phi Island in southern Thailand has hosted the final round of the sixth annual cliff diving championship, where the men have just three seconds to perform Eagerly bounding to the cliff-edge on Phi Phi Island in Thailand, 14 divers flung themselves, twisting and turning at break neck speed towards life-threatening rocks. Their one shared objective: make it look good. Gathered for the sixth round of the sixth annual Red Bull cliff diving championship series today, they have all spent months preparing their moves.   Death-defying: Alain Kohl (left) of Luxembourg diving off the Viking Caves on the island. Artem Silchenko (right) is mid-twist as he falls towards the Andaman Sea There is no hard-and-fast rule for the game - just the mantra, 'power and balance'.But with just three seconds between leaving the podium and hitting the Andaman Sea, they don't have long to show off their best. This year the series has taken the competitors all over the world. Incredible acrobatic slills at the Red Bull cliff diving event Warriors: The sport was created as a challenge for Hawaiian warriors to demonstrate their loyalty to King Kahekili. Here Michal Navratil of the Czech Republic faces the clear water Frightening: David Colturi of the USA dives from the 27-metre platform. There seem to be no qualms about the surrounding boats as the men tumble in nothing but Speedos The season started in France's La Rochelle, followed by Copenhagen, and then Azores in Portugal. From there they went on to Italy, Boston, Pembrokeshire, before reaching the southern coast of Thailand for the final. Unfortunately, the penultimate stop scheduled for Brazil earlier this month had to be cancelled due to bad weather. Russia's Artem Silchenko won the day's competition - but it wasn't enough to take the overall title from Britain's Gary Hunt, who has held the top spot since 2010.   Climb: The men face an 88-foot climb up wooden ladders balanced precariously on the cliff-side (left) before flinging themselves off a wooden podium (right)       Power and balance: Jonathan Paredes of Mexico (left) and Alain Kohl of Luxembourg (right) strike strong poses as the attempt to stay streamlined on their descent   Turn: Michal Navratil of the Czech Republic (left) and Steven LoBue of the USA (right) battle it out for the title with mind-blogging contortions Worldwide: Before Thailand, the group competed in the beauty spots of France, Italy, Wales, Brazil, Copenhagen, Portugal, and Boston Winning leap: Artem Silchenko of Russia prepares to launch an armstand dive from the 27-metre platform in the Andaman Sea during the last competition day of the eighth and final stop of the 2013 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Third place overall: Orlando Duque of Colombia takes the plunge. The main rule that divers must adhere to is 'power and balance' as they fall towards the water below Going into today's final, former Olympic hopeful Hunt, 29, who has won a number of medals at the Great Britain National Diving championships, was already the tournament leader. Silchenko stood in second place and 10-time world champion Orlando Duque, from Colombia, was in third. Mexico's Jonathan Paredes holds fifth, ahead of David Colturi, from the US. Professional rivals: The two potential series winners, Artem Silchenko (left) of Russia and Gary Hunt (right) of the UK pose for a portrait on the beach before competing The final moments: Silchenko's land. The land is the most crucial part of the fall - to maintain the style they have worked tirelessly to hone, and to ensure they don't injure themselves Relax: Finally Artem Silchenko of Russia can celebrate after his final dive during the last competition day of this year's season. He could not take the top spot but won the day's contest Champion: Silchenko stands on the podium as the other divers spray him with champagne and fans wave flags, lauding his success Best seats: Crowds crammed onto boats to get the best view of divers - such as winner Silchenko (pictured centre) - performing their finale Proud: Local media in Thailand described the event - the first one to be hosted by Krabi - as a very proud moment for the nation. Crowds gathered to hail Silchenko, the winner Runners up: Steven LoBue (right) of the US took second place for the day and third place went to Orlando Duque (left) of Colombia The sport started in the late 1700s as an initiation for Hawaiian warriors - as ordered by King Kahekili, who was obsessed by cliff diving. He challenged his people to prove their loyalty by throwing themselves hundreds of feet into rocky water. It is from that moment in time that the sport earned its mantra: 'mana and pona' - 'power and balance' in Hawaiian. Now a global phenomenon, local Thai media has described the event - the first time it has been hosted by Krabi - as a very special moment for the nation.

These dramatic photographs have captured ice-cold waves crashing against rocks off the coast of Italy. Stunning: The images were taken by Italian photographer Giovanni Allievi, 44, on a trip to Savona in Italy 'Where I live the sea is a peaceful presence, but in certain seasons it can show its power,' said  Mr Allievi. 'To me, humans seem like dwarfs in comparison to the power of nature. 'During sea storms it is possible to see this spectacular phenomenon where the waves can take up amazing shapes. 'There is a place a few kilometres from where I live in which the sea bed rises abruptly and ends with a vertical cliff, it is an amazing sight to witness.' The pictures show the waves precisely at their breaking point displaying what appears to be a crystal-like blanket of water High tide: These incredible shots show waves precisely at their breaking point, displaying what appears to be a crystal-like blanket of water Mr Allievi, from Varigotti, in Italy, says he sets off early in the morning to capture the waves in all their glory. With the sun rising in the background behind the waves, he captured the stunning aqua colours as the water breaks. Mr Allievi said: 'It takes a long time to capture these photographs. Taken near Mr Allievi's home in Varigotti, Italy, he sets off early in the morning to capture the waves in all their glory There is a place a few kilometres from where Mr Allievi lives where the sea bed rises abruptly and ends with a vertical cliff With the sun rising in the background behind the waves, he captured the stunning aqua colours as the water breaks 'I guess you could say the perfect shot can take a lifetime, but you must possess patience and perseverance for the most part. 'Generally, people tend to be lazy and don't wake up to see the early morning waves when they're at their best. 'Because of this, I find people are fascinated by my photographs, seeing them as something very exotic. 'Some have even thought they were paintings. 'One of my favourite quotes is from French novelist Marcel Proust, where he said "the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.'   Could we all soon be sleeping with the fishes? Designer creates incredible futuristic city where people live beneath the waves London-based Phil Pauley designed the Sub-Biosphere 2, which could become home for up to 100 people People living in the structure would not have to rely on the outside world for air, food and other essentials Designer hopes to see the futuristic home built in his lifetime, and has written a book about an underwater world Fancy living in a city under the sea? A designer who is passionate about the concept of living underwater has created his own dream community, and hopes that his big idea will one day become a reality. Phil Pauley says that he has dreamed about building an underwater city for the past 20 years, and has now released images of what the futuristic development might look like. Sub-Biosphere 2 comes compete with eight 'bio-dome' structures, and is 1,105ft wide.  Scroll down for video The Sub-Biosphere 2 would not look out of place in a science fiction film. But designer Phil Pauley hopes that it will one day become a reality Conceptual designer Mr Pauley, who describes himself as a futurist, says the structure will consist of a central support biosphere, an observation pod, and dwelling pods which will house up to 100 people. Each of the dwelling pods will house individual eco systems, and there will be no need to rely on air and food from the outside world. Mr Pauley, who is the founder of a London-based visual communications consultancy, said: 'Building an underwater city is all I have thought about for the last 20 years. Mr Pauley says the structure would be a self sustainable underwater habitat Under the sea: Sub-Biosphere 2 is designed for aquanauts, tourism and oceanographic life sciences and long term human, plant and animal habitation The Sub-Biosphere 2 would allow up to 100 people to live underwater, with no need for the outside world 'I don't want to come across as fanatical, so I am waiting for the right time, when people come around to the idea for themselves. 'When that happens I will be hear with my design.' Mr Pauley's design was inspired by plans by the University of Arizona for a a research facility of the same name - but so far developments on the project appear to have stalled. As well as designing his dream city, Mr Pauley is also looking for a publisher for a science fiction trilogy of books for young adults, The Moral Order. The books feature an underwater world similar to the futuristic design that Mr Pauley hopes to see built in his lifetime. Mr Pauley hopes that the Sub-Biosphere 2 will become a reality - once more people realise its potential benefits

MONSANTO: Photos from Argentina’s farms, documenting an agrochemical plague

 

 

 

Photos from Argentina’s farms, documenting an agrochemical plague American biotechnology has turned Argentina into the world’s third-largest soybean producer, but the chemicals powering the boom aren’t confined to soy and cotton and corn fields. They routinely contaminate homes and classrooms and drinking water. A growing chorus of doctors and scientists is warning that their uncontrolled use could be responsible for the increasing number of health problems turning up in hospitals across the South American nation. In the heart of Argentina’s soybean business, house-to-house surveys of 65,000 people in farming communities found cancer rates two to four times higher than the national average, as well as higher rates of hypothyroidism and chronic respiratory illnesses. Associated Press photographer Natacha Pisarenko spent months documenting the issue in farming communities across Argentina. Most provinces in Argentina forbid spraying pesticides and other agrochemicals next to homes and schools, with bans ranging in distance from 50 meters to as much as several kilometers from populated areas. The Associated Press found many cases of soybeans planted only a few feet from homes and schools, and of chemicals mixed and loaded onto tractors inside residential neighborhoods. In the last 20 years, agrochemical spraying has increased eightfold in Argentina- from 9 million gallons in 1990 to 84 million gallons today. Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Round Up products, is used roughly eight to ten times more per acre than in the United States. Yet Argentina doesn’t apply national standards for farm chemicals, leaving rule-making to the provinces and enforcement to the municipalities. The result is a hodgepodge of widely ignored regulations that leave people dangerously exposed. 1 In this April 16, 2013, photo, Felix San Roman walks on his property in Rawson, in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. San Roman says that when he complained about clouds of chemicals drifting into his yard, the sprayers beat him up, fracturing his spine and knocking out his teeth. "This is a small town where nobody confronts anyone, and the authorities look the other way," San Roman said. "All I want is for them to follow the existing law, which says you can't do this within 1,500 meters. Nobody follows this. How can you control it?" (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 2 In this Sept. 24, 2013, photo, a tractor known as a "mosquito" dusts a field near Parana, in the Entre Rios province, Argentina. Most provinces forbid spraying next to homes and schools, ranging in distance from 50 meters to as much as several kilometers from populated areas. But The Associated Press found many cases of soybeans planted only a few feet from homes and schools, and of chemicals mixed and loaded onto tractors inside residential neighborhoods. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 3 In this March 29, 2013, photo, former farmworker Fabian Tomasi, 47, shows the condition of his emaciated body as he stands inside his home in Basavilbaso, in Entre Rios province, Argentina. Tomasi’s job was to keep the crop dusters flying by quickly filling their tanks but he says he was never trained to handle pesticides. Now he is near death from polyneuropathy. "I prepared millions of liters of poison without any kind of protection, no gloves, masks or special clothing. I didn't know anything. I only learned later what it did to me, after contacting scientists," he said. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 4 In this April 1, 2013 photo, Aixa Cano, 5, who has hairy moles all over her body that doctors can't explain, sits on a stoop outside her home in Avia Terai, in Chaco province, Argentina. Although it’s nearly impossible to prove, doctors say Aixa’s birth defect may be linked to agrochemicals. In Chaco, children are four times more likely to be born with devastating birth defects since biotechnology dramatically expanded farming in Argentina. Chemicals routinely contaminate homes, classrooms and drinking water. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 5 In this May 2, 2013 photo, empty agrochemical containers including Monsanto's Round Up products lay discarded at a recycling center in Quimili, Santiago del Estero province, Argentina. Instead of a lighter chemical burden in Argentina, agrochemical spraying has increased eightfold, from 9 million gallons in 1990 to 84 million gallons today. Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto's Round Up products, is used roughly eight to ten times more per acre than in the United States. Yet Argentina doesn’t apply national standards for farm chemicals, leaving rule-making to the provinces and enforcement to the municipalities. The result is a hodgepodge of widely ignored regulations that leave people dangerously exposed. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 6 In this April 1, 2013, photo, Silvia Alvarez leans against her red brick home while keeping an eye on her son, Ezequiel Moreno, who was born with hydrocephalus, in Gancedo, in Chaco province, Argentina. Alvarez blames continuous exposure to agrochemical spraying for two miscarriages and her son's health problems. Chaco provincial birth reports show that congenital defects quadrupled in the decade after genetically modified crops and their related agrochemicals arrived. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 7 In this March 31, 2013, photo, Erika, right, and her twin sister Macarena, who suffer from chronic respiratory illness, stand inside their home in Avia Terai, in Chaco province, Argentina. The twins' mother, Claudia Sariski, whose home has no running water, says she doesn't let her children drink from the discarded pesticide containers she keeps in her dusty backyard. But her chickens do, and she has no other water to wash the family's clothes with. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 8 In this Sept. 24, 2013, photo, a tractor used for spraying agrochemicals is reflected in a car's side view mirror on a road in Parana, in Entre Rios province, Argentina. Glyphosate represents two-thirds of all agrochemicals used in Argentina, but resistance to pesticides is forcing farmers to mix in other poisons such as 2,4,D, which the U.S. military used in "Agent Orange" to defoliate jungles during the Vietnam War. (AP Photo/Natcha Pisarenko) # 9 In this May 31, 2013 photo, girls use slingshots next to a biotech soybean plantation in Avia Terai, in Chaco province, Argentina. The country's entire soybean crop and nearly all its corn and cotton have become genetically modified in the 17 years since St. Louis-based Monsanto Company promised huge yields with fewer pesticides using its patented seeds and chemicals. Instead, the agriculture ministry says agrochemical spraying has increased eightfold, from 9 million gallons in 1990 to 84 million gallons today. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 10 In this Sept. 24, 2013 photo, students play soccer during recess at a rural school near Concepcion del Uruguay, Entre Rios province, Argentina. Teachers say the farm that abuts their school yard has been illegally sprayed with pesticides, even during class time. In Entre Rios, teachers reported that sprayers failed to respect legally required 50 meter setbacks outside 18 schools, and doused 11 of them while students were in session. Five teachers have since filed police complaints. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 11 In this Sept. 25, 2013, photo, a protest sign directed to Argentine President Cristina Fernandez and Cordoba Province governor Jose Manuel de la Sota that reads in Spanish; "Stop looting and contaminating! Monsanto out of Cordoba and Argentina," is posted on a fence where Monsanto is building its largest seed production plant in Latin America in the town of Malvinas Argentinas, in Cordoba province, Argentina. The country's entire soybean crop and nearly all its corn and cotton have been genetically modified in the 17 years since St. Louis-based Monsanto Company promised huge yields with fewer pesticides using its patented seeds and chemicals. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 12 In this April 16, 2013, photo, activist Oscar Alfredo Di Vincensi talks on a cell phone inside his tent during his one-man hunger strike demanding that agrochemical spraying not be allowed within 1,000 meters of homes, in the main square of Alberti, in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Earlier this year, Di Vincensi stood in a field waving a court order barring spraying within 1,000 meters of homes in his town of Alberti; a tractor driver doused him in pesticide. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 13 In this Sept. 25, 2013, photo, cattle are corralled near the town of Berabevu, in Santa Fe province, Argentina. As Argentine ranchers turn to higher-profit soybeans, formerly grass-fed cattle are fattened on corn and soy meal in feedlots. Argentina’s entire soy crop and nearly all its corn have become genetically modified in the 17 years since St. Louis-based Monsanto Company promised huge yields with fewer pesticides using its patented seeds and chemicals. Soy cultivation alone has tripled to 47 million acres, transforming a nation once known for its grass-fed cattle into the world's third largest soybean producer. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 14 In this March 31, 2013, photo, Erika, left, and her twin sister Macarena, who suffer from chronic respiratory illness, play in their backyard near recycled agrochemical containers filled with water that is used for flushing their toilet, feeding their chickens and washing their clothes, near the town of Avia Terai, in Chaco province, Argentina. The twins' mother, Claudia Sariski, whose home has no running water, says she doesn't let her children drink the water from the discarded pesticide containers. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 15 In this March 31, 2013, photo, Camila Veron, 2, born with multiple organ problems and severely disabled, stands outside her home in Avia Terai, in Chaco province, Argentina. Doctors told Camila's mother, Silvia Achaval that agrochemicals may be to blame. It's nearly impossible to prove that exposure to a specific chemical caused an individual's cancer or birth defect, but doctors say these cases merit a rigorous government investigation. "They told me that the water made this happen, because they spray a lot of poison here," said Achaval. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 16 In this  July 8, 2013 photo, Dr. Andres Carrasco, a molecular biologist at the University of Buenos Aires, pauses during an interview in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Carrasco found that injecting very low doses of glyphosate, a weed-killer, into embryos can change levels of retinoic acid, causing the same sort of spinal defects in frogs and chickens that doctors are increasingly registering in communities where farm chemicals are ubiquitous. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 17 In this May 3, 2013, photo, students stand outside their rural school in Pozo del Toba, in Santiago del Estero province, Argentina. Most Argentine provinces limit how close spraying can be done in populated areas, with setbacks ranging from as little as 50 meters to as much as several kilometers. But The Associated Press found many cases of soybeans planted only a few feet from homes and schools, and chemicals mixed and loaded onto tractors inside residential neighborhoods. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 18 In this Sept. 23, 2013, photo, empty pesticide containers ready for recycling are collected inside an enclosure by the farming business association in Gualeguaychu, in Entre Rios province, Argentina. Widely ignored Argentine health minister guidelines recommend perforating empty containers to prevent reuse by residents. The association says the containers will be recycled into plastic tubing. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 19 In this May 3, 2013, photo, students ride a motorbike past a field of biotech corn on their way to school in Pozo del Toba, Santiago del Estero province, Argentina. American biotechnology has turned Argentina into a commodities powerhouse, but the chemicals required aren’t confined to the fields, they routinely contaminate homes, classrooms and drinking water. Now a growing chorus of doctors and scientists is warning that uncontrolled spraying could be causing the health problems turning up in hospitals across the South American nation. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 20 In this Sept. 26, 2013, photo, Sofia Gatica participates in a protest to block trucks from entering the site where Monsanto Company is building its largest Latin American seed production plant, in the town of Malvinas Argentinas, in Cordoba province, Argentina. The country's entire soy crop and nearly all its corn and cotton have become genetically modified in the 17 years since the St. Louis-based company promised larger yields. Agrochemical spraying has increased eightfold. After Gatica's newborn died of kidney failure, she filed a complaint in Cordoba province that led last year to Argentina's first criminal convictions for illegal spraying. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 21 In this April 16, 2013 photo, soybeans ready for harvest are bathed in afternoon light near Rawson, in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. American biotechnology has turned Argentina into the world’s third-largest soybean producer, but the chemicals powering the boom aren’t confined to soy and cotton and corn fields. They routinely contaminate homes and classrooms and drinking water. A growing chorus of doctors and scientists is warning that their uncontrolled use could be responsible for the increasing number of health problems turning up in hospitals across the South American nation. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) # 22 In this March 9, 2013, photo, residents gather to speak with Dr. Damian Verzenassi on health concerns they have about agrochemicals in the main square of Alvear, in Santa Fe province, Argentina. In the heart of Argentina’s soybean business, house-to-house surveys of 65,000 people in farming communities found cancer rates two to four times higher than the national average, as well as higher rates of hypothyroidism and chronic respiratory illnesses. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)#