A pesar del descenso de protección, aún no está
condenada la mayor selva tropical del mundo. Una
ley que permita limitar la limpieza de espacios para
la agricultura y programas que restablezcan las tie-
rras forestales destruidas, ayudarían a revertir los
efectos adversos de la deforestación.
Brasil, el resto de los nueve países que abarcan
áreas amazónicas y la comunidad internacional, de-
ben asegurar que uno de los biosistemas más vitales
y diversos de nuestro hermoso planeta, se nutra y
proteja.
SUNFISH RESCUE IN CAMP BAY
In early September a young teenage volunteer from
the Nautilus Project successfully helped to rescue a
distressed sunfish that had become stranded near
Camp Bay.
TNP received a call on the morning of the 4th
September expressing concern for a sunfish spo-
tted near the rocks. After evaluating the situation,
the brave 13-year-old volunteer opted to get into the
water with the animal and stay with it until help arri-
ved, propping the fish up and making sure it did not
get injured against the rocks.
Later, when the Department of Environment boat
arrived to assist, the volunteer, together with the
department officer, swam to the vessel guiding the
sunfish to safety.
The ocean sunfish, or Mola Mola, is the hea-
viest known bony fish in the world. This large and
unusual looking fish typically weighs between 247
and 1000kg and resembles a fish head with a tail,
with its body flattened laterally. They are native to
tropical or temperate waters, meaning that they are
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spotted quite regularly in the Mediterranean. They
are frequently seen floating near the water’s surface
and basking in the sun and are often mistaken for
sharks due to their large dorsal fins.
Their current status is considered vulnerable. Un-
fortunately, sunfish can suffocate on sea litter, par-
ticularly plastic bags, as they resemble their food of
choice, jellyfish. They also often get caught in or are
injured by drift nets.
Thanks to the joint efforts of the Department for
Environment, the Nautilus Project and their coura-
geous young volunteer, this sunfish now has a fair
chance of survival.
Rescate de un Pez Luna en Camp Bay
A principios de septiembre, un joven voluntario del
Proyecto Natilus, ayudó en el exitoso rescate de un
Pez Luna que había quedado varado en Camp Bay.
Una llamada recibida la mañana del 4 de septiem-
bre a TNP, recogía la preocupación del informante
por un Pez Luna observado cerca de las rocas. Una
vez evaluada la situación, el joven voluntario - de
tan solo trece años- decidió tirarse al agua acompa-
ñando al animal hasta que llegó la ayuda necesaria,
controlando el pez para que no chocase contra las
rocas.
Cuando accedió a la zona la embarcación del De-
partamento de Medio Ambiente, el voluntario y el
oficial de medioambiente, nadaron hacia el barco
que guiaría al ejemplar hacia un lugar seguro.
El Pez Luna (Mola-Mola) o Pez Sol, es el más
pescado con mayor peso conocido en el mundo, lle-
gando a alcanzar entre 245 y 1.000kg, su fisonomía
se asemeja a una cabeza de pez seguido de cola en
un cuerpo plano lateralmente. Propio de aguas tem-
pladas y tropicales, su avistamiento es frecuente en
el Mediterráneo. Con asiduidad se les ve flotando
cerca de la superficie y tomando el sol, llegando a
confundirse con tiburones por sus grandes aletas
dorsales.
En la actualidad es muy vulnerable. Su alimento
preferido son las medusas lo que les lleva a veces a
ingerir bolsas de plástico y basura marina, por error.
En ocasiones, quedan atrapados en redes a la deriva.
Gracias a los esfuerzos conjuntos del Departa-
mento de Medio Ambiente, el Proyecto Nautilus y su
joven y valiente voluntario, este pez luna ahora tiene
una oportunidad de supervivencia.
OTWO 03 / OCTOBER 2019
RESIDUAL HEAT FROM THE LONDON
UNDERGROUND TO BE USED TO HEAT
HOMES THIS WINTER
This coming winter, over a thousand homes in the
London Borough of Islington will be supplied by che-
aper and cleaner heating under a new scheme that
will harness excess and disused heat produced by
the London Underground.
A lot of the systems used daily generate massi-
ve amounts of energy and heat. Appliances such as
air conditioners, big industry such as power plants
and even transport used by millions of people across
London, all produce heat that up until now has gone
to waste.
This project is one of several schemes to warm
homes and businesses across the UK through the
cold winter months by using “waste heat” from our
transport systems, factories and from mine shafts to
name but a few.
A heat pump will capture “waste heat” from a
ventilation shaft coming from the Northern Line
which runs under the Borough of Islington. The air
OTWO 03 / OCTOBER 2019
currently reaches temperatures of 18C to 28C and
will be used to supply heat and hot water to homes
and business in the area.
According to the Greater London Authority (GLA),
there is enough heat wasted in London to meet 38%
of the city’s heating demands. And with the UK go-
vernment pledging to become carbon-neutral within
the next 30 years, projects like these could pave the
way for similar schemes across the capital to heat
properties using excess heat from the underground,
providing an economical and carbon-efficient solu-
tion to some of the city’s needs.
Other parts of the country, however, are also cap-
turing and utilising excess heat to convert into ener-
gy or to warm properties.
British Sugar’s factory in Norfolk, is piping excess
heat generated from cooking syrup into a nearby 45-
acre greenhouse that grows medical cannabis.
Countries such as Iceland and New Zealand are
already generating more than 15% of their energy
from geothermal sources, and now Stoke-on-Trent
is working on a £52m project to tap into energy
from hot water deposits deep underground, estima-
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