Twelve municipalities in the western part of Portugal undertake to achieve 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020. The agreement also provides for the creation of an observatory to monitor compliance with the established goals.

The president of the Regional Agency for Energy and Environment of the West, Humberto Marques, revealed to Lusa, that the region currently produces 1.8 million tons of carbon per year "pledged to reduce these emissions by 20% through the implementation of action plans for sustainable energy generated for each of the municipalities. "

This pact "for low carbon sustainability of the associated municipalities of the West" was signed by the 12 counties of intermunicipal community including Alcobaça, Alenquer, Arruda dos Vinhos, Bombarral, Cadaval, Caldas da Rainha, Lourinhã, Nazare, Obidos, Peniche, Sobral Monte Agraço and Torres Vedras, and also Odivelas.

The document was signed after the end of a two-day convention, in which according to Humberto Marques, "elected officials and technicians of all municipalities discussed with experts the kind of measures they can take to reduce emissions."

The meeting was held in the building of OesteCim in Caldas da Rainha, and featured, in addition to the mayors and technicians, with the participation of transport and related to renewable energy companies. Simultaneously an observatory for the purpose, which will be responsible for assessing compliance with the targets set, recommend new procedures and also monitor carbon emissions of each municipality was created. In addition, the agency will also propose measures to improve the energy resources of the region, where 10% is produced from wind energy in the country, as well as measures of inter-regional cooperation.

It's the last exhibition of Teresa Gonlçaves Lobo whose motto is an invitation to look at these drawings rediscovering the riding lines, dynamic gestures, organic shapes, ideas that were attached to the matter and also to find an empty page, the birthplace of lines, as describes Isabel Santa Clara.

One feature of your work is the trace. And already said many times you how to start a work, but have no idea how it will end.
Teresa Gonçalves Lobo: When I start a project I do not know, I have no idea, where the trace takes me. I'm in a state of mind where I feel like drawing, this means to me that my head is free, I am free of thoughts, ideas to draw, this is very important in my case and I can only speak for myself. Never work thinking that I'm doing this drawing, of course, when I have the impulse, the will and then I will choose the materials I'll use. I work with very fine features and that means I am in a state of great peace and caught, for example, a china ink pen and use a very thin paper, because it is this lightness I feel like it and it takes a long time. I have records of drawings, which take forever, realize I´m tracing and suddenly think: you have to inbreath. It's almost like not breathing. Of course, when I make these designs not only have to be in a certain state of mind, as in an area without noise. Sometimes they ask me if I like listening to music, I enjoy music, but when I'm drawing usually do not like such interference, I prefer to leave what is in here and not be influenced by other things that come out. Then you have other strong records and maybe I feel like drawing with pastel and charcoal and leaves with weight that can withstand the force that I want to put there. And I also do engraving, but then I draw like with a metal pencil that has a strength that paper would never hold and I'm exhausted.

You come from an island, is the inner island reflected in your way of living as an artist?
TGL: I think you have every right to make that comment. The island is here in my drawings, since several people told me that, on the mainland they tell me notice I'm from the island and I find it interesting because it's a sign that I'm there. It is natural, because it's with me, although I do not live here, is a part of me. It is natural that you see much of the island. I believe so and I like to know that. But I do not deliver to the design this concern of the island in the drawings, it is not me and I let it flow.

There are three shades in this exhibition, what kind of shades wanted to show here?
TGL: I never intend to show anything. I buy the materials with which I like to draw and design. Then when I choose to work for the exhibition I do not have a fixed idea, I'll get works that make sense to be together. In this case, we see many drawings in black and I draw a lot with this color, I really like that feeling and the reason is because black does not distract you. Let me give an example, if you have a landscape with various lines of one color, maybe we will focus on those some lines. If we put this same design in different colors, maybe we see this same landscape but with a wide range of tones, but we stop seeing the drawing. And I think that is why I am so fond of drawing in black. But, I have sepia drawings which is a color that is almost shy. I have other colors like red, alone, or with black background.

Also like red?
TGL: Yes, I do. It is a remote color, that is associated with so much. But if I end up get in it for some reason, I drawn with red so often, I begin to question myself, why is it that you like this red to draw? These are things that when I'm buying the material I not think about it, but after I put these questions to myself. Why I did this? I think you only know yourself from what we do. And not just any red that I like, it's the bright red that I love to draw and symbolizes so much good, life blood, but also love.

It is the new album of jazz musician André Fernandes. It's a different album because for the first time he has songs, is not just an instrumental record is a journey through his very personal musical universe.

Tell me about your new musical work "wonder wheel" in what distance, or brings something new comparing to your previous album, "engine"?
André Fernandes: This is a very different from "engine". I believe it takes the band I worked with the previous album "cube", with Mario laginha, Nelson Cascais and Alexandre Frazao, but adds the voice, I did not have it in previous musical works, ie is not entirely instrumental. It also has a more traditional themes format song with lyrics, which is something I never done. It is hard, in fact, very different from the previous six I've made so far.

It is a very heterogeneous record even in terms of bandwidth, on the one hand, you have musicians with a long career, such as Mario laginha and on the other hand, there are people with little work experience. It is accidental, or wanted that kind of mix?
AF: I do not think much in terms of the curriculum of musicians to choose them. Therefore, the group of musicians are veterans, both Alexander and Damien obviously like Mario. Inês Sousa is a more unknown, younger member I met at the School of Music and always liked to listen. I knew her through many projects she was involved in other areas. I invited her to a rock band that I have are the "spill", knew very well the characteristics of her voice and know that it was suitable, to this musical background, this repertoire and was a natural choice.

What was the common thread in relation to this record the melodies and the lyrics? Why you define this set of songs?
AF: It was like the other records. I write music regularly, is part of my routine and for two years I have been writing different things what I usually do in my instrumental music groups. Some of them clearly demanded the presence of voice and lyric by the way, but they were things I wrote naturally and I was not thinking about having such an album. The songs already had this characteristic to form a whole, an album were accumulating and reached a point where it made sense as a whole, there was a record, and also on the other hand, I felt like doing a different work from the others, although they are all different from each other, this is radically different.

Why the merger?
AF: I think that nowadays music is all fusion.

It is the new trend for the younger generation.

In a galaxy not very far away, more particularly in Northern Europe, a young Scottish designer, Christopher Kane decided to launch in 2011, a women's collection with prints using images of stars, planets, constellations and outer space that he called and well, "galaxy print". Still with a very shy debut in Portugal, this fashion concept has cause a huge frenzy throughout Europe, in particular with the new generation of European adolescents. This is not an original idea, because after all it is a print, something that is very fashionable at the moment thanks to laser printers use in fabrics, the innovation is the theme used by this young designer. And I must add that this galactic trend is more suitable for autumn-winter, with strong resonances in the urban youth. It is very colorful, but at the same time have something of grim side, a duality that appeals to young people who aspire to be different in the way they dress. Girls, as always, enjoy a multitude of options, which include not only clothing, footwear and accessories, as well as nails. Among the pieces that please it me more surprisingly the leggings are for me the best choice because they combine with a countless number of neutral clothes. However, the success of this idea does not hold in young women, since there is a super-interesting range of pieces for boys and I undoubtedly like the sweatshirts, some of the prints are simply out of this world. Literally!

The intervention of conservation and restoration of the altarpiece and the stalls of the chathedral of Funchal was a joint project between several public and religious entities that received technical support from the Laboratory José de Figueiredo, through the restorative-conservative, Mercês Lorena, in the area of painting and Elsa Murta, sculpture and carving.

What is the importance of this altarpiece at a national level?
Mercês Lorena: It is important because it is the only one that remains in its original location, while on the continent in the various churches have been dismantled. This gives us the idea as how the altarpieces were at the time, mounted a structure of carving and painting. Moreover, before we could not see anything in terms of paintings and now has become a full, clean, original vision.

In terms of paintings, were different somehow, or important in the context of the time?
ML: In other altars that already no exist the paintings are in museums. In the Cathedral, in the chancel, are beautiful pictures, evangelical scenes, only here we have the complete picture, which are placed and read from left to right. The result in the end is excellent, the paintings are very good, they all show much of the original and still the withdrawals of the repintes was an asset, because everything was a group and it was rewarding.

Elsa Murta: And then we could see that the hoist is perfectly suited to the painting, was a common work. In the background is a royal order, of painting and carving, whose decorative motifs, carving small figures are placed in niches, have the same ethnographic evidence, that integrate, or decorate the whole of the altarpiece. We can understand that the technique is mixed, ie, is not what would see in Portugal at the time, but it is an order that, surely, was in foreign hands, which makes this Gothic aspect very flemish in the end, but it was also done by nationals.

I noticed that one of the paintings on the altarpiece was replaced in the third level.
MS: It is the last level, "ecco l'uomo" did not belong to the altarpiece, was later placed and fitted with hoist cut from an old dressing room of the Cathedral and it was taken in agreement with all parties involved in this project. There was a negative forms of architectural decoration that the altarpiece and has been decided to put a replacement. It is a new work, it has more to do with the office of the DRAC (Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs), but it existed within the altar of consecration until recently a cross with Christ who was of the type of school Malim, is within that aesthetic, although we have no brand, possessed the size of what would be there and therefore, in accordance with made a new organization of the space. Within the ethnographic allegory makes sense to have been put in place, this episode lacked of Jesus on the cross, possibly because it was the calvary and there is registration and documentation at the time of the altarpiece, which described Christ in the center and St. John and the Virgin Mary laterally.

Maria João Coutinho and Simion Doru Cristea, with production of Agnes Faria, Bernadete Annunciação, Rita Ramos, Lucia  Anunciação, made a documentary film about a century old woman, the matriarch of an entire community that she has seen and helped birth. A poignant film and absolutely unmissable.

Who is this person about whom decided to make this documentary?
Maria João Coutinho. She is a lady who currently has 104 years, but at the time had 102 She lives on a farm and was midwife to a whole community. The location is Candeal Mora which is near the city of Irará which is in the state of Bahia.

Then she was the midwife of the whole community?
MJC: She's a woman from the country side, but there was one particular day that a lady needed helpin a childbirth and the only one close by was Aunt Paula, so she helped without knowing how and the baby was born. From there began helping at all births, the farm is a very closed community, so everybody knows each other, some call her aunt paula, other's mother paula, aunty paulinha, she's a mother and aunt of all.

And how does Maria João reaches Aunt Paula and decides to make a documentary?
MJC: We went specifically to Salvador de Bahia, because we belong to an association that study proverbs in Tavira and I am the secretary of this entity and we learned that the most important holy mother and the first to belong to the Brazilian Academy of Letters, mother Stella, living in a farmyard of Salvador, wrote a book on proverbs. We were very curious, why is it that a holy mother writes a book on this subject? No one ever had done within the religion, except the proverbs of Solomon. We contacted the lady, but she told us she could not come to Tavira for a conference we organized every year, because she had more than 80 years of age, currently has 89. Simeon and then I grabbed our economies and went to Salvador de Bahia where we have some friends. Thanks to them we met two young ladies, Bernadette and Lucia Annunciação, which belong to this community, are both cultural producers and told us they would like film Aunt Paula, because she was a character who we would not want to miss. And we went. Were there for the weekend and sleep in a farming community.

And Aunt Paula has her own family, or she is single?
MJC: Aunt Paula was married, had about 12 children, because the entire community has many children, also was usual here in the villages and beyond. Some have died and in the movie will tell that she is already tetra grandmother, has 60 grandchildren and some tetra-grandchildren.

New call for census participation of volunteers and enthusiasts of these birds.

The White Stork census takes place every ten years. In Portugal this year is coordinated by the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forestry, in collaboration with other entities, such as Quercus and SPEA (Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds). Hence this species is the bird of the year 2014 due to the census that are being carried out not only in Portugal but also simultaneously in several European countries.

The previous process count, in 2004 recorded 7,684 occupied stork nests in Portugal, more than double those recorded in 1994 (3,302 nests). In the district of Castelo Branco, Quercus is responsible for the census in the municipalities of Castelo Branco Covilhã, Penamacor, Idanha-a-Nova and Vila Velha de Rodão Proenca-a-Nova. Elsewhere in the country, the environmental organization will also be involved, through its Centers of Algarve, Aveiro, Coimbra, Guarda, Lisbon and Vila Real.
Work will take place between March and June, so the Quercus calls for participation of volunteers to collaborate in the field crews or shipping information.

Six years after being assessed as "near threatened species," the White Stork was cataloged in 1994 as "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Has benefited from human activities during the Middle Ages as cleaning of forests, however, changes in farming methods and industrialization saw their population decline and even disappear in some parts of Europe during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Conservation and reintroduction programs across the European continent have made the white stork return to reproduce in the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden and even up in Portugal.

http://www.quercus.pt/documentos/campanhas/censo-mundial-cegonha-branca-marco-a-junho

http://www.spea.pt/pt/participar/campanhas/ave-do-ano-2014-cegonha-branca/

São Paulo is the city election of Henry Amoedo , artistic director of the group dancing with a difference. It is a different, but thriving portrait on his personal choices, his favorite spots that are worth a long visit.

I have some favorite places in Brazil, I traveled extensively throughout the country at the professional and personal level. Being from São Paulo is obvious that it is one of my favorite places . That's what fascinates me, is huge, is that transit, is that chaos, is not that nit may seem thar is not a nice place, you must know where to look and be in this city that transforms, to know their most popular locations.

The Paulista Avenue is one of my places of election, to stroll on a Sunday, for example. As they say in Brazil , there you can see all the assembled tribes , you have punks , homeless, homosexuals, disabled people, women and men of business, because everyone will wander thru. It is possible to see completely different people, disparate social movements and that interests me, but I also like to see it all in perfect harmony in one place. It's like the square of São Paulo, even if it's for ice cream after going to the craft fair, ranging from the Museum of Art of São Paulo, the MASP , which has a very busy antiques fair .

Then there is another place that is the election Culture bookstore. It's a huge space , is the cultural shopping São Paulo, you can sit and read, see, or buy books, there are all the best in the world published in this area. Still in Sao Paulo, you can visit the neighborhood of Liberty. Has the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan , which are well integrated in general in São Paulo universe. This neighborhood has everything from Japanese trade, clothing , food and restaurants . On the street also has a fair where they sell everything , I like it very much , to walk , to be very close to what is oriental . During the week is very busy with lots of people hanging out and in weekends is quieter , is another pace of São Paulo. It is also close to downtown, to the square of the Cathedral, where is located the church of the same name, the Cathedral, one of the largest Gothic Revival style in the world , is a beautiful building and has European inspiration, as well as the Municipal Theater São Paulo, which is one of these examples , inspired by the Paris Opera .

The Project " Going down on Sarrafo, Choro Opus Trio and Guests " is a contribution to the Choro Trio Opus history of Brazilian music , recording and perpetuating the 12 works of the musician and composer Amintas José da Costa, maestro Sarrafo.

The chorus opus trio developed a musical work is entitled "Going down on Sarrafo" which is a tribute to the maestro Sarrafo , Amintas José da Costa, how did this project emerged?
Eduardo Martinelli : In 2001 / 02 the maestro Sarrafo lives in a town called Itanagar and I lived there too . He told me about a chorinhos he wrote, there was a problem in the studio where he was recording, because the former president of the Republic , Juscelino Kubitschek recorded a critical political discourse and military government of the day banned all the stuff they had in the studio, due to that fact. This happened in 1968/69 and the conductor lost those recordings he had made and there were only with the manuscripts of this song and then there were no records of it. From then on we started working on the recovery of the material that was released in 2012 and I think it was a project that united the trio opus chorus , which is very strong and weight . Then , the group ended up turning into orbit with this work , it was his first CD and we believe it will work on these issues for some years.

What is the importance of the musical repertoire of the conductor to Brazil and why a CD dedicated to one person ?
MS: Because it was not just one song, was a collection of musical works of a composer who lived the history of popular music of the twentieth century. Sarrafo is still alive, he is 90 years old and he attended all the movements of Brazilian popular music (BPM ), played with all the great singers, instrumentalists and composers, but what caught the attention is that it was not going to miss a song or two but a collection. It is a beautiful BPM page that could have been blank. If Sarrfo had died at 80 years old all this heritage was lost, I met him at 84 and told me about it and showed the scores , ie , the songs could have disappeared because he was was not behind it. It is a collection of "best off" , has a great importance because they are very beautiful chorinhos are different from those composed of young musicians and composers of our time . He lived a very important stage of BPM and brings with it all, at a time when it was happening.

Explains for those who do not know, what is a chorinho ?
MS: Brazilian Choro is a genre of music that is predecessor of samba. It is the first genre of Brazilian instrumental music that was consolidated , it is from the late nineteenth century and early twentieth . Establish several Brazilian composers like Pixinguinha as the main one and many other musicians who have written for this type of music. Resembles the samba is usually instrumental .

In this album you have recreated with the songs with the helped of sarrafo conductor ?
MS: Yes, when he gave us the melodies, the music he had composed. The part made for recording we had not, we were rewriting the harmony, rearranging the works without losing the characteristic look of what it was originally. The group we recorded was another, had more instruments, the CD has orchestra, violin, clarinet, flute, mandoli , seven-string guitar, a six-string, at the time he did not have all this at hand , because the chorinho has a feature that is to adapt to different configurations. It suffers arrangements and different interventions according to the musical training that has provided, this CD is quite varied .

One of the trends for this spring -summer in Brazil comes from its Portuguese heritage .

The Portuguese tile, the design, the color blue on white, invaded Rio's catwalks and created a fashion fever seen on the other side of the Atlantic. And the inspiration was not only the clothing, because this trend with Lusitanian history also extended to accessories of an absolutely delicious way. I must confess that in researching the new collections of Brazilian designers I appreciate its lightness and the wide variety of patterns and fabrics, the coordinated seen absolutely powerful and visually fresh and relaxed at the same time, since long skirts with haberdasher, patterns mixed with jeans, tank stripes with touches of flowery, patterned graphics in chiffon and silk , it was possible to see a little of everything . And in a tasteful way. Nothing says summer to me more than dazzling patterns, but there is an inherent lightness in the tiles and their shades, blue and white, they are definitely synonymous with the summer season approaching .

It is a happy trend in my point of view, a right choice and a homage to the roots of Brazilian and Portuguese . Loved it ! And highlight brands like Leelo, Corporeum , Daslu, Nem, Farm , Renner, Spezatto and Seiki , just to name a few .

In Accessory, Morena Rosa introduced clutchs and bags truly loving. In haute couture, Liliane Ferrari created dresses also inspired by the tiles .