Five More Places To See Before They Are Changed Forever

by Kraig Becker on

Last week we posted a story from CNN.com that named five places to see before climate changed altered them forever. The destinations that made their list included the Great Barrier Reef, the city of New Orleans, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, the Alpine Glaciers in Switzerland, and the Amazon Rain Forest in Brazil. Here are five more amazing places that you should see before they are altered forever as well.

1. Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa, and the glacier at its summit has become the stuff of legend, thanks to Earnest Hemingway’s famous book. The mountain sits just three degrees off the equator, making it even more amazing that snows are present there. But with temperatures on the rise across the planet, the glaciers are retreating at a steady rate, and scientists now believe that they could be completely gone in as little as a decade. Those wanting to see the Snows of Kilimanjaro should make the trek to the summit soon.

2. Maldives, Indian Ocean
More than 1200 tiny islands make up the Republic of Maldives, located off the southwest coast of India, but the entire country is being threatened by the rising levels of the ocean thanks to the melting polar icecaps. It is estimated that by the end of this century, more than 80% of the islands that make up the archipelago will be submerged under water, considerably changing nature of the place. Steps are being taken to save the more populated areas, but much of the country will simply cease to exist in the years ahead.3. The Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
The Annapurna Circuit is considered one of the greatest hikes in the world. It is a 15+ day trek through the HImalaya amongst some of the tallest mountains in the world, with amazing scenery at every turn. With quaint villages found every few hours along the trail, trekkers can spend the night in traditional tea houses, and will always have easy access to food and drink. But the area is being changed forever, and not by climate change, but modernization instead. A new road in the area will alter the landscape both physically and culturally, irrevocably chaning this legendary place forever. The road will be completed by the end of 2010, and much of the charm and spirit of the trail will be gone forever.

4. The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
The Galapagos are another amazing group of islands, this time found 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. These islands are home to a dizzying number of different species of plants and animals, some that can be found nowhere else. This has made it a hot tourist destination in recent years with visitors flocking to the Galapagos to take in the unique flora and fauna. But it isn’t the tourists visiting the islands that threatens this fragile place, but instead, the growing population of permanent residents, which has grown at an alarming rate over the past decade. This over population, of a place not designed to support so much human life, is a direct threat to the ecosystem there, and could change the place forever, and very soon.

5. Lake Baikal, Russia
The worlds largest, and deepest, freshwater lake, Baikal, has only just begun to appear on the radar for most travelers. At its deepest point, it reaches 5730 feet below the surface, and those depths have never been completely explored. The lake is home to more than 1700 species of plants and animals, including the fresh water seal, the majority of which can’t be found anywhere else on Earth. Due to its size, Lake Baikal was expected to be resistant to climate change, but studies show that it is already warming, and those temperature changes will also change the landscape in the area, threatening the life of plants and animals that inhabit the remote region of Siberia.

Is a “Passenger Bill of Rights” the answer to bad airline behavior?

by Aaron Hotfelder on

There’s no denying the recent string of high-profile episodes of airlines mistreating their customers– whether it’s forcing passengers to spend nine hours in a grounded plane, booting off beautiful girls for their revealing clothes (the nerve!), or inadvertently boarding an 83-year-old woman on a flight to Puerto Rico instead of her actual destination, New York.

After every such incident, it seems someone writes a blog post or an op-ed about how a “Passenger Bill of Rights” would prevent similar misbehavior in the future. But would it?

Not according to George Petsikas, the president of Canada’s National Airlines Council. He says that enacting a such a law would cause airfares to skyrocket since under Canada’s version of the Bill of Rights, airlines would be fined for, among other things, leaving passengers in the plane on the tarmac for over one hour ($500 per person per hour), as well as failing to notify passengers of delays in a timely manner ($1,000 per instance).

Although I am loath to agree with the spokesman for the big, bad, evil airlines, it does seem as if the proposed fines are excessive, and that these costs would merely be passed on to the consumers. I have no doubt that, when airlines “strand” people on the runways for ninety minutes waiting for take-off, they’re actually doing their best to get the plane in the air. Sitting on the tarmac for an extended period of time is inconvenient, frustrating, and uncomfortable, but it is also usually not the airline’s fault. (Nine hours is another story altogether.)

What is needed is not governmental micro-management of the airlines– fifty minutes on the tarmac is okay, but sixty minutes is not– but rather a minimal set of standards of behavior which airlines must live up to. For example, an airline may not allow passengers to wait on the tarmac for over three hours. An airline may not bump a passenger from a flight without offering them reasonable compensation.

When you start fining airlines for every little offense, they will simply raise ticket prices. In effect, we’ll be taking money out of our left pockets to buy the airline tickets, and putting it into our right pockets to compensate ourselves for the airline’s misbehavior.

Iraq’s National Museum reopens in Baghdad

by Grant Martin on

After six years of reconstruction, Iraq’s National Museum reopened its doors this week. The institution, which was ransacked as soldiers stood by powerless, suffered major losses during the American led invasion, and much of the priceless collection was scattered throughout Iraq.

Now, with only one third of the collection restored, the museum just opened its doors to a phalanx of politicians and VIPs, then plans to remain open for regular visitors.

Looking at the gallery (below,) it’s clear to see that the museum has been not only restored but that it’s actually marvelous, with clean polished floors, large, vaulted ceilings and proper restoration and museum techniques.

But the museum’s opening is far more symbolic.

It represents the state of the culture in Baghdad, the slow recovery from a war torn, divided country and the security necessary to open up a cultural center in a former battleground. There is no doubt that Iraq is still a very dangerous place, but the opening of the National Museum is one step closer to a safer, successful society.

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Eco-spas: Feel good while feeling good

by Tom Johansmeyer on

There’s nothing quite like getting your tight back muscles kneaded into something resembling a soft, warm mattress. Environment be damned! Whatever it takes to bring relaxation is worth it, right? At The Ritz-Carlton Spa in Orlando, FL, you won’t have to choose between unblemished satisfaction and the planet your children (ironically, the source of your stress) will inherit.

The “rooftop eco-space” takes the environment seriously. A green sod roof cuts down on energy costs while putting recycled materials to work. Rainwater brings life to the flowers, and the lights are solar powered. A nice touch … a wooden table has been fashioned from Hurricane Katrina debris.

But, that’s not enough. The spa has to do what spas do.

The Rooftop Hammock Massage will take the weight of the world off your shoulders – and the weight of your body off your feet. In the hammock, “zero gravity” enhances the massage experience by offering more flexibility and a greater range of motion. Eye goggles are available to change your view of the world while hydrating and restoring dry, tired eyes, and an iPod trickles meditative messages into your ears.

Luxury doesn’t have to come at the expense of the world around you. The Ritz-Carlton, which has a variety of environmentally-friendly initiatives in the works, has proved that you can feel good twice over.

Pilot sues flight attendants over safety

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Three Phoenix-based flight attendants are in the unusual position of defending themselves from pilot-instigated litigation. Of course, they deserve it. I mean, what would you do when people responsible for passenger safety report safety concerns to federal regulators? Either you can fix a problem or you can sue. Since the pilot is obviously a proud American, he chose the latter course. And, he’s now proving his patriotism by messing with the media.

America West Flight 851 was about to leave Calgary, Alberta back in 2003. The flight attendants were worried about frost on the wings, but the pilots saw no need to de-ice before take-off. Eventually, the guys at the front of the plane gave in, but the flight attendants were worried enough by the incident to report it to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Looking back on the crash in Buffalo a little over a week ago, this looks like a decent idea.

First Officer Ed Gannon didn’t see it that way, even after he was cleared by the FAA (which offered to pick up the tab for some of his legal fees).

Now, I am somewhat sympathetic to Gannon (sorry, Heather). I’m not plane-savvy enough to know if the FAs had a good point or if they were intruding on the pilot’s turf. Even though the FAA cleared the guy, he still had his life at least inconvenienced by the flight attendants. And, let’s be realistic. Being sued is not something you can just brush off.

Assume you feel you’ve done nothing wrong, and you have to spend thousands of dollars to make that point. Yeah, you’d be pissed. You’d want a bit of payback.
If Gannon wanted to make a point, filing the suit was enough. The fact that the judge tossed out some of his arguments (including “infliction of emotional distress”) suggests that he shouldn’t push too hard (the defamation bit is still in play). Instead, however, he’s upping the ante.

The seemingly wronged pilot has subpoenaed reporters’ notes from the Phoenix New Times, not to mention any documents supplied by the flight attendants who are being sued. Gannon has also gone after the FAs’ blog, hunting for information about the people who have posted comments on the site.

Imagine getting a call from a lawyer because you posted a comment on this story … scary, isn’t it?

Gannon’s made his point. It’s time for him to put all this in the past (hell, it happened six years ago). If you feel strongly about this, consider a contribution to the FAs’ legal defense fund.

Check out these other stories from the airport checkpoint!