New geyeser erupts in Russia

by Kraig Becker on

Geysers are a relatively rare geological event. They are the result of some specific conditions that only occur in a few places on Earth, which results when a water source meets rocks that are heated by volcanic magma that is close to the Earth’s surface. There are roughly a thousand known geysers across the planet, and about half of those are found in Yellowstone National Park in the United States, including the most famous geyser of all, Old Faithful.

The number of known geysers has recently increased by one however, when a new one erupted for the first time on Russia’s remote Kamchatka Peninsula. According to National Geographic, the new geyser has been named “Prikolny,” which means “Peculiar” in Russian. Reportedly, a surprised observer of the geyser’s first burst shouted out the word when the hot water and steam shot from the ground, and the name has stuck.

According to the story, Peculiar is unique in more ways than one, as it appears that the geyser is also eco-friendly. The geyser shoots water five meters into the air on intervals varying between six and twenty minutes, but when that water falls back to the ground, it is collected once again and recycled to be used for the next eruption.

This new geyser is located in Kronotsky Nature Reserve, not far from the region known as the Valley of the Geysers, which was once a very active geyser field before a landslide covered most of the area back in 2007. The appearnce of Peculiar marks the first new known geyser in the area since the 1960’s.

Win a trip to Antarctica

by Sean McLachlan on

If you’re a teacher in the U.S. or Canada and you care about the environment, you may be in luck. Broadway Books, an imprint of Random House, is offering to send one teacher on a free tour of Antarctica led by Robert Swan, the author of the upcoming book 2041: My Quest to Save the World’s Last Wilderness.

Swan is the first explorer to walk to both the North and South Poles and will lead a group of 80 teachers, students, business leaders, and environmental scientists on a tour of Antarctica’s various ecosystems in order to teach them about the challenges facing the frozen continent. Highlights will include whale watching, camping overnight on shore, and visiting a giant colony of Gentoo penguins.

To get a chance to win you need to fill out this form and write a 500 word essay on why you want to go and how you will pass on what you learn to your students. The winner will be chosen in October, just before the release of Swan’s book.

Not a teacher? Don’t despair. You can win a trip to Antarctica by blogging about it.

Is Australia’s Ayers Rock closing to climbers?

by Kraig Becker on

One of Australia’s most famous landmarks, Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, may soon be closed to climbers if a proposed plan by the country’s national parks service is adopted. The plan points to a variety of reasons as to why climbing should be banned on the sandstone monolith, including cultural issues, safety, and environmental concerns.

Uluru, which stands 1,135 feet in height and more than six miles in circumference, is considered sacred ground by the aboriginal tribes that inhabit the area, and they have long opposed climbing its walls. The park system says that 30 people have died while climbing the Rock over the years and that the climbing routes cause increased erosion which has a direct impact on the plant and animal life in the region, which happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If adopted, the plan would be phased in over a ten year period to give the tourism industry a chance to develop alternative activities for visitors. The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which surrounds Ayers Rock, draws roughly 350,000 visitors each year, and according to the park system, about 38% of which come to climb. A group that represents a considerable amount of revenue for the park and surrounding communities.

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The plan is now open for public comment over the next two months before it is passed on to the Parliament for consideration. Not everyone is in favor of the proposed changes however, as the Ministry for Tourism in the Northern Territory, the state in which the park falls, has gone on record as saying that they would like to see climbing continue to be allowed in some form.

While it looks like climbing will be allowed to continue for the foreseeable future, if “Climbing Ayers Rock” is on your life list, you may want to plan a trip to Australia soon.

Best job in the world promoting Great Barrier Reef includes a bonus

by Jamie Rhein on

Ben Southall, the British guy who won the “Best Job in the World” contest is now busy at work care-taking and exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia to promote them as destination hot spots. In case living on one island for six months sounds claustrophobic , there’s no need to worry about Ben.

His girlfriend, a former Canadian gymnast, went with him for this gig that comes with a sweet deal paycheck. Perhaps the $121,000 total rings a bell.

As a person who has lived in a remote place on my own, I think it’s great that his girlfriend is along with him. I can imagine that as the days pass, no matter how glorious paradise seems, it can get pretty lonely, particularly as tourists come and go since most visit on day trips..

His girlfriend has already added some excitement.

Just last week he had to carry her for awhile awhile after she hurt her right foot when doing cartwheels on a beach during a meet and greet with the press.

Here’s the link to Southall’s blog, “Island Caretaker.” I must say, he looks like he’s having a blast. It’s work, mind you, but fun.

Undiscovered New York: Green NYC

by Jeremy Kressmann on

You can’t go more than 10 feet lately without hearing about the burgeoning green movement. Whether its organic food, carbon footprints or green travel, it’s a word on the tip of everyone’s tongue. For travelers on the hunt for all things green, New York City is not exactly the first eco-destination you might conjure. Yet remarkably, the past 15 years have seen New York City dramatically cleaning up its act.

Although there’s still a long way to go, New York is more than ever a city that’s “all about the green.” From its increasingly bike-friendly streets and plentiful public transportation to bountiful farmer’s markets and eco-friendly businesses, it’s clear that New York’s residents are working hard to make the city a more green friendly place for locals and tourists alike.

Best of all, you don’t even need to work that hard to enjoy New York’s many green-friendly advantages. All you’ll need is a love of good food, a desire to get around as easily as possible and a healthy appreciation of nature. Ready to enjoy all things green in the Big Apple? Click below for Undiscovered New York’s roundup of the best Green NYC shopping, food and activities.
Grab a bike
There’s simply no way to describe the radical transformation that’s happened to biking in New York in the last 10 years. All of a sudden, bikes are everywhere – from the ubiquitous bike ownership among the city’s young and old, the increasing number of bike lanes on NYC streets and more and more bike-friendly activities.

Coming from out of town? Don’t worry, it’s easy for New York visitors to take advantage of all the biking fun. Cultural sites like Governor’s Island allow visitors to rent a cycle for the day, even giving away free hour rides each Friday. If you’re looking for more NYC bike info, check out the rental list over at Bike New York, where you can track down NYC cycle clubs, bike rentals and figure out some great local rides.

Head to the greenmarket
New Yorkers were already pretty snobby about their food before the word “organic” started to get thrown around. With the organic and local food trends in full swing, we’ve had further opportunity to gloat: New York is one of the best spots anywhere to get fresh, local produce, meat and even seafood.

One need only spend a day at one of the city’s many greenmarkets to enjoy the bounty: a cornucopia of fresh eggplant, locally grown chiles, fresh-baked organic chocolate chip cookies, and grass-fed beef are all on offer. Though Union Square is perhaps the best-known of New York’s nearly 50 greenmarkets, they can be found everywhere from the Bronx to the far reaches of Brooklyn. Check New York’s Council on the Environment website for more greenmarket info.

Shop and eat green
In recent years, New York has seen a healthy spurt of new retail stores open that cater to green purchasers. Yet it’s easy to forget that New York has hundreds of great thrift and vintage stores, offering some of the city’s best “green” shopping since long before “eco” was trendy.

Check out New York Magazine’s shopping pages or this list for some of the city’s best thrift and vintage clothing. If new stuff is more your thing, boutiques like Gomi NYC and Kaight specialize in sustainable, eco-friendly clothing. Bookworms, don’t feel left out: if you’re in the market for printed materials, why not save a few trees and check out one of New York’s massive variety of used book stores? Strand Books is among the city’s best.

After all that shopping, you’re probably going to be hungry. Don’t feel like cooking? Head to one of New York’s many restaurants that specialize in organic/locally grown ingredients. Although you’re likely to find green items on just about any NYC menu these days, there are several restaurants that specialize in “green cooking.” One spot is Chelsea’s The Green Table, known for offering some of the city’s freshest, most sustainable food. Meanwhile, downtown diners favor spots like Spring Street Natural, which has found favor among vegans, foodies and locavores alike.