Climate-change Tourism: Warming Planet Unveils New Tourist Destinations

by Neil Woodburn on

“Climate-change tourism” is something we’re going to be hearing a lot more about in the near future. In fact, it’s already here in some parts of the world.

What is climate-change tourism exactly?

That’s when a traditionally frozen arctic wasteland like Greenland suddenly starts to warm up, shed its ice, and become hospitable. As a result, tourists who used to shun such frigid environs are now beginning to explore far more northerly than ever before.

In fact, according to a recent article in The Herald, Spitzbergen (Norway) has now “become the Tenerife of the north” as more and more wealthy tourists flock there to enjoy calving glaciers and warming environs. As a result, tourism has doubled in the last ten years.

Tragically, scientists estimate that the “melting glaciers and icecaps” along the Svalbard archipelago where Spitzbergan is located are “responsible for 0.3mm of the 2.2mm annual rise in sea levels.”

Hello Svalbard, goodbye Micronesia!

What Is Panama Like?

by Iva Skoch on

I am planning a trip to Panama. Not sure why. I don’t know much about the country but I have a free Continental voucher to use up and they fly there directly from New York. That’s a good enough reason for me. Plus, it sounds like a pretty interesting place.

I am sure many of you have been there already. I hear that Panama is trying to brand itself as the new, wilder (and possibly more dangerous) Costa Rica. Any recommendations? Any must sees and must avoids? Are there good diving/rafting opportunities?

Qantas and Jetstar Offer CO2 Offsets for Passengers

by Catherine Bodry on

While some airlines are complaining about environmental directives for air travel, Qantas and its budget carrier Jetstar are actually doing something about it. On Wednesday, the two airlines launched a scheme that allows passengers to offset their CO2 emissions. No, passengers don’t hold their collective breath for the entirety of the flight; this offset is monetary. For example, the Associated Press reports that a flight from Australia to Los Angeles generates around 1.4 tons of greenhouse gases per passenger, which the airline says can be offset by paying just 17 Australian dollars ($14.50; 10.46 euros) per flight. The money is then donated to a “variety of environmental projects,” like government-approved carbon dioxide abatement schemes.

Critics argue that carbon offset programs don’t have a major impact on CO2 emissions. But at least it’s a step in the right direction. Would you buy carbon dioxide credits?

Luxury Travel Extends Into the Amazon

by Catherine Bodry on

Which of these items doesn’t belong in the Amazon rain forest: an anaconda, a piranha, a giant spider… or a masseuse?

That was a trick question; they all belong, even the masseuse, since at least a dozen new resorts have sprouted up in the Amazon.

Larry Rohter of the New York Times visited several new hotels in the heart of the jungle. One is right on the river, another up in trees, but all are built with the comfort wealthier travelers have come to expect. While Rohter claims most of the lodges aren’t “luxurious” (you might not be able to run the air conditioner and the shower at the same time), they are far cry from a $3-a-night hammock hanging over a dirt floor.

Read is his captivating report here.

The Benefits of Global Warming: Killing off Bandit Marmots

by Neil Woodburn on

Global warming, as we all know, is a very, very bad thing.

There are, however, some unexpected benefits to be gained from our planet heating up. Last month, for example, Backpacker Magazine dedicated an entire issue to the problems of global warming. One of the articles featured in this issue (but, alas, not online) is titled Species We Can Kiss Goodbye. This certainly sounds ominous and my heart goes out to the American pika, wolverine, and Bicknell’s thrush which may all soon disappear. The article, however, also mentions that marmots might suffer a similar fate.

Excuse for a moment; Yeahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you’ve ever been backpacking in the Sierras you know what I’m talking about. Marmots are the cat burglars of the backcountry, pilfering and destroying anything shiny or salty left alone for even the briefest of moments. I’ve seen sweaty shirts ripped to pieces, bota bags torn asunder and even watches ripped off from the campsite (marmots love the salty leather bands). And don’t even think of leaving any food out.
In fact, marmot activities are so bad in Kings Canyon National Park that visitors bring chicken wire to wrap around the base of their cars in the parking lot. Otherwise backpackers return from their time in the mountains to a car whose underbelly of rubber tubes has been chewed open by hungry marmot vandals.

So why are these critters endangered? According to Backapcker Magazine, global warming is wrecking havoc with the marmot’s internal clock, causing the animal to emerge from hibernation more than a month earlier than normal when snow might still be on the ground. This means that there is little food to eat and no backpackers to steal from. This lack of food and a colder environment may ultimately force the critter to burn “muscle instead of fat to jump-start its metabolism–which makes it vulnerable to starvation and predation.”

And, of course, vigilante backpackers tired of getting jacked by these thugs.