The World’s Worst Airport Job

by Grant Martin on

My old friend Lauri, who happens to be a pilot for Finnair, just snapped a photo of what might just be the worst possible job in any airport in the world: runway monitor. Indira Gandhi International Airport is the largest airport in India and a critical hub for scores of airlines passing through the Asian continent. With so much traffic passing through its three runways, debris is bound to collect, so the pathways have to be carefully monitored; as Air France 4590 illustrated, even a small strip of metal can be catastrophic for a passing aircraft.

In New Delhi, the best way to monitor runways seems to be to station someone out on the field. The poor guy in the photo above has only a tiny shanty to protect him from the 104°F (40°C) heat, constant noise and ubiquitous jet fumes. And who knows where the bathroom is.

The only bright side? He’s probably got some great airplane photos for his airliners.net photo page.

India Attempting To Use Human Waste To Light Up Bio-Toilets

by Kyle Ellison on

Perhaps in the middle of the blackout, which recently left 620 million people without power, an enterprising young Indian engineer found himself sitting on a toilet in the dark.

While this is most likely not the case, it’s an explanation which could potentially explain the news recently released by The Siasat Daily that India is attempting to power 1,000 eco-toilets by harnessing the methane released by human waste.

Having just recently installed the public eco-toilets in a bid to stave off open defecation, it became apparent that when using the government-supplied loos that night time visitors were left to do their business in total darkness.

When it came time to evaluate the design, in addition to widening the toilets and adding cross-ventilation, the possibility of putting a light inside of the toilet was also raised. This inevitably prompted researchers to figure out how to harness the methane accumulating inside of the toilet and use the gas to power a simple light.

According to the article, these eco-toilets use “bio-digester technology,” where bacteria feeds on the human fecal matter and releases two byproducts: methane and water.

While the jury is still out on how to effectively use the methane, solutions have already been found as to what to do with the water.

Apparently, the idea is to use it as a safe source of drinking water for local animals; it has also recently been used in the irrigation of local vegetables.

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Sustainable sanitation]

Video(s) Of The Day: The World In Two Minutes

by Libby Zay on

If you only knew the world through viral videos, what would our perceptions of other countries look like? Video company Woki Toki mashed together some of the most famous videos from their home country, Chile, as well as the United States, India and Russia. Although Woki Toki writes the videos “[describe] different cultures and how eccentric they are,” the two-minute interludes mostly show people hurting themselves, stumbling around drunk and jumping off things. The videos are kind of like mini episodes of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” except most of them are set in other countries. What the videos really remind us, though, is that laughter is the universal language. Watch the India video above (warning: there is some nudity) and the rest after the jump.


“The World in Two Minutes: Chile”
(Note: This video contains nudity)

“The World in Two Minutes: Russia”

“The World in Two Minutes: United States”

India Imposes Temporary Ban On Tiger Tourism

by Jessica Festa on

The Supreme Court of India has placed a temporary ban on tiger tourism, closing India‘s tiger parks indefinitely as they look into a claim that ecotourism is having a negative impact on the habitat of this endangered species.

The government has been trying to create positive changes in the industry for months now, taking the welfare of these animals very seriously. In fact, six states that did not comply with the count’s April mandate to identify core and buffer zones of their tiger reserves were fined 10,000 rupees (about $178).

According to the World Wildlife Fund, India is home to 1,706 tigers – the world’s largest population. However, the number of tigers has decreased from more than 100,000 in the beginning of the 20th century, due to poaching and habitat encroachment.

So, why is this happening? Toby Sinclair, vice president for the Ecotourism Society of India, told CNN he believes the government is allowing too many visitors into the parks.

“The eco in ecotourism has changed to economy,” he says.

Shashanka Nanda of New Delhi, a wildlife enthusiast and photographer, also has an opinion. He believes that, while the court’s heart is in the right place, its not going about the situation the right way.

“Responsible and regulated tourism forges a human connection to wildlife. Just seeing tigers in textbooks won’t affect people to change,” he said. “If you stop tourists and enthusiasts, you’re losing half the battle of wildlife conservation.”

Worried about the future of tiger tourism? The court’s final ruling will be decided on August 22 of this month.

[Flickr photo via Keith Roper]

Survey Reveals World’s Best Food Destinations

by Jessica Festa on

Does food play a role in where you decide to take your vacation? For those interested in taking a delicious trip, Hotels.com surveyed 27,000 international travelers to find out what they believed the best destinations for cuisine were.

According to news.com.au, 32% of respondents said Italy had the best food because of its mouth-watering pizza, pasta and gelato. France, the country of baguettes and pastries, came in second with 24% of the votes. And, in third place with 18% of the votes was Japan with their sashimi, sushi and tempura. Next came mainland China, followed by Spain, the United States, Mexico, Thailand, Taiwan and India.

When the survey analyzed American’s food and travel habits, they found that:

  • On average, Americans spend 25% to 49% of their daily budget on food when traveling abroad
  • Americans believed the top three places for food on a budget were the United States, Italy and Mexico
  • Fifty-six percent of Americans named barbeque as the must-try dish when visiting the United States
  • Americans believe France is the number one destination for a posh dining experience
  • Americans named the United States, Italy and Germany as the best places to go for family dining

“Sampling the local cuisine when travelling can be such a rewarding experience and it’s no wonder it plays such a big part in the decision-making process for travellers,” Hotels.com spokeswoman Katherine Birch said.

What’s your favorite food destination?