Five Places To See Before Climate Change Ruins Them Forever

by Kraig Becker on

CNN.com has an interesting article naming the five places that everyone should see before they are forever altered by climate change, which is already having an indelible effect on our planet.

This list was compiled by Bob Henson, the author of The Rough Guide To Climate Change, who wants to give travelers a heads up on the best places to visit in the near future, as they are also the most likely to see the most drastic changes in the near future.

The list includes The Great Barrier Reef, whose coral reefs are now threatened by warming waters, causing them to die at an alarming rate. The GBR is a popular tourist destination and is considered one of the best places to SCUBA dive and snorkel in the world, which has hastened some of the damage. With so many people visiting, and the environment already fragile, the likelihood of causing harm is increased.

New Orleans, Louisiana also finds its way onto Bob’s list for obvious reasons. Hurricane Katrina made us all painfully aware that the city sits below sea level and is precariously protected by a series of walls and levies. As the planet warms up however, and the polar icecaps melt, the sea levels are going to rise, endangering New Orleans further. It’s possible that the city may not even exist at all in the future.

Of course, the ongoing debate is, should we rush off to visit these places, as well as the other three on the list, thereby increasing the chances of those places being altered forever. Or should we stay home, and limit our footprint? That is a question that all travelers will be wrestling with for years to come.

Antarctic Tourism Down

by Kraig Becker on

The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators or IAATO is reporting that the number of tourists visiting Antarctica dropped dramatically in 2008 according to a report from Outside Online. According to the preliminary numbers from 2008, 36,000 people visited the frozen continent, that’s down from the record high of 46,000 the year before.

The reason for the sharp drop? Like all things right now, the global recession is being blamed for the down turn, and 2009 is expected to remain slow. The IAATO predicts that the numbers will begin to rebound in 2010, but probably won’t flirt with those record numbers again until at least 2011 or 2012.

The down turn in visitors to Antarctica is likely to be hailed as good news by environmentalists, who have been issuing dire warnings the past few years on the impact that travel in the area would have on the fragile climate there. Some have called for putting caps on the number of visitors to the region to help protect the penguine and seal populations, while others cite the near disasterous accidents involving cruise ships over the past couple of years as reasons why there should be limits to travel in the area.

A spokesman for the IAATO stresses that the continent is massive in size, larger than Australia, and gets relatively few visitors each year, saying that the number of tourists “would fill a football stadium”. The organization also stresses that the travel companies chartered to operate in the area are committed to protecting the environment and protecting their clients.

It’s doubtful that we’ll ever see limits placed on the number of visitors to Antarctica, but thanks to the recession, it looks like there will be natural limits in place.

Chasing A Solar Eclipse in Mongolia

by Kraig Becker on

The Washington Post has published an interesting article on the lengths that some people will go to to experience a total solar eclipse. In this case, the author of the story traveled all the way to Mongolia, venturing far into the countryside for the two minute and four second long experience of watching the moon pass over the sun, casting it’s shadow on the Earth below.

Writer Pamela West begins the story by informing us that she spent 46 hours in airplanes, another 39 hours in airports, and then endured 16 hours in a van just so she could arrive in a place that had been deemed a prime viewing location for last summer’s total solar eclipse. All of that travel time for those precious two minutes and four seconds.

Mongolia has been the emerging hot spot for adventure travel over the past few years. It’s remote vistas and steppes have begun to lure an increasing number of backpackers and trekkers looking to get away from the more traditional tourist destinations.Outside of the capital city of Ulan Bator, the Mongolian people still live a traditional way of life that has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years. Many are still nomadic, they live in their traditional gers, and have few, if any modern conveniences. The lure of that simple culture is strong and very appealing.

Eventually West, and her companions, get their solar eclipse, making the journey all worth while. She decribes the experience eloquently, and then launches into plans to chase her next eclipse to other remote places. Her story is an interesting one, and a good reminder that it doesn’t really matter why you travel to the places you do. What matters is that you go, and you take in as much of the experience that you can while you are there.

And in case you are wondering, the next total solar eclipse will be seen across India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China on July 22 of this year. If you can’t make that one, your best bet is Easter Island on July 22nd of next year. Staying closer to home the next eclipse to hit North America isn’t until August 21st of 2017. Start making your plans now!

Clean living in Stockholm

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Scandinavians are recognized as being on the cutting edge of environmentally-friendly innovation. Nowhere is this clearer than at Hammarby Sjöstad, a community of apartments in Stockholm designed to reduce carbon footprint and generally enable clean living. Large windows make the most of sunlight, especially in the summer, and carefully planned logistics – down to trash pickup schedules – lead to lower emissions and a reduced environmental impact.

Once fully developed, the collection of 11,000 homes, which can be purchased or rented, take advantage of new technological developments to enable conservation without thinking. The consumption of water, for example, is lowered by showers that mix air with water to create the feeling of deluge without the environmental implications. Even raw sewage is converted to energy.

The flaw in most green initiatives – behavior modification – is present at Hammarby Sjöstad. Technology goes only so far, and people have to provide the final push. But, the residents surveyed said that living in there has inspired many to change their lifestyles.

The development is still new and remains a work in progress. The project is expected to be completed in 2015. But, early signs are positive. The home of the future will not resemble some Disneyland fantasy, it seems. Rather, it will reflect Scandinavian sensibility and an effort to keep the planet alive a little longer.

The Changing Face of Trekking in Nepal

by Kraig Becker on

Australian newspaper The Age has taken a good look at how adventure tourism is changing in Nepal as the country undergoes political change and modernization. In this story, published over the weekend, they discuss how one of the worlds most famous treks, the Annapurna Circuit, has been altered forever by the opening of road in the region early last year.

Tourism has always been an essential part of the economy in Nepal. The colorful and vibrant city of Kathmandu held an allure to visitors from abroad, and they often spent time there exploring its temples and market places. But with recent upheaval in the capital, more and more tourists are simply passing through Kathmandu for other destinations, and when they arrive at those places, they’re finding that they have changed as well.

The article notes that a number of guide services have either shortened their Annapurna treks or eliminated them altogether. The newly constructed road that cuts a path through the region has changed the iconic trek forever, and it’s forcing adventure travelers to look elsewhere. For instance, many now trek through the Khumbu Valley, which has seen a surge in traffic in recent years with backpackers traveling up to Everest Base Camp and staying in traditional tea houses along the way.

It’s a shame that one of the world’s great treks, like the Annapurna Circuit, is being changed so dramatically, but in this day an age, a lot of countries are struggling with maintaining their natural resources but still making changes that can improve their quality of life. It’s hard to fault a country for improving it’s infrastructure, but it’s sad when it comes at the expense of such an amazing trek like this one.

[via The Adventurist]