Photo: irene.

Visitors are coming in record numbers, the National Park Service announced on Monday. Visits rose nearly 4% this year and June alone showed an increase in over 700,000 visitors compared to June of 2008.

Chalk it up to fee-free weekends, a handful of dates set aside this summer when entrance fees were waived. The economic downturn and lower gas prices compared to last summer have also been factors. Americans are choosing to visit parks—especially easily accessible ones near large metropolitan areas—as a cheap alternative to more pricey summer vacations. And with Ken Burns’ newest documentary, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” set to air on September 27, interest in the parks is sure to continue to spike.

But what does all of this mean for the parks and the fragile ecosystems they protect? It seems the flock of visitors can potentially hurt the very environments the parks are intended to preserve.

The parks face numerous threats, according to the National Parks Conservation Association. “…[A]ir, noise, and water pollution, erosion, invasive species, inadequate storage facilities, insufficient funding and staffing, and inappropriate activities such as snowmobile and jet ski use—have compromised the integrity of the parks’ invaluable resources,” the NPCA website says.

Visitors, especially in large numbers, mean more trash, more cars that pollute, more hikers on fragile landscapes. All this will certainly strain the already huge backlog of maintenance projects and decades of underfunding for the 391 parks in the system.

The NPCA calls the parks “long-neglected and chronically underfunded,” reporting “a $750-million annual funding shortfall, and a backlog of maintenance and preservation projects of approximately $9 billion.” What’s more, the parks have some $2.5 billion in projects ready to go such as fixing roads and sewer systems and restoring historical buildings.

Some suggest capping the number of visitors allowed in the parks. Others look to the allotment of over $900 million to the parks in the Economic Recovery Bill and the goal to restore the parks by 2016—the NPS centennial.

Still, supporters and protectors of the park system straddle a fine line. Increased visitors mean a greater awareness and appreciation of this important part of America’s heritage. But more people driving near or walking through already fragile landscapes inevitably poses problems. The parks are also an important economic tool—an NPCA study found that every $1 invested by the government returns $4 in public economic value—but might this be counterproductive to their protection?

Is it possible to both protect the National Parks and encourage visitors in large numbers? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Community Connection:

Matador has lots of articles in our archives about national parks. Two of our favorites are:

Seven Best National Parks for Visiting Old Growth Forests

Photo Essay: The Stunning Colors of Glacier National Park

Matador member and Roads Scholar JoAnna Haugen has been on a tour of America’s national parks this summer. Visit her blog to read about her journey.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Fiordland a week ago apparently twisted the southern island so far out of shape that it actually moved about one foot closer to Australia, says a New Zealand news source. Every year, the island drifts about one-third of an inch westward, but this is giving it about a thirty-six year boost. The earthquake was the biggest in New Zealand after eighty years.

No, it probably won’t make your inter-island travels any cheaper, but at least the South Pacific just got a foot cozier.

Here’s the video from the quake:

Feature photo: Stormy Dog

Photo: greg4all

Back in early January, the North American commercial carrier Continental Airlines conducted a demonstration flight to determine whether biofuel could be a suitable and safe replacement for conventional fuel on commercial flights.

And earlier this week, Continental announced the outcome of the demo flight.

The highlights?

“The biofuel blend performed as well as or better than traditional jet fuel, displaying an approximately 1.1 percent increase in fuel efficiency over traditional jet fuel in different stages of the demonstration flight.”

and

“Overall life cycle greenhouse gas emissions related to using a biofuel of the nature used on the Continental demonstration flight are estimated to be reduced by 60 percent to 80 percent as compared to traditional jet fuel.”

Don’t expect to shift responsibility for your air travel-related carbon emissions onto airlines immediately, though. As Continental’s managing director of global environmental affairs indicated, biofuels must receive certification and then must be produced in sufficient quantity to supply commercial airliners.

Community Connection:

Want to read more about the science behind biofuels for planes? Check out Eva Holland’s article, “Well, Finally! Making Planes Run on Biofuel.”

Photo: Ahmed Zahid

This weekend’s New York Times Magazine included a fascinating article by Nicholas Schmidle about the Maldives, that archipelagic collection of 1,190 islands in the Indian Ocean.

Last year, Schmidle explained, Maldivians elected the charismatic 41 year old Mohamed Nasheed, a journalist and former political prisoner, to the presidency. Nasheed’s victory displaced Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had ruled the islands for 30 years.

Photo: muha…

Though Gayoom had warned the world that his country’s citizens were likely to become the first environmental refugees if climate change wasn’t arrested or reversed, Nasheed was more bold in his assertions… and even began to talk about a plan to deal with such a scenario.

Shortly before he was inaugurated in November, 2008, Nasheed declared:

“…that because of global warming, he would try to find a new homeland for Maldivians somewhere in the world, on higher ground… [and] proposed moving all 300,000 Maldivians to [either] India, Sri Lanka, [or] Australia…[using] tourism revenues from the present to establish a sovereign wealth fund with which he could buy a new country–or at least part of one–in the future.”

Photo: BadrNaseem

It was a dramatic proposal, to be sure, and one that has elicited mixed reactions from Maldivians. Some people applaud the plan; others think the threat of rising sea levels isn’t likely to come true in their own lifetime.

Though it’s not clear whether Nasheed has actually taken any tangible steps to scout out land abroad, he’s articulated another bold proposal in the meantime, which is intended to serve as a global warming stop-gap measure: the Maldives, he has declared, will become the first carbon-neutral country in the world.

Schmidle’s article is thin on the details about how either of these plans would be achieved, but the seemingly contradictory options of fight or flight proposed by the Maldivian president raise compelling questions about the future of the country. And for travelers, this news provides still more emphasis to visit–and to try to save–places that are literally vanishing.

Community Connection:

The Maldives are just one of 9 sites to visit on our places to experience now before they literally vanish.

“Obama Signs Wilderness Protection Bill”

Sunrise in Houston, Texas; Photo: Theodore Scott

The Omnibus Land Management Act of 2009–one of the most ambitious environmental protection bills passed in the past 25 years–will protect a total of 2 million acres in nine states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Virginia.

River runners across the United States were thrilled to learn that the 1,200 page bill extended to protect some of the nation’s waterways, too: more than 1,000 miles of rivers were designated as wild and scenic.

The designation of the land and waterways as wilderness areas means that commercial development is restricted, keeping the areas pristine for perpetuity.

Community Connection:

Thinking about heading out into the great wide American open? Check out Matador’s recent articles about Montana’s Big Sky country: 9 Montana Backpacking Trips That Will Blow Your Mind; Boating Big Sky: Montana’s Classic River Trips; and 4 More Reasons to Visit Montana Now.

Can’t travel anytime soon? Check out Matador member and regular contributor Ted Scott’s photos of wild places, both in the U.S. and abroad.

To the left, a worldwide consortium of protesters, outraged by a mining project alleged to destroy a big chunk of Chile’s natural resources.

Photo: (A)larmala

To the right, Barrick Gold Corporation, the mining industry’s smooth-talking monolith. Those expecting to watch a fight have been left with a stalemate and not much explanation as to what the future holds for the project.

The initial outcry over Pascua Lama began when Chile’s National Environmental Commission issued final approval for the Pascua Lama Mining Project in June of 2006. The site, located in the Huasco Province of Chile’s Region III and spilling into Argentina, was reported by Barrick to have had 18 million ounces of gold, 731 million ounces of silver, and 662 million pounds of copper.

Photo: Phillie Casablanca

The project was expected to last 20 years and came with over 400 conditions which Barrick had agreed to, many of them addressing environmental issues.

The opposition believed that Barrick was full of donkey dung.

Their message would not have reached further than their front door, had it not been for an incredibly effective chain email. The message, sent in the form of an online petition/manifesto, ripped through inboxes around the world. Among its claims were that two glaciers in the Andes would be destroyed, rivers in Valle de San Felix would be contaminated, and “every last gram of gold would go abroad.”

The email twisted the knife further into Barrick’s gut by pointing out that George Bush, Sr. was a member of their board, all but assuring a pile of free press. This is about as specific as I can get – this is the problem with the original email. It was very unclear and they almost made it easy for Barrick to tear it to shreds.

The problem with the petition was that it seems to have been rife with inaccuracies and spin, the equivalent of throwing sand in the eyes of a bigger, trained opponent. Barrick’s response was calm, cool, and addressed each issue. The company assured the public that the mining area was not under glaciers and provided satellite photos to back up its claim. In short, Barrick tore the chain email apart, even pointing out that Bush had only served as an honorary board member for two years in the mid-90’s.

A political storm has swirled around the project for the past few years, delaying the launch of the mine. Argentina and Chile have been squabbling about profit splits and Huasco valley locals have accused Barrick of swindling them out of land.

The road to the mining project has been blocked several times, with residents arguing that it had been built on private property. Several locals have initiated hunger strikes to call attention to the local plea and last summer, 40 religious leaders marched in protest through Copiapó, capital of the Atacama Region.

Yet, given all of the hoopla, Barrick’s strategy of outlasting the outcry might just win. Chile’s student protests seem to have moved onto new issues. Pascua Lama has become the older brother’s rally cry, as a younger crowd decides which new fights are worth a round of tear gas and rubber bullets.

A number of ‘dedicated’ blogs have been dark for months, including pascualama.blogspot.com (not updated since May of 2006) and noapascualama.com (dormant since June of 2007). Emails to protestbarrick.net and miningwatch.ca went unanswered. Matador staff reached out to a few dozen other sources for comment, including Barrick. All inquiries whistled in the wind.

Could Pascua Lama become a dead issue or will it become a reality? We’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if you have information that we have been unable to glean.

The best place to find information about the movement against Pascua Lama seems to be http://www.noapascualama.org. Barrick Gold Corporation maintains this page of FAQs about the project from its perspective.

The latest issue of TAZine, the Transitions Abroad webzine, is out, and this month’s installment is all about that oh-so-hot topic these days: eco-travel.

If you’re interested in the environment, travel, and sustainability (and as Matador readers, I’m guessing the answer’s yes for most of you!) then there’s lots of thought-provoking material to chew on in here.

A few of the highlights:

Matador’s own Nora Dunn offers Eight Ways to Become Part of a Community Abroad Within Two Weeks.

Friedel Rother shares advice on the art of “wild camping”.

Perceptive Travel editor Tim Leffel checks in on Iceland’s quest to ditch the foreign oil and go geothermal.

Alison Gardner helps us come to terms with the oft-mocked and maligned voluntourist.

And much more, too. So get reading!

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

Don’t forget, Matador also has plenty of eco-content for your reading pleasure.

Check out Hal Amen’s photo essay of disappearing glaciers worldwide, or watch an inspirational roadtrip in the video, The Road to Sustainability.

Photo by darkpatator (Creative Commons)

Everyone I know is worried about the economic crisis.

And with reason.

401(k) values are plummeting. The safety net—if there ever was one—is fraying. Layoffs are becoming frighteningly common among people lucky to have a job in the first place.

But in the midst of all this bad money news, the economic crisis may just be an opportunity for travelers and travel writers.

Here are four reasons why:

1. One sector’s pain is another’s gain.

The somewhat diluted value of the dollar has had an effect on other countries’ currencies that benefits travelers.

Consider the Mexican peso, for instance. After enjoying a lengthy period of relative stability (with the exchange rate being about 10 pesos to every 1 US dollar), the peso’s value has plummeted, reaching a 15 year low. Mexico, long considered a budget destination for travelers, has become even easier on the wallet.

The same goes for Iceland.

Get there while the gettin’s good.

2. You can no longer justify your decision to keep your cubicle job because it offers “the comfort of a steady paycheck and benefits.”

The number one reason why people delay or forgo dreams of long-term travel or living abroad is the fact that they receive a steady paycheck and benefits. But with job insecurity plaguing nearly every industry, there’s no time like now to take that job and shove it.

3. The alleged death of print media might not actually be as terrible as it seems.

You’ll never get me to say that I hope electronic media will eclipse print media, but job cuts in print media shouldn’t freak you out if you’re a writer. Although gobs of print magazines and media outlets—O, Elegant Bride, Gannet, and Time, to name just a few—have cut thousands of jobs or gone under completely in the past two weeks alone, there may be a silver lining in this dark storm cloud.

If you’re writing for electronic media instead of print media, you’re likely to save on overhead. No more SASE’d queries (with the cost of stamps going up every time you turn around, such savings are a big deal), for one thing.

Get with the program and get online.

4. Press trips will be on the rise.

As tourism declines due to travelers’ fears that vacations are an expense they just can’t afford, I predict that tourism boards and other segments of the hospitality industry will start scrambling to do everything they can to get people on the road, in the air, or on the sea.

If I’m right, their pain may be your gain.

As they pony up the bucks to send travel writers on press trips, you’re likely to be able to travel for free (thus saving money!) while simultaneously gathering material for stories that you can sell (thus making money!).

In the meantime, make sure your resume of press clips is already in order. As opportunities become available, you’ll want to have your publication credits ready.

How can the economic crisis be turned around for travelers and travel writers? Share your thoughts below!

Photo: Roby72 (Flickr creative commons)

Last weekend, I found myself in Chilean Patagonia, face to face with a cluster of icebergs at the foot of a glacier in Torres del Paine National Park.

Seeing something in person that I’d previously seen only in photographs was a powerful experience.

The guide mentioned that the glacier is receding at a clip of 4 kilometers per year.

That’s fast.

But nothing was more powerful than seeing–and hearing– two chunks of an iceberg crack and begin to float away towards the shore.

If you were wondering whether global warming is real, get down to Patagonia fast… those icebergs are going, going, almost gone.

Photos: Julie Schwietert Collazo (Matador Travel)

A team of scientists in North Dakota has successfully created jet fuel from plant oils, Scientific American reports, and the resulting product is “indistinguishable from the conventional kind.”

I’ve been waiting for this news for a long time.

Of course, a reduction of our consumption levels is the first step, and of course, bio-fuels aren’t perfect by any means. But every time I read another article about how we all need to stop flying, I think to myself: Isn’t anybody doing something to make commercial flight less harmful?!

Sure, I’ll cut down on short-haul flights that could easily be replaced by a few hours on a train or bus. And sure, even for longer hauls I’ll go overland sometimes when I have the time and means. But, even setting aside my personal travel ambitions, I’ve got family spread out from Nova Scotia to the Yukon to Arizona. There’s no way I can quit my flight habit entirely.

Scientific American has the details on the project, as well as the other ongoing efforts at creating plant-based jet fuel. And as for the future of the project?

“The thing that needs to happen is a purchase order to come through from the Air Force so we can get [the] investment to build that first plant,” said the CEO of another company, hard at work on jet fuel made from algae scum.

“We could get a plant operational in two to five years if there were a commitment to buy the fuel.”

Photo by Al Pavangkanan (Creative Commons)

We can either wring our hands and feel helpless about the future of the planet, or we can take responsibility for our actions and get together with others who want to do the same.

You can find some of those folks at the Sustainable Living Roadshow, a caravan of environmental educators and entertainers who are on the last leg of their US tour. The roadshow, which tours from city to city in a fleet of renewable fuel vehicles, kicked off during the US Democratic and Republican National Conventions with the intention of “inspiring people to… live healthier, more in tune with the earth and with each other.”

Each stop along the tour route features concerts on the roadshow’s solar stage, exhibits of art made of recycled materials, the “Green Screens Film Festival,” and lots of opportunities for conversation and connection.

While the event’s website isn’t the easiest to navigate–the list of tour dates bounces visitors to a map without much concrete information–there’s a phone number you can call to confirm the last few stops on the tour, which include UCLA on November 1-2. For more information, contact 1-888-956-5556.

Photo: Rigmarole (Flickr creative commons)

Are scooters really that much greener than cars?

Wired’s Mr. Know-It-All has the answer, and it boils down to this: It depends.

He writes:

Older scooters with two-stroke engines emit far more smoggy pollutants per mile than their four-wheeled counterparts. True, you probably get double the fuel economy of a Chevy and can thus crow about your ride’s smaller carbon footprint (and thus smaller contribution to climate change). But your tailpipe may also be belching out 10 to 15 times more smog (nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons) than that Chevy, to the severe detriment of your city’s air quality.

Scooters from 2006 on, on the other hand, do a little better – and models with catalytic converters are best of all.

Something to keep in mind before you roll up on a Vespa and start carbon-bullying your pals!

Photo by antmoose (Creative Commons)

An innovative tour company is bringing visitors closer to the cutting-edge of design in London – and best of all, most of those new design trends are green!

Here’s how Insider London describes their “Cutting-Edge Green” tour:

This tour takes you straight to the most exciting and innovative sustainable retail concepts, buildings and designs that London has to offer. Travelling on foot and by public transport, we’ll show you the numerous sexy, innovative ways that sustainability can be brought to life, from gorgeous shops to futuristic architecture and inspiring communities.

Sure, the tour seems largely aimed at industry types who want to take notes for their own greenification, but if you ask me that just makes it all the more interesting.

What better way to see a new side of London than to take a tour that’s not actually for tourists?

Another Insider London tour that’s focused on sustainability? The Ethical Fashion Tour.

Photo by peter pearson (Creative Commons)

A friend recently pointed me to this fascinating online electoral project: VoteForEnvironment.ca.

The site’s basic premise is that, regardless of their differences, all four Canadian Opposition parties (the Liberal, New Democratic, Bloc Quebecois and Green parties) view the environment as a serious issue that is worthy of their attention.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the incumbent Conservative Party, on the other hand, are viewed as a threat to the environment.

From the site:

We believe that the Harper Government’s collusion with the Bush White House to obstruct progress on climate change at recent international summits does not reflect how Canadians want their leaders to behave on the world stage…

All the other major Parties have programs that seriously address our critical climate concerns and are talking about them in this election. If those of us who care about the environment don’t work together across party lines, the pro-environment vote will be split as it was in the last election and Harper will be re-elected.

It’s basically an “ABC” position: Anybody But Conservatives.

The idea is nothing new in Canada, where the center and center-left parties have been agonizing over how or whether to split its vote for years, with all sides accusing the others of watering down the large moderate vote and allowing the Conservatives to take power with only minority support.

But VoteForEnvironment does more than just spread the standard anti-Harper rhetoric: it actually helps voters decide where their vote will count most.

The site offers up-to-date riding-by-riding predictions of which candidates have the best shot at toppling a Conservative front-runner.

That way, environmentally-minded voters in a given constituency can pool their votes together behind the strongest challenger.

In ridings where one candidate (whether Conservative or not) is considered a shoo-in, the site lets voters know they’re safe to vote their conscience.

There’s also a “vote-swap” system to ease voters’ worries about crossing party lines.

For example – an NDP supporter who votes Liberal where necessary can be matched up online with a Liberal supporter who voted NDP, and both can feel as though their preferences (beyond “ABC”) were served.

Intrigued?

Be sure to check out the site and find your riding, and don’t forget to tell your friends!

Environmentally-minded Americans: you can help, too! Spread word of the site to any and all Canadians you might know.

This is a crucial election. But with the help of VoteForEnvironment.ca, every vote really can make a difference.

For more on the Canadian election, which takes place October 14th, check out my blog post over in the Matador community: The OTHER Election.

Photo of Lake Louise, Banff, by AlphaTangoBrave / Adam Baker (Creative Commons)

Photo of young moose by jhoc (Creative Commons)

It seems that anti-malarial nets are all the charity rage these days – but this is one trend that I genuinely hope will last.

Nets are cheap and effective – an efficient malaria prevention strategy if ever there was one.

And now, Nets for Ninos, one of a number of charity groups that make net distribution their business, is offering an amazing travel opportunity: the chance to personally deliver mosquito nets to families with at-risk infants in the Amazon.

Contact rusty@amazondetours.com for more information, and if you’re not headed to South America any time soon, stop by Nets For Ninos to buy a net!

They cost just $10 each, and they save lives.

Photo by bishii (Creative Commons)

The government of Ecuador has just announced that it has green-lighted plans to build the world’s first “ecological airport”… in the Galapagos Islands.

According to spokesman Guillermo Bernal, the project will feature wind and solar power, a retractable roof, and ocean breezes in the place of AC. Don’t book your flight just yet, though: the project is anticipated to take 15 years to complete.

The islands are one of the world’s most popular travel destinations, especially for nature enthusiasts, and the biodiversity of the islands was just one of the reasons why the Galapagos were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

Some of the species that call the Galapagos home aren’t found anywhere else in the world.

But the number of visitors who flood the islands each year–approximately 80,000 a year since 2001–create serious environmental problems, including habitat and species destruction, soil erosion, and massive amounts of waste.

So forgive me if I’m a bit skeptical, but isn’t another airport (there are already 2 on the islands)–even a supposed “ecological airport”– a bad idea for islands that are already threatened by too much tourism?

What’s your opinion? Sound off in the comments section below!

Community Connection: There are several organizations in the Matador community that offer volunteer experiences in the Galapagos. Check them out here!

Feature photo: Harry R (Flickr creative commons)
Photo: stirwise (Flickr creative commons)

It’s a familiar story:

A finite, precious resource, long taken for granted in North America, but now coming under increased demand from the emerging middle classes of the developing world.

No, we’re not talking about oil. We’re talking about fresh water.

And what makes it even worse?

There is no leftover-from-fast-food solution to humanity’s need for hydration.

Goldman Sachs estimates that global water consumption is doubling every 20 years – a rate of growth that it describes as (duh) “unsustainable”.

More on the looming water problem, and its shorter-term impact on industry, from the Economist.

Photo by Pear Biter

5. The chant of the night was “Drill, Baby! Drill!”

Photo by Steve Deger

Just as I thought we’d have both candidates dedicating themselves to clean and sustainable energy, an entire night passed without even the mention of wind or solar power.

Instead, the entire stadium was blanketed in signs that say “Drill Now” and “Drill Alaska Now, Baby!”.

Perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that most of these folks – and many watching at home (unless they all have a rich cousin in the oil biz?) – must truly think that drilling for oil in Alaska is going to bring the price of oil down at the pump.

Suddenly, clean energy apparently has nothing to do with “Reduce our Dependency on Foreign Oil.”

And that’s ludicrous.

4. Rudy Giuliani had nothing but disrespect for Barack Obama.

Everyone knows Rudy Giuliani thinks pretty highly of himself and is not afraid to speak his mind about others, but last night his disrespect and blatant personal attacks on Obama took his character to a new low.

“The first thing on his resume..” he began with his upper lip curled into a sneering smile, “was that he worked as a community organizer.” Then he laughed out loud, provoking the rest of the crowd to join in for a full minute.

Does the GOP think community isn’t a critical element in a successful, thriving society?

3. “Country First” is the new theme of the Republican campaign.

Although the slogan is harmless at first glance, as you begin to understand the rhetoric of this party, it becomes something else: completely isolationist from a social and economic perspective and completely unilateral from a military perspective.

Basically the idea is that we should be a state that is completely self-interested, and only engage in activities which benefit us. Less aid to developing countries unless it’s tied to a deal where we get to install a military base, only support free trade if it is to our advantage, and only engage our military if one of our close allies are at risk.

Translation? Let Darfur and the next genocide sort themselves out.

2. The GOP lacks even a shred respect for the Democratic nominees.

Photo by World Economic Forum

When Barack Obama speaks of John McCain, he begins with “John McCain is a great American” – and then proceeds to explain to the crowd why he disagrees with him on the issues that matter.

When Obama was asked about Bristol Palin’s pregnancy, he replied that it was no one’s business but the family’s.

In the face of this respect and integrity, the GOP speakers spent all night mocking Barack Obama and his character, experience and worth.

1. McCain looked like he had aged 12 years in the last 12 days.

The guy is 72 years old. He’s an old person; a senior citizen — and aims to spend the next 4-8 years leading the free world.

You know, there are two kinds of old people: the really healthy, impressive kind who look like they could run a marathon – and then the kind who look like they could drop dead any second.

McCain is the latter, and that could leave us with the Governor of Alaska running the largest military and economy on the planet.

Feature photo by aflcio2008 (Creative Commons)

Yep, one of the world’s major oil powers will be home to a planned city – complete with solar, wind and geothermal energy, and a zero waste policy.

“Masdar City” will be located just outside Abu Dhabi, and is intended to represent the Emirati capital’s commitment to a diversified, post-carbon economy and a transition to renewable energy sources.

But is this for real? Is the UAE – known worldwide for petro dollars, and little else – really committed to new energy technologies, or is this a ploy to show that Big Oil is kinda sorta getting with the program?

If it’s a ploy, it’s an elaborate and pricey one. But then again, it wouldn’t be the first time the Emirates spent millions on a super-sized show.

I’m reserving judgment for now. Here’s promotional video for the city:

Photo by peasap (Creative Commons)

Sad news from CNN: a new report shows that nearly 50% of the world’s primates are at risk of extinction.

The many Asian species of primates were hardest hit – as many as 90% of the varieties native to Vietnam and Cambodia were found to be at risk.

Said one interviewee: “To have a group of animals under such a high level of threat is, quite frankly, unlike anything we have recorded among any other group of species to date.”

So I guess we can add gibbons, langurs, and red colobus monkeys to our ever-growing list of precious animal species on the verge of extinction?

The Zero X is an electric motocross bike that’s plenty able to keep up with its petroleum-fueled peers. And the best part?

“Unlike so many other electric vehicles that are bandied about in the media, it isn’t a prototype. It’s been on the market since April.”

Haven’t seen much motocross? Here’s a sweet introductory video:

That’s right, if you want to “do as the French do” on your next trip to Paris or Provence, better put down that bottle of Evian and grab a glass of cold stuff straight from the faucet.

Though France was formerly one of the world’s bottled water hotspots, according to the Guardian the number of tap-water-drinking Francais is up, and sales of the plastic are down.

That’s good news for the environment, since – as we’ve noted before on Pulse – the harm done by our obsession with bottled water goes well beyond just the piles of plastic in our landfills.

Photo by jillclardy (Creative Commons)

Hurricane Dolly made landfall earlier today in the coastal region of Texas and northern Mexico. While locals brace for gale-force rains and winds, a special group of tourists gears up for adventure tours that take them into the eye of the storm.

These types of tourists have to be on-call for their one-of-a-kind trips. Tour operators keep a constant vigil of local and national weather reports and notify would-be hurricane thrill-seekers 48 hours in advance if a storm is poised to reach Category 2 or higher.

Of course, if you’re not willing to pay the exorbitant price for this type of trip, you can always organize your own hurricane tour… check out the YouTube video above.

What do you think about hurricane and other natural disaster tours? Sound off in the comments!

As the gas crisis goes global–protests about soaring fuel prices have erupted in Chile, Spain, and France in recent months–more people are trying to come up with creative ways to save at the pump.

In the U.S., residents of border towns are increasingly heading south for lower gas prices. We thought we’d take a look at current gas prices around the world to see just how much locals are getting crunched from Alaska to Zanzibar. Prices are shown in U.S. dollars and are per gallon:

Anchorage, Alaska: $4.43

Brazil: $3.85

China: $2.44

France: $4.30

Greece: $4.91

Hungary: $5.63

Israel: $5.52

Japan: $4.16

Lithuania: $4.72

Mexico: $2.38

Nigeria: $1.92

Portugal: $6.65

Russia: $2.68

Saudia Arabia: $0.45

Turkmenistan: $0.29

Venezuela: $0.12

Community Connection:
With prices like these, you may want to move to Turmkenistan or Venezuela. For some less extreme alternatives, though, check out Christine Gilbert’s great article about train travel, and the wildly popular primer on converting your engine to run on veggie oil, written by Bradley Whipple. For more slow travel tips, read Josh Kearns’s “5 Reasons Why Slow Travel Beats Going on Vacation.”

Photo: Jouni Lehti (creative commons)

Photo of Vanuatu by PhillipC

Okay, okay – bad pun, I know. But I couldn’t resist.

OurPlanet Retreats is pioneering a new form of eco-friendly tourist accommodation – spherical lodges suspended in trees, with the first locations planned for Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and the Philippines – and the twist is, anyone can become a shareholder.

Even if you’re not looking to get into the green tourism phenomenon on the business end of things, the site’s still worth taking a look at – those spheres are pretty darn cool!

Know of any innovative eco-tourism projects? What’s the strangest place you’ve ever slept while traveling? Let us know in the comments!

Back when they were in college, my parents’ idea of a cool Saturday night date was hunting for snakes in the Florida swampland.

Perhaps that’s why I liked Jamie James’s book, The Snake Charmer, so much; its subject, the herpetologist (that would be “professional snake guy” for the non-scientific among us) Joe Slowinski, reminded me a bit of my intrepid dad.

But there are lots of other reasons you should like The Snake Charmer.

In the tradition of retrospective eccentric outdoor adventurer narratives gone awry a la Into the Wild, James identified a compelling story and researched it fully without turning the tale into either an overly sentimental hero’s journey or an overly didactic and boring biography.

The life story of Joe Slowinski, the snake charmer of the title, is told with skill and respect. Right away, the reader learns of Slowinski’s fate after being bitten by the deadly many-banded krait, but the story is no less engaging as the result of this early spoiler.

In an impressive inversion of conventional narrative chronology, James delivers the ending in the beginning and then works his way backwards, developing Slowinski’s character by tracing his life all the way back to his outdoor-loving childhood.

Along the way, the reader becomes endeared of the intelligent yet reckless snake expert, seen through the eyes of friends, family members, colleagues, and even Slowinski’s critics. Though the reader already knows what will happen to Slowinski on his fateful 2001 trek into the high northern territory of Burma/Myanmar, the adrenaline rush of the days leading up to and including the snake bite is no less intense, and the efforts his colleagues undertook to save his life remind the reader how on-the-edge off-the-beaten path expeditions can be and how even the most experienced travelers should take precautions and exercise sound judgment on the road.

James’s story of Slowinski’s life is, finally, so compelling because the author seems, with the help (which he acknowledges) of experts, to have acquired such nuanced knowledge of his subject’s passion—snakes—and the places where Slowinski performed field work.

As much as The Snake Charmer is a fascinating tale of one man’s life and death, it is also an important chronicle that touches upon political issues and raises scientific debates, leaving the reader with lots to think about once the book has been closed.

We’re giving away our hard cover copy of The Snake Charmer!

Want it? Here’s what you need to do:

1) Sign up for a Matador profile if you don’t have one already.
2) Post the URL of your profile in a comment below.
3) In the comment, include one sentence describing why you’d like the book or tell us a good snake story.

We’ll contact the first person who responds and get your address to ship the book your way. And if you’re not the winner of this week’s freebie, check out this “trailer” for the book:

Freebies. One more reason to sign up for Matador Pulse’s RSS feed!

Photo: Martin and Kathy Dady (creative commons)

Matador editor and all-around wave-runner David Miller says Reno–yep, that dustbowl city–is making some serious waves.

A recent article in The Reno Gazette Journal reported that the Sparks City Council unanimously approved the construction of a whitewater park on its section of the Truckee River.

The approval and pending construction is the latest in a growing number of cities that are harnessing their environmental features to attract tourism and stimulate local commerce and recreational activity of residents.

The major attraction of these new whitewater options is the fact that they’re so accessible from downtown areas, creating new outdoor activity options for local enthusiasts and visitors alike.

Are you a wave-runner? Share your favorite local spots in the comments section!

Photo: JanThePic (creative commons)

If you’ve been paying attention to the mainstream media lately, you’ve probably noticed that biofuels have gone from ’saviour of mankind’ to ’scourge of starving children’ – all in a remarkably short span of time.

I don’t pretend to grasp all the science behind biofuels or the economics linking their production with the rumoured/impending/current (depending on who you ask) food crisis, but it seems like a specific issue that manages to encapsulate the broader conflicts that we’re facing:

Short-term profits versus long-term stability. First-world comfort versus Third-world survival. Reduction in consumption versus technological innovations in consumption. And so on.

With all that in mind, I do my best to keep up.

Here’s some of the latest on biofuels and the troubles they may or may not cause and/or cure:

Brussels Urged To Take On US Over Biodiesel – You know you’ve arrived as a commodity when you start sparking trade wars and punitive duties…

All Biofuels Are Not The Same – One author responds to accusations that biofuels are killing those proverbial starving African children.

Biofuel Bonanza Not So Sweet for Brazil’s Sugar Cane Cutters – Kind of lends a new twist to the ol’ sugar in the gas tank routine.

Stop Biofuels To Fight World Hunger, Food Scientists Say – This one’s a little dated – included here as background in case you missed it the first time.

Community Connection: Matador members are passionate about the environment. For information about travel that leaves a lighter carbon footprint, check out “How to Get Off Grid in a Vintage Travel Trailer” and “Buy a Boat and Learn to Sail,” both written by Misty Tosh. A wildly popular article by Brad Whipple, “How to Stop Paying for Gas and Run on Free Vegetable Oil in 8 Easy Steps” is also a must-read.

Photo: cgulyas2002 (creative commons)

Photo by iboy daniel

A few days ago I wrote about China’s recent ban on free plastic shopping bags, and other positive signs in the war on plastic.

Just as I was giving us all a pat on the back, though, The Independent has reminded me that there are plenty more battles to be fought – not least, with all that plastic packaging.

In this entertaining read, writer Archie Bland takes his fight with excessive packaging right to the check-out line – and leaves everything on the counter.

Got any of your own vigilante plastic tactics? Let us know in the comments!

Photo by RedGlow82

Here’s a thought-provoking item from CBC News.

The story outlines a debate that’s raging between economists, farmers and environmentalists over the looming food crisis.

On one side are those who acknowledge that industrial-scale farming practices (including heavy duty fertilizers) are unsustainable and harmful to the environment – but who argue that in the short term we need them to produce the largest possible crop yields to feed the world’s poor and weather the proverbial storm.

On the other are those who think that postponing the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices can only be counter-productive in the long term, and therefore ineffective overall.

What do you think? Short-term pain for long-term gain? Or short-term gain with some resulting long-term pain?

I don’t know what the answer is. I do know, though, that most of us westerners are likely to be cushioned from the consequences, whether they come sooner or later.

I hope that at some point, this dialogue will include the people who’ll be feeling that pain.

Photo by Zainub (Creative Commons)

This weekend, China joined a growing list of countries that have banned the free hand-out of plastic shopping bags in stores.

Retailers will instead to be required to charge for sturdier, re-usable bags.

The move is just one initiative aimed at ramping up the country’s green credentials before this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing, and it’s expected to reduce China’s plastic bag consumption – currently clocking in at a staggering 3 billion bags every day – by a third.

In related plastic bag news, my hometown grocery stores still hand out free bags to all and sundry. But there are signs of hope – the Orwellian-sounding Liquor Control Board of Ontario has just banned plastic entirely in all its liquor stores.

I’ll drink to that!

Photo by futureatlas.com

Over at GOOD Magazine, Ryan Bowman confesses his discomfort at being asked to create a new weather map for one of Uganda’s largest newspapers:

My bright and relentlessly cheery “sunny” icon belies the depth of desperation of a third-world country bearing the brunt of what the Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, calls an “act of aggression” perpetrated by the rich world against the poor world—in other words, drought caused by global warming brought on by the first-world’s excessive use of resources. My lovingly detailed “partly cloudy” icons could just as easily portend the flooding of thousands of mud homes and attendant displacement, famine, and death just as easily as an afternoon shower.

As Bowman explains, weather maps had been previously unknown in East Africa, where stable seasonal patterns were instead passed along through “inherent, social knowledge”. Now, Uganda sees its first newspaper weather map – one more minute, compelling detail in a tapestry of global climate changes.

Photo courtesy of Barbara Steinberg

I normally have a healthy skepticism for tour operators, hotels and others who slap an eco- prefix on their name and declare themselves to be green. After all, it’s pretty easy to make some superficial changes to your business without tackling the real impact issues.

But recently I came across a tour operator that really means it: Mother Lode River Center, in California’s Sierra Nevada.

Mother Lode’s camp on the American River is powered by solar panels. Rafters arrive at the camp on the WVO-fueled Eco-Bus, and while there they eat organic food grown in Mother Lode’s garden. The center is also hard at work on educational initiatives to spread the word about permaculture and alternative energies.

From what I can tell, Mother Lode is truly dedicated to making the sort of across-the-board, big-picture adjustments needed to achieve genuine sustainability, rather than just piecemeal cosmetic tinkering.

Headed to the Sierra Nevada? Give their rafting trips and other adventure offerings a browse!

And even if you won’t be hitting the American River any time soon, check out Mother Lode’s news page to learn more.

Community Connection:

Want to create your own WVO-fueled vehicle? Check out How To Stop Paying For Gas and Run on Free Vegetable Oil in Eight Easy Steps. And for some thought-provoking discussion, see How Local Self-Reliance Will Overthrow The System.

Photo by Cubbie’n'Vegas (Creative Commons)

We got a press release recently about a new “green” initiative courtesy of Green Mountain Energy Company and the American Airlines AAdvantage program.

Basically, Green Mountain’s carbon offset division, BeGreen, offers a range of “carbon offset products” and “green gifts”. AAdvantage members who buy these products and gifts online can earn frequent flyer miles for each dollar spent.

Is it just me, or is a carbon offset program that actually encourages people to fly more kind of counter-productive?

Then there’s the whole concept of “green” gifts and products. As my mother said recently: Assuming you already have a functioning bed, then chucking it to make room for your newly-purchased “green” bed is inherently less green than just keeping your old, un-green bed. Right? It seems there’s a whole “green” retail industry out there intent on cashing in – and too many folks seem to have forgotten that the very first of the “Three R’s” is “Reduce”.

As for carbon offsets themselves, when they’re not linked to frequent flyer points, I’m skeptical but willing to be convinced. Anyone have any thoughts on this complex issue? Have your say in the comments!

The Matador Network offers a ton of content on green travel in general, and carbon offsets in particular. Start with The Truth About Carbon Offsets, Simple Ways To Travel Greener, and The Inconvenient Truth About Green Travel.

Photo by jillclardy (Creative Commons)

Everyone knows that the world’s landfills are piled high with empty bottles of Dasani, Evian, Aquafina, and the rest.

But there’s more to the impact of our bottled water obsession than the heaps of plastic empties.

The good folks at Environmental Graffiti break down the true cost of bottled water – factoring in everything from the bottle manufacturing process to the oil burned in transport.

Of course, in many parts of the world the tap water isn’t safe – for travelers or locals. Matador member Josh Kearns is on the case: check out his ground-breaking research into safe and affordable water filtration systems at Aqueous Solutions.

How do you handle water concerns when you travel? Let us know in the comments!

Photo by bfick (Creative Commons)

Most cities are strategizing ways to cut down on urban traffic, but few cities are relying upon bicycles as the centerpiece of their transportation initiatives. Washington, D.C., however, is willing to be a trendsetter.

This month, D.C. is scheduled to launch SmartBike DC, touted as the nation’s “first self-service bike rental program.” The idea is a variation on the business model pioneered by the company ZipCar, which is a car sharing program that has been successful in the Northeast and on the West Coast.

For a $39.99 annual subscription, SmartBike DC members will be able to pick up a bike at any of the 10 docking locations around the city. When they’re done, members return the bike to the docking location. All transactions are made with the swipe of the SmartBike DC membership card. Get pedaling, D.C.!

Community Connections: Lots of Matador members are passionate about pedaling and our blogs are full of great cycling guides and resources. Check out Hal Amen’s 8 Steps for Successful Self-Supported Bicycle Tours. And for a great travel narrative about a different kind of bike, check out Nicholas Gill’s “The Motorcycle Diaries: North India,” from Traverse.

If you’ve been to New York City lately and wondered why the Crown Vic cabs of old seem to be disappearing, replaced by a fleet of Toyota Highlanders and Priuses and even Lexus RX 400hs, the reason is simple: NYC doesn’t just want to pimp your ride, it wants you to ride green.

According to a recent article in The New York Times , “all of New York’s…taxis will have to get at least 30 miles a gallon…” by 2012. At present, just 7.8% of cabs meet that target, but a glance at the city’s streets confirms the fleet is changing quickly.

Incredibly, almost everyone is happy with the new law: drivers say gas costs about $25 less per day; the Taxi and Limousine Commission says the hybrids are performing better on inspections than non-hybrids; and passengers are happy they can ride green.

Talk to us! Tell us about the taxis in your favorite town!

Photo: k.kopach

A new “world edition” of the famous board game will be released this fall, with solar and wind power standing in for those old-fashioned utilities, the Water Works and the Electric Company.

According to Hasbro executive Phil Jackson, the change is “a nod to the efforts of countries worldwide to increase the effectiveness and availability of renewable energy and resources.”

No word on whether the hotels on Park Place will be changing towels less frequently to save water.

Photo by sling@flickr.