Some of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations have been hard hit in the recent economic crisis. At the same time, the recent political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa has opened doors for less tumultuous Mediterranean countries to attract thousands of new visitors. As a result of the economic downturn, there are many […]
The days of human beings having a monopoly on individual rights may soon be coming to an end. Bolivia is in the process of enacting the world’s first law giving nature legal rights equal to those of human beings. The Law of Mother Earth decrees that nature has 11 rights including the right to biodiversity […]
Is it actually possible to travel for – gulp – free, even in these dreary economic times? On the Other Guy’s Dime: A Professional’s Guide to Traveling Without Paying, a how-to guide written by professor G. Michael Schneider, promises to teach the reader how to accomplish just that. Professor Schneider arranges working holidays in different […]
Between September and March each year, hundreds of dolphins are hunted in the waters off Taiji, Japan, in the largest dolphin slaughter in the world to date. Western criticism of the dolphin hunts reached a fever pitch last year after the release of the US documentary The Cove, whose makers used remote-controlled helicopters and hidden […]
Even after a decade of debate, the question of whether or not tourists should travel to Burma remains a much-contested issue. Evidence suggests that travel to Burma only indirectly supports the military regime’s harsh policies with tourist dollars. Is a boycott appropriate or counterproductive? Those in favor of boycotting travel cite the Burmese government’s disregard […]
While Canada is expanding already protected areas and freezing use fees for visitors, across the United States, parks are facing proposed and actual closures as a result of an economic downturn leading to lower tax revenues for most states. The Honorable Jim Prentice, Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, recently announced the […]
The United States, a former whaling power, and Japan, a historical and current harvester of the species, are again at odds over whaling regulations. In March, the International Whaling Commission met in Rome to discuss a whaling deal presented by IWC Chairman William Hogarth — appointed by former President Bush — and the IWC Small […]
On December 22, a billion gallons of poisonous sludge – largely coal ash, a byproduct of coal burning – broke through an earthen dike at the Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee. This industrial accident destroyed area homes, killed wildlife, and brought to the forefront long-running health concerns over heavy metals in the ash. Wildlife may […]
The Guinness Book of World Records recently named Indonesia as the country with the highest rate of deforestation on the planet. In an effort to combat this environmental destruction and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions, Balikpapan city is now requiring residents who want to apply for a marriage or birth license to plant a tree. […]
