News & Dispatches

Preserving The World For The Future By Destroying The Past: The Saga of Greenpeace and the Nazca Lines

Greenpeace’s mission is to ensure that the Earth and its beautiful diversity survive—without nuclear destruction, climate change, commercial overfishing, deforestation, or genetic engineering disrupting the health of the planet and its myriad creatures. They’re a non-profit focused on what we’re doing in the present, and how it will impact the future. But a recent stunt […]

The Rights and Wrongs of Voluntourism

Volunteer tourism, or “voluntourism,” is the practice in which tourists incorporate charity work into their travels abroad. Over the past few years, this travel industry trend has become a recurrent source of controversy and has left many wondering whether it is possible to ethically volunteer abroad at all. Despite the recent deluge of headlines on […]

Conservation Success for the Silky Shark and His Aquatic Friends

For decades the plight of the silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) went unnoticed. They were once thought to be the most populous type of requiem shark, but the slow-to procreate and overfished silky sharks were potentially down an average of 80% from their originally estimated population numbers long before anyone realized what had happened. Silky sharks […]

Illuminating Rural Villages with Solar Power

In many rural villages across the world, people rely on kerosene lamps after dark — lighting that is toxic, nonrenewable, and hazardous. But a variety of forward-thinking companies and NGOs are enabling some communities to leapfrog right over traditional electrical power and light their homes with solar energy. In Cambodia, for example, only 13 percent […]

Turning Trash into Treasure: Revolutionary Art in the Galapagos Islands

Located 600 miles off the western coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands has long been revered for its larger-than-life eclectic and mythological presence. The beauty of its 20 plus islands have captured the hearts of many travelers. Charles Darwin’s writings from the region are widely believed to be the origin of his evolution theory. Many […]

Continuous Elephant Slaughter Leads to March for Elephants

Weighing in at over 13,000 lbs and standing just at 13 feet with dextrous but powerful trunks and tusks made of ivory, elephants represent an icon in many cultures and religions. Sadly, they are endangered. African elephants are ruthlessly poached for their tusks, which are sold illicitly on the black market. According to a recent […]

Best Sites For Travel Writing

It seems like it’s hard to find a good travel blog these days. The industry is inundated with young travelers who hope to emulate the success of such superstar travel bloggers as Nomadic Matt. And with such a low barrier for entry – anyone with a computer and some extra time can start a blog […]

The Orca in the Room

In May 2014, a letter was written by a group of 38 motivated US Congress members. With Virgin founder Richard Branson’s call for more humane treatment of orcas held in captivity at the notorious SeaWorld marine park chain, this may be the strategic commandment needed to free them. The letter, the latest in a recent […]

Swim with Dolphins Tourist Trap Leads to Travel Conference Boycott

Video of Brooke MacDonald and Morgan Catch Japanese Fisherman Slaughtering Dolphins — Content Warning: Age Advisory The 2014 Travel Bloggers Exchange, or TBEX, happens this week in Cancun, Mexico. TBEX is the world’s best known travel bloggers conference. Bloggers attend in order to hone their craft and network with each other, destinations, airlines, and other […]