As more and more large animals are driven to the brink of extinction, one of the primary challenges facing conservationists lies in counteracting the belief that such wildlife endangers human settlements and livelihoods. A number of organizations are now aiming their work at alleviating conflict between humans and large animals, with tourism identified as an […]
An appeals court in Botswana has ruled that indigenous Bushmen can drill wells for water on their traditional land in the Kalahari Game Reserve. After a legal battle of more than a decade, it seems that the Bushmen can finally return to live on their ancestral lands – that is, if the government accepts the […]
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 […]
Performing short-term volunteer work abroad is “potentially exploitative” of vulnerable populations, according to a recent study of “voluntourism” in African orphanages. Authored by researchers from South Africa’s Human Sciences Research Council and Queen Mary, University of London, the report found that foreign volunteers who came, bonded and left harmed the emotional and social development of […]
Between the months of March and May, air pollution in and around the city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand reaches hazardous levels as a result of the slash-and-burn agriculture commonly practiced during this season. Now a group of local scientists, farmers and Buddhist monks has launched a new initiative to replace these environmentally damaging […]
It’s no secret that the rise of the cellular telephone has had a profound social impact, enabling people to stay connected and access information from almost anywhere, whether at home or on the road. Yet the potential of mobile phones to become tools for positive change is just beginning to be tapped, say global leaders […]
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 […]
Is your vacation choice blasphemy? Travelers visiting churches, mosques and temples are used to making concessions such as wearing head coverings, removing shoes or refraining from photographing sacred items. But what if the holy site is a living mountain? How do you preserve its sanctity? Do you opt not to hike or photograph it? Indigenous […]
By 2050, more than 42 percent of China will be green—that is, if China’s plan to build a 400-million hectare (988-million acre) “Great Green Wall” to block expanding deserts and fight climate change takes root as planned. Launched in 1978 and officially known as the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, the network of artificial forests is […]
