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 […]
The struggle against global warming took a new turn recently as climate change experts discovered that soot emissions are the second-biggest contributor to rising global temperatures, after carbon dioxide (CO2). Also known as “black carbon,” soot is responsible for 18 percent of global warming, while carbon dioxide is responsible for 40 percent. However, unlike reducing […]
With only an estimated 3,500 to 7,000 snow leopards left in the wild, conservation programs are necessarily enlisting the help of local communities to increase the species’ chances of survival. Founded in 1981, the International Snow Leopard Trust, which monitors the movements of the solitary cat in China, India, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, and Pakistan, […]
Tibet was once again sealed off to tourists as the 50th anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising approached in March 2009. The Chinese government’s fear of reprisal from last year’s riots and demonstrations–which left at least 19 people dead (according to Chinese government statistics) and hundreds arrested–has made security tighter and tensions higher in Tibet. […]
A report jointly released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) warns that hundreds of millions of people in South Asia are at risk from increasing water scarcity as water supplies in three of the region’s largest river basins become increasingly vulnerable. Although one-fourth of the world’s population […]
Developers in Badagry, Nigeria, are planning a controversial luxury resort with a slavery theme park in the hope of attracting more tourists to the African nation, especially African-Americans who want to learn about their ancestry while enjoying a relaxing vacation. The ambitious $3.4 billion venture is being led in part by Michael Jackson’s brother and […]
Thailand boasts over 20,000 Buddhist temples scattered all over the country, but Wat Pa Maha Chedi in the northeastern part of the country is the only one made entirely of recycled beer bottles. Sometimes referred to as Wat Lan Kuad or Temple Of A Million Bottles, this unique architectural and recycling feat has already been […]
In late January, Thailand convicted 66 of 78 detained Rohingya migrants from Burma for illegal entry. Found adrift on a boat off Thailand’s southwestern coast, this latest group of migrants has reminded the world of the abuse, exploitation and discrimination the Rohingya sustain as ethnic minorities in Burma and as illegal migrants in neighboring countries. […]
Child sex tourism has exploded along Kenya’s sunny coastal area around Mombasa, where increasing numbers of tourists flock for more than the beaches, preying on children as young as 10. According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and as reported by Ethical Traveler in 2007, 30 percent of girls aged between 12 and 18 in […]
