Airport to be carbon-negative?

Mycitytalk.com reports that New York's Stewart International airport, north of Manhattan, is striving to be "carbon-negative."

The region's other airports, JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia are prone to gridlock so the Port Authorities of New York and New Jersey who operate all four airports, are expanding Stewart as a way to ease plane traffic and claim the design will be beyond eco-friendly.

But in order for it to be carbon-negative it must overcome many obstacles including the fact that airplanes emit a lot of greenhouse gases.

[The Port Authority] has yet to announce a plan, but the possibilities are multi-faceted. It likely will incorporate the latest energy-efficient and environmentally sensitive design into all new airport buildings. On-site generation of power from solar or wind energy will help. Connecting the airport to Manhattan via mass transit already is under review.

Read the full story: Building the first carbon-negative airport

Fires close Smoky Mts National Park trails

National Parks Traveler reports that wildfires are burning through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and several trails are closed.

As of 12:30 p.m. [today], the closed trails included the Laurel Falls Trail, Roundtop Trail, Little Greenbrier Trail at Wear Cove Road, Little Brier Gap Trail, and Cove Mountain Trail. If you are familiar with the park, you know that several of these trails intersect within relatively short distances in a very scenic area west of the Sugarland Visitor Center on the park's northern margin.

Read the full story: Some popular trails are closed

Sun and wind power airports

USA Today reports on several airports around the country that are getting their power from solar and wind power.

Among the airports using solar power are Denver (picture right) International, San Francisco and Long Beach, California.

Boston's Logan International is currently testing wind power.

Read the full story: Solar powered airports?

Kenya game park shows declines; study

Environmental News Network reports on a study showing "substantial" wildlife declines in the Masai Mara; one of Kenya's most touristed game parks.

Populations of major wild grazing animals that are the heart and soul of Kenya's cherished and heavily visited Masai Mara National Reserve—including giraffes, hartebeest, impala, and warthogs—have "decreased substantially" in only 15 years as they compete for survival with a growing concentration of human settlements in the region, according to a new study published today in the May 2009 issue of the British Journal of Zoology.

Read the full story: New study shows widespread and substantial declines in wildlife in Kenya's Masai Mara

Winery tour by bike through Tuscany

Stars and Stripes reports on a bike and winery tour through Italy's Tuscany.

We were in the Maremma region of southern Tuscany. Its wines are not as well known as those other Tuscan favorites: Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile of Montepulciano. Yet, the area produces some excellent vintages that are gaining recognition among producers and consumers.

Biking was often off-road, on gravel paths surrounded by farm fields and distant hills. We did encounter some uphill pedaling, but nothing too strenuous.

Read the full story: Bicycle tour takes riders to three Tuscany wine estates

Volunteer on your next vacation

Travel & Leisure via MSNBC.com reports on voluteer vacations that get travelers involved in conservation and species salvation.

"'Despite the economy, we’re doing really well,' said Calie Yousha, a spokesperson for Global Vision International, which runs programs for conserving the Amazon Rainforest and studying dolphins in the Ligurian Sea, among others. 'We’ve actually seen a pretty significant increase in volunteering.'"

Read the full story: Best save-the-earth tips

A walk through Italy's Cinque Terre

On this Earth Day we at Ecotravel News wish we could be hiking through the picturesque towns of Italy's Cinque Terre again like Rick Steves' did recently.

The day-long meandering hike passes through the five (cinque) towns perched along the Mediterranean coast.

The area is a national park and is easily accessible by train.

Read the full story: Step back in time

American hotel chains jumping on green bandwagon

Budget Travel via CNN reports on some American hotel chains that have incorporated more eco-friendly practices in their business plans.

Big chains such as Motel 6, Hyatt, and Marriott are conserving energy, water, and recycling.

Read the full story: Have a green stay

Six global conservation efforts

The Christian Science Monitor reports on six conservation efforts around the world and most in popular travel spots:

Costa Rica: has protected 1/4 of its land.

The Philippines: home-grown conservation is stemming rampant deforestation and illegal poaching.

Vancouver Island: reintroduction of sea otters has created new problems of sea urchin and abalone decline.

Florida Everglades: might never recover due to destructive non-native species.

Congo, Rwanda, Uganda: Mountain gorillas now with a 14 percent population increase live in the shared borders of all three countries and have survived civil war and poaching.

Madagascar: Deforestation and poverty is destroying habitats of native species such as the lemur (picture above) but carbon offset trading could save the forests that are now being bought by companies such as Dell and turned over to international conservation organizations.

Read the full story: Where they rebuild nature

National Parks are climate change "warning system"

The Christian Science Monitor reports on how the nation's national parks are a "warning system" for the effects of global warming.

The Joshua Tree (pictured left) and its iconic twisted branches that symbolize the self-named park is disappearing because of drought conditions.

Global climate change is “the single greatest threat to the health of our national parks,” says Michael Cipra, California desert program manager of the National Parks Conservation Association.

According to researchers, climate change is contributing to:

• The possible loss of all the glaciers in the Glacier National Park within 20 years.

• Dying coral reefs in Biscayne and Virgin Island National Parks due to increased heat and disease.

• Insect pests thriving and destroying forests ranging from the Great Smoky Mountains to Yellowstone.

• Declining water levels at Lake Mead because of extended droughts.

Read the full story: How climate change may be threatening national parks

Six eco and budget friendly tips

Fodor's online has six eco-friendly (as well as budget-friendly) travel tips.

Carbon offsets and luxury eco-lodges are great earth-friendly options, but being green doesn't always have to cost you so much... green. You can live like a local and have a richer experience by using less resources, which, not surprisingly, uses less cash.

Read the full story: Ecotourism on a budget

Visit the seven "eco wonders"

Mother Nature Network has taken over defunct Plenty Magazine but still has some of their articles like their list of seven enviro-friendly "wonders" to visit.

Topping the list is the Museum of Biodiversity in Panama followed by eco-city Dongtan, China (pic left).

Read the full story: The seven eco wonders of the world

Ecuador volcano eruption could hurt Galapagos specie

Reuters video reports on the Galapagos Island volcano eruption and lava flow that could be hurting the native species made famous by Charles Darwin.

Watch below:

Melting snow reveals outdoor ID trails

The Idaho Statesman's Natalie Bartley reports on the rail trails to enjoy now that the snow is finally melting.

The recreational trails in Idaho - most of which are nonmotorized - have been built on or near old railroad mainlines and spurs that used to carry silver, copper, gold, timber, agricultural products and people throughout the state.

Read the full story: Take one of Idaho's many rail trails

Solar city for sunshine state

Reuters reports on the proposed solar-powered city in Florida.

The aptly named "Sunshine State" will the first to experiment with a solar-only powered city to be named Babcock Ranch.

A local utility and real estate company are planning to build the largest photovoltaic plant and subsequent city at an estimated cost of $2 billion near Fort Meyers in southwestern Florida.

A spokesman for the project said it will be the first solar-powered city because it will use only solar power during the day and produce more solar power than it needs and so will be a net exporter of solar power.

In addition to having its electricity generated from solar energy, the entire city is expected to have wireless Internet access and electric-car chargers.

Read the full story: Florida to get first solar-powered city

View WA State tulips during monthlong festival

The Seattle Times reports on what else to do while touring this month's Skagit Valley tulip festival.

"Commercial growers farm more than 1,000 acres of flowers in the valley, and when in full bloom, it's a territorial quilt of dazzling reds, yellows and pinks.

You can see most of them in a half-hour drive or a half-day of biking on the straight, flat roads that crisscross fertile fields. So what do you do before and after?"

Read the full story: A bouquet of ideas

Hidden Panama: nature paradise

CNN reports on the little-known natural paradise of Panama.

"[Along] the Pacific coast region of Los Santos, [west of Panama city], are rolling farmlands and stands of mahogany and cocobolo trees hug an azure coastline, luring surfers, nature buffs, and, increasingly, travelers and second-home owners from all over."

Read the full story: The secret side of Panama

Greening of iconic New York building

Reuters reports that Manhattan's Empire State Building is turning green.

The "greening" project will cost $100 million to overhaul the iconic building, but once complete will save an estimated $4.4 million in energy use every year.

Read the full story: Empire State Building to go green

Everglades scourge: Asian swamp eel

National Parks Traveler reports on a threat to native species in Florida's Everglades; the introduced Asian swamp eel.

This exotic fish, pictured right, was most likely introduced by someone carelessly dumping their aquarium pets into the waters claims NPT.

"That is bad news, indeed, for the Everglades ecosystem. The swamp eel is a voracious feeder with a generalized diet that includes food critical to the survival of wading birds, fish, and many other native species of the Everglades. The results could very well be catastrophic if swamp eels were to become abundant enough."

Read the full story: Creature feature: meet the Asian swamp eel

See Portland, OR by bike

Although we at Ecotravel News feel that The New York Times is mostly geared towards rich elistists - as evidenced in their travel articles that seem to recomend higher-than-average priced vacations - their article on biking Portland, Oregon is for the average normal-salaried person.

"'Portland is a really easy and comfortable city to use a bicycle as transportation,' said Roger Geller, Portland’s bicycle coordinator since 1994. 'There is a lot of energy around cycling right now and it’s not just 20-year-old men racing. I see average people out biking.'"

Read the full story: Portland, Portland style

View former Secy of State Madeleine Albright's pins

USA Today reports on former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's traveling brooch collection show.

Although this story is not environmental, Ms. Albright's pins communicated her mood and she brought change and diplomacy, equally important aspects of policy necessary for a peaceful world.

Albright "found that what she wore and how she presented herself had a lot of interpretive meaning to those she was with," said Holly Hotchner, [Museum of Arts & Design] director. "The pins became an added way that she communicated as secretary of state."

The 200 brooch collection will start of in New York City in September.

Read the full story: Madeleine Albright's brooch collection

Visit Chernobyl at your own risk

Doug Murray traveled for the San Jose Mercury News to Chernobyl, Ukraine to report on the tour around the nuclear fallout site.

The site, 80 miles northwest of capital Kiev, experienced one of the worst non-atomic bomb nuclear disasters on April 26, 1986 when one of the reactors (picture left) exploded. The radiation spread all over Europe and created a ghost town when 300,000 people needed to relocate for safety purposes.

"More than 20 years after the atomic genie was released from the bottle, the invisible danger in this modern ghost town remains. [tour guide Dennis] Zaburin tells me not to worry, but I can see the readout on his dosimeter [radiation monitor]. It says 1,800. Only a few hours earlier he told me that 50 is normal. What am I doing here?"

Read the full story: The lost city of Chernobyl