Mountain hut hiking in USA

USA Today reports on hut-to-hut hiking gaining popularity in the U.S.

Although it's easy and economical to put together a self-guided hut-to-hut hiking trip, many don't want to tote their own bags or food so tour companies have traditionally done these things for their travelers. Tour companies have been putting together mountain hut hiking tours in Europe for years and have recently started the same for hikes here at home.

Brad Niva, owner of Rogue Wilderness Adventures, operator of this [Rogue River, Oregon] raft-supported hike (pic above), chalks up the popularity to a glut of active Baby Boomers whose roughing-it years are behind them.

"People want to feel like they're getting out of the hubbub. But they don't want to sleep in a tent and eat freeze-dried food," says Niva. "On this trip, you can bring the kitchen sink — or a case of wine. We'll carry it down the river for you."

Read the full story: 'Hut-to-hut' hiking offers comfort between daily treks

Note: Ecotravel News will be away until July 6

Family camping on the rise

MSNBC reports that camping is becoming a popular family vacation alternative because it is cheap and gets the kids back to nature.

Without the iPods and text messages, kids will make up their own games with rocks and sticks, compose songs on the hiking trail and entertain everyone with a skit around the campfire after dinner.

Read the full story: Taking the kids - camping

British hydrogen fuel-cell car

New Scientist reports on the new hydrogen fuel-cell car unveiled in London this week.

The Riversimple Urban Car is so far only a concept car that runs on the energy created by combining hydrogen and oxygen.

Plans for leasing of this vehicle should be underway by 2011 in the UK claim the company.

Read the full story: New hydrogen-powered city car takes to the road

Plastic waste becomes fashion

Reuters video reports on plastic bag restructuring into fashion handbags in Manila, Philippines.

Watch below:

From The Daily Green, Artic Circle comic strip:

Pondering the sins of eco-travelers

World Hum's Joanna Kakissis ponders the habits of so-called eco-travelers in a recent blog post.

I’m still cringing over a former friend (and self-proclaimed environmentalist) with whom I traveled to the mountains of northwestern Greece in 2004. He had a majorly acidic meltdown when I accidentally stepped on a wildflower (“It’s a native species!”) to avoid falling off a cliff—but not five minutes later threw a candy wrapper into the tangle of purple flowers and tall grass. Nice!

Read the full story: When (so-called) eco-travelers sin

African rainforest found via Google Earth

BBC video reports on an newly discovered rainforest in Mozambique found through Google Earth.

Watch the report below:

National park poacher convicted and sentenced

National Parks Traveler reports on the conviction and sentencing of illegal poacher Stephen Slavinsky.

Montana resident Slavinsky, 43, hunted and poached animals illegally, some even in protected Yellowstone National Park. He was convicted of four state felony counts of illegal poaching, sentenced to 20 years in prison (15 years suspended), stripped of all rights to own or possess a gun, and banned from hunting worldwide.

Read the full story: Yellowstone poacher loses hunting privileges for life

Celebrate Adirondacks at new museum

The Wall Street Journal reviews the new upstate New York Wild Center.

The museum celebrates the natural world of the Adirondacks.

But calling it just a museum would be rash since there are live animals and interactive exhibits.

"We're part aquarium, part natural history museum and part science center," says Stephanie Ratcliffe, executive director of the Wild Center.

The location is Tupper Lake, NY about six hours from New York City.

Read the full story: Where the wild things are

Airlines to be carbon neutral by 2020?

Reuters reports that the world's airlines have committed to be carbon-neutral by 2020.

The head of the International Airline Transport Association gave this news at their annual meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia today.

Giovanni Bisignani said wide cooperation was needed from allied industries and governments. "Air navigation service providers must make it possible to fly even more effectively. Fuel companies must supply eco-friendly fuels and governments must give us access to credits in global carbon markets."

Aviation is responsible for about 2 percent of global greenhouse gas pollution and that share is expected to rise.

Read the full story: Airlines to achieve CO2 neutral-growth by 2020: IATA

French compressed-air car

Reuters video reports on a compressed-air car that will most likely go on sale in France in 2010.

Watch below:

D.C. could tax bags, plastic and paper

US News & World Report's Fresh Greens blog reports that the D.C. city council voted to approve a 5 cent tax on plastic and paper bags.

If [this tax is] approved in a second vote later this month, [that] would make the District the first city in the U.S. to institute a bag fee.

San Francisco banned plastic bags outright in 2007, and Los Angeles' ban will go into effect in 2010. Several other cities have tried to assess bag taxes, but have not yet been successful: Seattle residents will vote on a 20-cent tax in August, and a measure in New York was blocked. Last month, the Philadelphia City Council a 20-cent tax on bags, citing the recession.

So what does this mean for consumers in D.C., and other cities that may follow suit? Those who choose not to buy reusable bags can look at an additional $7-$15 dollars spent per year, depending on how frequently they shop.

Proceeds will benefit the notoriously polluted Anacostia River in D.C.

Read the full story: D.C. council approves plastic bag fee

Visit these ten places before they disappear

The Daily Green.com reports on 10 vacation spots to view or enjoy before the attraction dies away.

Among their recommendations is seeing the bats over Austin, Texas Congress Bridge (pic right). Bats in the U.S. are being afflicted by a deadly white fungus called white nose syndrome. So although it hasn't show up in these Austin bridge bats yet, the disease is spreading from the east gradually westward.

Among the other recommendations are a drive through Appalachia scenery, fishing for salmon on the Snake River, and taking photos of glaciers in Glacier National Park.

Read the full story: Endangered vacations

Mayans ruined environment that led to demise

New Scientist reports on evidence that vast deforestation led to the downfall of the Mayan people, not war or disease as previously thought.

Mayan ruins such as in Tikal, Guatemala (pic left) and Mexico are visited by millions of people each year interested in learning more about this disappeared culture.

The builders of the ancient Mayan temples at Tikal in Guatemala switched to inferior wood a few decades before they suddenly abandoned the city in the 9th century AD. The shift is the strongest evidence yet that Mayan civilisation collapsed because they ran out of resources, rather than, say, disease or warfare.

Read the full story: Temple timbers trace collapse of Mayan culture

Smallest primate under threat

Reuters reports on the threat to the world's smallest monkey, the tarsier. The habitat of this tiny primate, the size of a human fist, in Indonesia's Sulawesi forest is being destroyed by logging. There are an estimated 1,000 left in the world.

Watch the report below: