Learn to watch whales in Pacific Ocean

The Oregonian reports on the whale watch training led by Bruce Mate, the director of the Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute.

"Morris Grover, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department's whale watch volunteer coordinator says volunteers who complete the training [on Pacific gray whale biology and natural history] may serve in either the program's winter or spring whale watch weeks 'for as many years as they wish, and wherever they
wish.'"

Read the full story: State parks offer whale watch training

Vancouver BC downtown walk

San Jose Mercury News reports via the Seattle Times on the new three-mile path along Vancouver, B.C.'s False Creek.

The False Creek stroll lets visitors enjoying the sights of downtown with its "glittering high rises, million-dollar town houses and housing co-ops" with the scenic backdrop of the mountains.

According to writer Kristen Jackson, there's lots of stuff to do on the stroll besides just take in the sights:

"Hungry? Head to the Granville Island market, a foodie mecca of small-farm produce and seafood, food stalls and cafes. Or wine and dine at fancier restaurants along the way. Want some greenery? Lounge in waterfront pocket parks. Tired? Take a ride in one of the dozen-seater mini-ferries that buzz around False Creek like brightly painted water bugs."

Read the full story: A scenic stroll on the Vancouver, B.C. waterfront

China's pollution rate to double by 2030, cites study

Environmental News Network reports on the study showing the doubling of Chinese greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The study conducted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences shows that without serious curbs on the billions of tons of carbon dioxide China emits each year, the nation could match the amount the United States emits by 2020.

In 2007, the United States was still the world's number one emitter of greenhouse gases at 7.2 billion tons, compared to China's 5.1 billion tons.

Read the full story: China warns of huge rise in emissions

Hiking Oregon

CNN.com reports on five hiking trails in Oregon.

At Ecola State Park, hikers can walk in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark on the historical Clatsop Loop.

At Devil's Punch Bowl, near Depoe Bay, visitors can enjoy the coastal sites of cliffs and tide pools.

"Wind-sculpted dunes, a sparkling blue freshwater lake, and a historic lighthouse all await visitors" at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

Read the full story: Five stunning Oregon hiking spots

77-year-old D.C.-er bikes Manhattan tip-to-tip

Maryland resident Albert Diaz, pictured above, thought what better way to celebrate his impending 78th birthday but to bike Manhattan from bottom to top.

Diaz wrote about his biking trip in The Washington Post.

He easily took the Vamoose bus line from Bethesda, Maryland (it takes bikes at no extra cost) and after being dropped off in Midtown Manhattan, headed down to his starting point at Battery Park.

His bike path of choice was the Greenway that stretches all the way up to the George Washington Bridge 11 miles north.

Read the full story: Manhattan on wheels

Throw a 'roo on the barbie

Environmental News Network reports on the Australian study that shows eating kangaroo instead of beef and mutton is a more sustainable option.

Cattle and sheep farming degrades land, has contributed to native species extinction, and also emits large amounts of the greenhouse gas methane. Kangaroos, which historically have been eaten by humans for "around 60,000 years," emit acetate rather than methane.

"In economic modelling conducted by Wilson and Edwards, cattle and sheep for meat could be dramatically reduced in Australia's rangelands by 2020, with cattle dropping from 7.5 million to 500,000 and sheep from 38.7 million to 2.7 million.

The scientists conclude that this would allow for a net carbon saving of 16 megatonnes of GhG emissions by 2020, around 28 percent of Australia's agricultural emissions. "

Read the full story: Eat kangaroos to save climate?

Vancouver Island mushroom picking

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports on mushroom picking (led by a monk) in Canada's Vancouver Island.

Every September and October the popular mushroom-picking tours leave from Aerie resort, a 25-minute drive from capital Victoria.

"Brother Michael, a Benedictine monk and mushroom expert who is our guide for the day and has been leading the Aerie's outing each fall weekend for three years. From the Solo Dio monastery in nearby Duncan, Brother Michael spends four or five hours a day, five days a week, tramping among these steep hills, collecting pounds and pounds of mushrooms to supply Victoria's upscale restaurants, as well as the Aerie. His eyes are so well trained he can spot a potentially promising mushroom cache from more than 20 paces away."

After the three-hour hunt, happy pickers return to the resort for a gourmet lunch off of their mushroom find.

Read the full story: Mushroom hunting on Vancouver Island

Brunei ecotouring

Frommer's travel guide online highlights Brunei as an ecotourist destination.

The sultanate of Brunei is located on the tip of Borneo and is a relatively unknown tourist destination.

"Almost 40% of the area is preserved as Ulu Temburong National Park and is considered one of the world's most diverse ecosystems with a range of wilderness habitats, from lowland forest and jungle rainforest to mountain forests and waterfalls."

Temburong NP is easy to get to from the capital city Bandar Seri Begawan and organized tours can arrange multi-day stays.

Read the full story: Eco-tourism and adventure in Brunei

S. African eco-village

Reuters video reports on the South African eco-village Lynedoch that is "designed so that people from mixed social backgrounds can come together to live and work in a sustainable community."

The eco-village is supported through government grants, small businesses such as a local winery, and also overseas by a London, U.K. movie theater. Watch below:

Solar powered rickshaws in New Delhi

AFP reports on the new solar powered rickshaws in New Delhi.

The "soleckshaw" runs on either a motor powered by a solar battery or pedalled as usual using only foot power

India has an estimated eight million rickshaw drivers.

"'The most important achievement will be improving the lot of rickshaw drivers,' said Pradip Kumar Sarmah, head of the non-profit Centre for Rural Development."

Read the full story: India's humble rickshaw goes solar

Biking Canada's Cape Breton Isle

The San Jose Mercury News' Geri Migielicz writes about her three-day bike trip across the Cabot Trail in Canada's Cape Breton Isle - the northeastern most part of Nova Scotia.

"The rich culture and history make it feel like a shortcut to the British Isles or, when in Canada's Acadian territory, France.

This mix of influences has produced a vibrant Celtic-flavored folk music scene, which alone could justify the trip.

And if you're a bicyclist looking for spectacular terrain and challenging steep climbs to notch on your altimeter, look no further."

Read the full story: Two wheels across Nova Scotia

Poland's organic farms blossom

The Christian Science Monitor reports on the flourishing organic farm business in Poland.

Organic farming works in Poland because farms have always been "small-scale" in addition to being "the only former Soviet satellite country to resist agricultural collectivization under communism."

There are now over 13,500 organic farms, up considerably from the 300 in 1996. And residents are big fans of the natural produce:

"'I’ve been buying organic vegetables, kasha, milk, and especially eggs for the past 15 years,' says Warsaw resident Anna Basiak. 'I don’t want to ruin my stomach.' Ms. Basiak made the switch to organic when sauerkraut of unknown provenance made her ill. Today, she shops in grocery stories that buy directly from farmers."

Read the full story: Poland's organic farms prove to be fruitful ventures

Alaska's glaciers retreating and melting, book says

U.S. News and World Report LiveScience reports on the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) new book that documents the thinning and retreating of all Alaska's glaciers.

"The new book on Alaska's glaciers used satellite images, aerial photos, maps and other studies to document the retreat of the glaciers, which began as early as the mid-19th century. Some glaciers have even disappeared since being mapped in the mid-20th century, the report found."

Read the full story: Most Alaskan glaciers retreat and thin

UK Starbucks waste precious water

Environmental News Network has a report from the Organic Consumers Association on how many gallons of water coffee franchiser Starbucks wastes per day.

According to the British Sun newspaper, Starbucks wastes 23.4 million liters (that's 6.18 million gallons) of water every day in 10,000 outlets. This is due to the policy of leaving the tap on nonstop.

"A single Starbucks tap left running for just over three minutes wastes the amount of water one African needs to survive for a day in drought conditions.

Under the company's health and safety rules, staff are banned from turning the water off because management claim that a constant flow of water prevents germs breeding in taps."

Read the full story: Starbucks wastes millions of litres of water a day

Mammals face extinction worldwide

Reuters video reports that 1/4 of all mammals are threatened with extinction.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature claims the mammals are being wiped out by hunting and habitat destruction.

Watch the report below:

Database warns against wildlife threating activities

The Economist reports on a new database that warns companies if their business practices pose threats to wildlife.

Conservation International created the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) to "bring together as much data on biodiversity as it could in a single database."

IBAT will be "unveiled at the forthcoming World Conservation Congress in Barcelona."

"Big oil and agro-industrial firms such as BP and Cargill helped with the design, as did several banks. The idea is to make it easier for businesses to incorporate concerns about conservation into their planning from the beginning of a project, and not simply when protesters show up at their offices."

Read the full story: Where the wild things are

Ecotravel made easy through new websites

USA Today reports on two new eco-friendly travel websites.

Vroomvroomvroom.com allows travelers to rent-a-car and purchase carbon offsets at the same time.

WholeTravel.com lets people search their website for hotels with the "whole ranking" system "based on environmental practices, economic management, social and cultural support, and customer interaction"

Read the full story: Two new websites join the greenscape

Appalachian Trail 40th anniversay

Travel and Leisure magazine reports on the 40-year history of the iconic Appalachian Trail.

Throughout the years hikers have enjoyed traversing the entire trail from Georgia to Maine, or just parts of it.

"In the A.T.’s early years, just a handful of people took advantage of it (by 1969, only 61 people had hiked every mile). 'The end of World War II was putting pressure on the trail,' said Brian King, spokesman for The Appalachian Trail Conservancy. 'New roads were being built, and second homes, so the trail was running through private property.' But in the 1960s people took notice; it took volunteers nearly four years of working with local landowners, buying their property or finding ways around it, to ensure that the public would always have access to a continuous trail. 'This was easily the most complex public land acquisition land process ever,' said King."

Read the full story: 40 years hiking the Appalachian Trail

Florida's Everglades restoration in question

The Miami Herald reports on the $7 billion restoration of Florida's Everglades that hasn't made any progress according to a new study.

The National Resource Council report released on Monday claims that government bureaucracy has tied up the progression of many of the restoration projects in the Everglades and finds the wildlife and vegetation has continued to decline:

'''We've invested in all this science and this engineering development and we still don't have one completed project. Well, how can that be?,'' said William Graf, chairman of the 13-member committee that wrote the report. 'I think the conclusion is we don't have the political and public will to do it.'"

Read the full story: Report blasts slow progress on Everglades restoration

Faster than global warming, pollution kills reefs

Reuters reports that global warming is affecting ecosystems that in turn could kill off ocean coral in 100 years, but man made pollution is speeding up the process.

A few of the detrimental problems facing ocean ecosystems are sewage, pesticide runoff, and overfishing; all factors are contributing to the fast decline of native coral.

"Across the Caribbean, the amount of reef surface covered by live coral has fallen about 80 percent in the last three decades, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network says."

Read the full story: Pollution killing world's coral reefs

Airlines group to use biofuel in commercial flights

Environmental News Network reports that aviation industry leaders Boeing and Virgin will join eight other airlines to "speed up the development of sustainable, second-generation biofuels for use in the commercial aviation industry."

"Billy Glover, managing director of environmental strategy for Boeing, said the effort will allow airlines to take control of their future fuel supply while curbing the industry's impact on the environment. 'The number one priority going forward is to complete thorough assessments of sustainable plant sources, harvesting and economic impacts, and processing technologies that can help achieve that goal,' he said in a statement."

Read the full story: Boeing, Virgin join group committed to biofuel for commercial jets

CA to boost economy by combating global warming

The Sacramento Bee reports on the recently released study that shows California will actually get a boost to their economy by combating global warming.

The state analysis predicts that the Golden State's mandate to cut vehicle and industry greenhouse gas emissions by one-third in the next 12 years will increase the economy, even though the measures are costly:

"The study, generated from computer models, shows that the bulk of the economic benefits will come from investments in costlier but more efficient vehicles, appliances and industrial equipment that more than pay for themselves by 2020, the deadline for meeting the targeted reductions."

Read the full story: Global warming fight will boost California economy, study says

Whale calls heard for first time off NYC

U.S. News & World Report reports on the first recorded whale calls heard off of New York City's harbor area.

Scientists installed recording equipment 13 miles off of New York Harbor and Fire Island and were rewarded with the sounds of three different whale species; fin, humpback and North Atlantic right whales.

"'With data generated by acoustic monitoring, we can better understand New York's role in the life history of these endangered whales and make more informed conservation decisions,' said James Gilmore, chief of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Bureau of Marine Resources. 'This is especially important for the survival of right whales.'"

Whales (like the right whale pictured above) are vulnerable to being killed by shipping vessels. Being better able to monitor the migration patterns of whales will enable shipping lines to avoid colliding and killing the endangered mammals.

Read the full story: Whales heard near New York City

Wind turbines, low-flush toilets at nation's airports

USA Today reports on the eco-friendly measures some airports are adopting.

Boston Logan International (picture right) installed 20 wind turbines in July, that are expected to generate 100,000 kilowatt hours each year - about 3 percent of the airport's electrical needs.

"U.S. airlines emitted about 418 billion pounds of carbon dioxide in 2007, according to the Air Transport Association, the airline industry trade group.

But like many other industries, airports are embracing the green zeitgeist, triggered partly by better social awareness and improving technology, and made more urgent by rising fuel prices. 'If you're watching oil prices, it gives you more incentive for somebody like us to look at pilot programs for energy savings,' says Sam Sleiman, Boston Logan's director of capital programs and environmental affairs. 'The perception is that airports are pollutants, and we wanted to change the perception.'"

Read the full story: Airports go for green with eco-friendly efforts

Adventure fall foliage

MSNBC reports on alternative and adventurous ways to enjoy the fall foliage this Autumn.

Most of these include nature-appreciating activities such as hiking, rafting, kayaking, and rock climbing.

Zip-lining through the tree tops in Colorado is represented in the picture above.

Read the full story: Alternative Autumn: foliage for active travelers

LA ports clean-trucks program delayed by Feds

The Los Angeles Times updates the story about the L.A. and Long Beach ports adoption of clean-trucks - which now is under a federal inquiry that could push back its October 1 launch.

A nine-page request for information issued by the Federal Maritime Commission questions the ports' landmark clean-truck program, scheduled to start next month:

"The agency could go to federal court to block implementation if it doesn't like the answers.

At issue is the first effort by a major U.S. seaport to reduce diesel truck emissions by banning the oldest trucks that move cargo to and from the docks. The Port of Los Angeles program would require the creation of trucking companies or concessions to hire drivers who now operate as independent owner operators."

Read the full story: Federal inquiry could delay clean-trucks program

MTV crew destroys Panamanian rain forest

Tree Climber's Coalition reports on the destruction that an MTV reality show crew did to a Panamanian rain forest site.

Entertainment productions always disturb normal ways of life. In New York City, there is always some sort of production every week with crews setting up their stuff all over the place and closing off streets.

But in this instance MTV - who has a so-called "green crusade" - did not abide by their own self-proclaimed eco-ness.

The TCC has a first-hand account of the disturbance the "Real World/Road Rules Challenge" did to the normally quiet Panamanian beach area they filmed in.

When MTV left TCC noticed that MTV left trash, created new roads, and clear-cut the rain forest - all for their production.

Read the full story: "Reality" TV gets real trashy

Fly to Stockholm, overnight in plane hostel

CNN reports on the old 747 plane that has been turned into a novel hostel at Stockholm's Arlanda airport.

Swedish hostel developer, Oscar Dios, created the Jumbo Hostel (picture above) from an old Transjet Airways Boeing 747:

"'We were looking to expand the [hostel] business but it was more or less impossible to find reasonably priced housing at the airport. And you cannot build a new house and run a hostel because it is too expensive,' he said."

Jumbo hostel will have space for 85 guests (the original configuration had 350 seats) priced from 110 Euros ($150) for a three-person suite to 500 Euros ($700) for the cockpit suite, and is scheduled to open in December 2008.

Read the full story: Airplane hostel prepares for lift-off

Asia bird-watching is some of the best in the world

The Wall Street Journal weekend's Steve Mollman reports from Southeast Asia on the growing popularity of bird-watching in that part of the world.

His first-hand account starts off bad; he woke up late for the beginning of his Bali, Indonesia birding tour and runs to meet his group - (probably making a big ruckus and actually scaring the birds the group wants to see).

Most of the people who go on bird-watching tours in Asia are westerners, but the sport is slowly catching on with Asians:

"In fact, birders are spoiled for choice in Asia, with great sites from Malaysia to China to Taiwan. Indonesia's Sulawesi island 'is becoming increasingly popular,' thanks in part to better roads and more inter-island flights, says James Eaton, a 26-year-old British birding enthusiast who runs U.K.-based Birdtour Asia.

And then there is India. 'Everywhere you go, there's birds,' says Mr. Eaton. Even in Delhi's city center, he says he finds species ranging from eagles to wild green parakeets."

Read the full story: Flight time: bird-watching takes off in Asia

Mollman mentions the bird-watching tours in Cambodia run by the Sam Veasna Center, where Ecotravel News traveled to last year. For more on this click here to read my print report and click here to watch my video report.

Rare okapi spotted in African park

The BBC reports on sightings of the rare wild okapi in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Virunga National Park.

The shy animals - that mythical unicorns have been based on - are "under threat from the bush meat trade."

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) set up hidden camera triggers through out VNP and captured photos of the okapi:

"The latest pictures were taken by traps set by ZSL in conjunction with the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN).

Thierry Lusenge, a member of ZSL's DRC survey team, said: 'We have already identified three individuals, and further survey work will enable us to estimate population numbers and distribution in and around the Virunga Park, which is a critical first step in targeting conservation efforts.'"

Read the full story: Rare African okapi seen in wild

For previously reported stories from Ecotravel News on wildlife protection in the DRC's Virunga NP:
click here to read about elephant poaching
click here to read about conservationists attacked