Reviving tourism in Afghanistan

CNN reports on the difficult development of tourism in Afghanistan. Ecotravel News has previously reported on eco-tourism development in the country in July 2008.

One of the safest provinces in this war-torn country is Bamiyan; infamous for giant Buddha statues that were blown up by the Taliban in 2001.

"The natural resources and cultural resources here are probably the single best place for economic development to happen, around revitalizing the tourism industry here," says Bob Thelen, the representative for the Aga Khan Development Network in Bamiyan. The nonprofit organization has been working with the government of New Zealand to distribute $1.2 million over a three-year period to develop eco-tourism as an industry in Bamiyan.

Read the full story: Afghanistan's Bamiyan province struggles to build tourism

Photo by B. Praxenthaler / ICOMOS Germany

Second plastic-bag subway art installation

Back in April '08 we reported on New York street artist Joshua Allen Harris, who fashions used plastic bags into inflatable subway grate art. Harris' latest incarnations, that are larger than his earlier polar bears and giraffes, look like giant fantasy monsters.

Watch the report below from New York Magazine.

See eco-vacation photos

Tree Hugger has a slideshow of their readers' eco-vacations.

From photos of cattle drives in Kenya to old huts and new power lines in South America, our readers sent in their eco-vacation photos for our weekly user-generated slideshow.

Some travelled far -- cramping their carbon-conscience lifestyle -- by flying to South America and Australia, but kept their environmental impact down by biking and buying local food while there.

Others ventured to new places but stayed closer to home -- like the Lobert family (pictured above) who travelled to neighboring province British Columbia, Canada -- and slept in tents, utilized public transit, and enjoyed the great outdoors.

See the slideshow: Readers' eco-vacation photos

Photo by Liz Lobert

Ecotravel News was unable to post yesterday due to internet connection problems and the death of Senator Ted Kennedy

Florida coral reef revived with scientific help

The Miami Herald reports on the success of "farm-raised" coral helping to revive decimated reefs.

For the first time, stands of "farm-raised'" staghorn transplanted to Molasses Reef off Key Largo were caught in the act, providing critical proof that corals cultivated in underwater nurseries can not only survive but do the wild thing.

For researchers, it has raised optimism that they might actually have a shot at slowing, maybe even reversing, decades of staggering loss. Staghorn and elkhorn -- large and spectacular branching corals that once grew in sprawling forests -- have declined by as much as 97 percent along a reef tract stretching from Palm Beach to the Dry Tortugas.

Read the full story: In the Florida Keys, staghorn, elkhorn coral making a comeback

Photo by Timothy O'Hara/The Citizen

A visit to eco-city Freiburg, Germany

The Los Angeles Times visits the green city of Freiburg, Germany.

Renewable energy and public transportation are actively encouraged in this city of 220,000 nestled in the Southwest corner of the country.

The Best Western Premier Hotel Victoria, built in 1875, was even part of the green movement, billing itself as a "zero emissions" hotel. It uses no more power than it generates, thanks to its solar roof, an investment in a windmill and an eco-power supplier.

Read the full story: Freiburg: A very eco-friendly German city

Photo from Wikimedia

A hike up Mount Fuji

Stars and Stripes reporter David J. Carter reports on his hike up Japan's Mount Fuji.

The popular trail is covered with thousands of other visitors both local and foreign.

An old Japanese saying goes, "A wise man climbs Mount Fuji once, but only a fool does it twice."

Looking up from the eighth station, I could see the summit clearly and knew the torment I’d put myself through in the hours preceding was going to pay off. Not that much further, I kept thinking. But as I’d come to realize throughout the day, looks on Mount Fuji can be deceiving.

Read the full story: Mount Fuji climb is tough, but worth it

Photo by Yuno-yuno

Swim near a nuclear power plant in Taiwan

Global Post reports on the Taiwanese nuclear power plant looming over a popular beach.

To date, Taiwan has a near spotless nuclear safety record. That means few here fear having their beach time ruined by a meltdown. "Maybe we've just been lucky," [A 52-year-old parking lot attendant] added with a laugh.

But he said the beach has changed dramatically since he was a child. Then, coral covered the shallow sea floor. "Now, they're all dead," he said. "I don't know if it's because of global warming or the nuclear plant."

Read the full story: Welcome to Taiwan's nuclear beach

Photo by Pichi Chuang/Reuters

Alaska's Caribou in a warming climate

National Parks Traveler is excerpting the National Parks Conservation Association's report on climate change and the affects on national parks.

This excerpt explains how caribou in Alaska are being impacted by a warmer planet.

Ice fields are shrinking, ice sheets are breaking up, forest fires and insect outbreaks are increasing, permafrost is melting, and coastal villages are disappearing into the sea.

For caribou, one of the Earth’s great iconic species, these climate-related shifts are expected to bring many changes, some good, some not so good, and some unknown. Cows and calves require lush spring vegetation for vital nutrients during the critical period around calving and early development.

Climate change will affect when that spring vegetation appears, potentially putting the green-up out of sync with calving, and leaving adults and newborns without adequate nutrition.

With climate-change forecasts predicting a warming of as much as 5 degrees centigrade throughout the Arctic, a trend that is likely to lead to earlier plant germination, will caribou be able to advance their biological clocks and keep calving when food is most available?

Read the full story: Climate change and national parks: caribou in Alaska

Photo from National Parks Traveler

Ten global eco-lodges

ABC News reports on their top 10 eco-hotels around the world.

Among the environmentally-friendly lodges is the Ecocamp in Argentina's Patagonia region (pic left). The domed camp is made from reclaimed and recycled materials.

Other spots include the Three Camel Lodge in Mongolia, Sarinbuana Eco Lodge in Indonesia, and Kigelia Camp Ruaha in Tanzania.

Read the full story: Top 10 eco-vacation hot spots

Picture from ABCNews.com

Berlin solar-powered boat launch

Reuters video reports on the new solar-powered boat that will take visitors around Berlin, Germany's rivers.

The 60-passenger boat called Solon is powered solely by the solar panels placed on the roof. The panels soak in the sun and the energy produced is stored in batteries. Another benefit is that no smelly fumes and barely any noise comes from running the boat.

Watch the video below:

Escape from crowded Capri

The Washington Post reports on getting away from the crowded parts of Capri with a scenic trek.

Capri is a beautiful and heavily-touristed island near Naples, Italy. It may seem hard to escape from the crowds but Kristin Harrison managed to do it on a three-day trip:

On a Sunday morning last May, my boyfriend and I strolled through a field of pink and yellow wildflowers on the island of Capri, following a dirt path that seemed more suitable for goats. There wasn't another person in sight. We scrambled up rocky bluffs and hiked along a grassy meadow until the path ended abruptly at a steep drop-off to the Mediterranean Sea. Yachts and sailboats dotted the waters below, small flecks of white on a canvas of azure, turquoise and aquamarine.

Read the full story: Trekking the casual side of Capri

Photo by Jeremy Ginsberg

Galapagos Islands overpopulation problem

Ecotourists like to visit natural sites like the Galapagos Islands, and now the surrounding area is suffering from overpopulation directly related to this industry.

Global Post's Pailin Wedel reports on this below:


View the full story here: Overpopulating paradise

Photo by Guillermo Granja/Reuters

Cabs taking backseat to mass transit

The New York Times reports that more travelers are foregoing expensive (and CO2 emitting) taxis for shared or public transportation options to and from airports.

Although the premise of the article is for budget reasons; positive environmental effects also occur by taking mass transit.

Another positive is that many travelers found that taking the train to/from the airport was much more reliable and sometimes even faster than a cab, especially during rush hour.

Read the full story: More fliers skipping the cab

Take kids to new green theme park

Reuters blogs reports on the new California theme park with an environmental focus.

Environmentaland, created by nonprofit environmental group Global Inheritance, opened this month in Hollywood.

Visitors can ride a see-saw on an energy playground to power up their cell phone, putt on a desert mini golf course and fly airplanes from recycled paper. This past weekend, visitors could arm wrestle a polar bear in a climate change quiz challenge for a chance to win prizes.

Read the full story: Mickey Mouse meets Mr. Polar Bear at green theme park

Biking in Europe and Taiwan

Today's post is about bike trips because we've noticed that biking has become more popular and more people are writing about it.

Associated Press writer William Foreman writes about his experience with his bike in one of Taiwan's love hotels. (picture right)

We were guys staying at the same hotel with our mistresses.

He looked like a Taiwanese gangster, with permed hair, black suit and pointy knockoff Italian loafers. It was 5:30 a.m. and he was renting a room for a few hours with a woman in a leather mini skirt, fishnet stockings and the longest false eyelashes I've ever seen. They had no luggage.

My mistress was my $4,000 carbon-fiber bicycle

Leah Larkin writes about her and husband Bob's bike trip through France's wine country for the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.

Bicycle Bob, my cycling husband, is not like most of us on a bicycle. He loves hills, the steeper the better.

On a trip last autumn in the Vaucluse region of Provence in southern France, he found a winner — a "mini Mont Ventoux" (the famous Tour de France mountain). That’s what a local called it.

And Sue Halpern writes for Conde Nast Traveler about biking in the flat country of Denmark.

Please note: Ecotravel News will be away and but resume posting in early August

New Mexico eco-lodge set in rugged wilderness

The Daily Green reports on New Mexico's Bear Mountain Lodge; an eco-resort set amongst rugged natural beauty.

Eco-features include line-drying linens (picture left) and furniture made from forest-thinning projects.

See the slide show here: New Mexico eco tourism

Cape Cod wind farm controversy

Reuters video reports on the controversy over a proposed wind farm off the heavily touristed coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Cape Wind corporation claims their installation will "produce 75 percent of the cape and islands electricity."

Opponents claim the 440 foot turbines will ruin the natural landscape that tourists come for and hurt the economy when those visitors vacation elsewhere.

Watch the report below:

Greenland: icebergs and sled dogs

Featured in this week's Washington Post's "Your vacation in lights" is Fabia and John Mahoney's trip to Greenland.

HIGHLIGHTS: Icebergs, icebergs and more icebergs. On a morning boat trip from Ilulissat, we sailed among hundreds of towering hunks of ice, each one a different size, shape and color. Another boat tour (this one 12 hours) took us to a calving glacier that, our guide said, had given birth to the berg that sank the Titanic.

Read the full story: Tip of the icebergs

Bangladesh rare leopard captured and released

There have been many news reports about a rare clouded leopard cub captured in Bangladesh last month.

The species was thought to be extinct in the wild with the last known sighting in 1992 and 2005 according to Agence France-Press.

The cub, along with its mother and another cub, was sighted eating a monkey by villagers in the Chittagong hill tracks region of Bangladesh near the Myanmar border. They captured the cub after the others ran away.

This news gives conservationists hopes for the survival of the clouded leopard of which only 100,000 remain.

The cub was released back into the wild after it was deemed that it could survive on its own.

Read more:
Bangladesh leopard renews hopes for species survival
Bangladesh rare leopard cub freed

Electric bikes growing eco-vehicle market in Japan

Reuters reports on the growing popularity of electric bikes in Japan.

Japan's motor-assisted bicycles use a small electric motor and battery pack mounted inconspicuously on the bicycle to propel the rider, constantly adjusting the motor's force to the speed and resistance of the pedaling.

That makes cycling up a hill or while carrying a heavy load a cinch, winning over a growing number of elderly and housewives in Japan. Sales of electric bicycles more than doubled from 2000 to 315,000 last year, as they became more affordable and practical.

Read the full story: Electric bicycles ride "green" demand in Japan

NYC High Line park; reusing old train tracks

The New York Times reports on one of the newest New York City parks, the High Line.

The park - made from old elevated train tracks - is the epitomization of reusing old to make new.

It's located in Manhattan's West Side near the Hudson River and winds up from the West Village through Chelsea.

Read the full story: For High Line visitors, park is a railway out of Manhattan

Beautiful white dunes of New Mexico

Here's a beautiful shot of New Mexico's white sand dunes from Discovery News. The dunes are part of the Chihuanhuan Desert and the aptly named White Sands National Monument.

Some 250 million years ago, this area was home to a shallow sea. As the sea level began to drop, thick layers of gypsum settled on the sea floor, eventually forming a field. Then about 70 million years ago, plate tectonic activity increased. During this time, the Rocky Mountains shot up, taking the giant gypsum field with it.

Read the full story: White sand dunes for miles

NYC cops taking a bite out of eco-crime

Reuters video reports on the eco-police of New York.

The job of officers Matthew Clemens and Eric Dowling is to patrol their beat of the Bronx in New York City and find people who are overstepping environmental laws.

Watch the full video below:

Exploring New Zealand by camper van

The Los Angeles Times reports on writer Mary Engel's and her husband Nolan Hester's 19-day a camper van trip through New Zealand's South Island.

Since they'd explored much of the world by trusty VW pop-up wagons, they wound up with an orange rental for their trip.

My husband, Nolan, and I had pulled in next to a train station to make coffee in our rented Volkswagen Vanagon camper when a wiry, red-haired man ambled over and knocked on our sliding door. It was our first morning in New Zealand, and we assumed he was going to tell us we couldn't park there.

Hands in the pockets of his fleece jacket, he smiled apologetically at interrupting our breakfast, and leaned in.

"What year is it?" he asked, meaning our bright orange van (a 1982). We'd hired it the day before in Christchurch from Classic Campers, which we'd found on the Web as renting "stylish retro campervans."

It was then that we noticed an almost identical orange Vanagon across the parking lot.

Read the full story: Rolling and roaming in New Zealand

Alaska mystery blob is algae

McClatchy Newspapers reports on the scientific findings of a mystery blob appearing in Alaska's Chukchi Sea.

The black substance, some thought to be oozing oil from a sunken tanker, turned out to be... algae.

Miles of the thick, dark gunk had been spotted floating between Barrow and Wainwright, prompting North Slope Borough officials and the Coast Guard to investigate last week. A sample was sent to a Department of Environmental Conservation lab in Palmer, where workers looked at it under a microscope and declared it some kind of simple plant — an algae, said Ed Meggert, of the Department of Environmental Conservation in Fairbanks.

Read the full story: Mystery solved: Alaska's mystery blob is identified as algae

Ride a bike, power a bus, get paid

The Christian Science Monitor reports on the new conception bike-sharing program that the designer hopes will create energy to power a hybrid-bus system.

Chiyu Chen, a design student at the Royal College of Art, has conceived of an urban bike sharing program that not only provides riders utility, but also powers the local bus system – and pays them to do so.

Users check out specially designed bikes from a locking station using an ID card. Inside the bikes is a system that stores kinetic energy generated from braking. Riders go where they need to, and when they’re finished, bring the bike back to the locking station. Locking up the bike transfers the energy generated by the trip into the city grid – or, as Chen envisions, into a hybrid bus system.

Ride enough – and generate enough energy – and bike sharers can earn a bus pass. Completing the trifecta: the locking stations would be placed near bus stations, both to make renting a bike convenient and to facilitate easy bike-to-bus recharging.

Read the full story: Bike sharing that creates energy - and pays you to ride?

How to catch horse-cart dung?

National Parks Traveler reports on the controversy in an Irish park about horse cart "dung-catchers."

For some reason that isn't made clear, the cart drivers or jarveys, are opposed to driving carts with the dung-catchers. The Irish National Parks and Wildlife Service installed a rule proclaiming that all carts driven in Killarney NP must have the catchers.

Here in New York City's Central Park, all the horse carts have these dung-catchers attached to the front of the carts and positioned strategically under the horses behind. The catchers aren't perfect though and some horse "apples" manage to escape and carpet the southeastern road with the smelly excrement.

Read the full story: International park news: "nappies" for horses

Bike through WA State's San Juans, spot whales

The Seattle Times reports on biking through Washington State's San Juan Islands.

Associated Press reporter Carey J. Williams along with biking pal Ross Jonak (pic left) took a week to bike 269-miles around the islands. The relatively traffic-free and scenic area is perfect for cyclists.

One of the many highlights: Carey had the opportunity to spot a pod of whales.

Read the full story: Biking in the San Juan Islands

Explore Maine's woods

USA Today reports on the new Maine woods campaign to get travelers to explore the states green interior.

A new website at mainewoodsdiscovery.com offers seven moderately priced vacation packages to make outdoor, recreational and cultural experiences around the state more accessible.

Read the full story: Vacation packages make the Maine woods more accessible

Rhinos driven to extinction by poaching: report

Reuters reports that rhino horn poachers are leading the species to extinction.

Several nature protection groups claim in a report that rampant poaching of once thriving rhino populations in Africa and Asia could lead the species to extinction.

While between 2000 and 2005 a relatively low total of three rhinos were estimated to have been illegally killed each month in Africa out of a total population of some 18,000, 12 were now being slaughtered monthly in [South Africa and Zimbabwe] alone.

Rhinoceros spotting is a highlight of many who go on a safari in Africa.

The horn is thought to have medicinal qualities and is used in folk cures in many Asian countries.

Read the full story: Poachers pushing rhinos to extinction: nature groups