The Japanese whaling fleet in action.

Japan has been facing widespread criticism since it said it will be using some of the public funds allocated for disaster reconstruction to buttress its whaling operations. Instead of going to help fishing communities and others devastated by the 11 March earthquake and tsunami, a portion of the funds will go to strengthen security for the country’s divisive annual whaling hunt. Classy.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) and Greenpeace accused the Japanese Government of spending an extra USD 30 million on increased security for the whalers, whose efforts are regularly affronted by anti-whaling groups.

The awesome Paul Watson.

“I think that it’s totally disgraceful,” SSCS Captain Paul Watson stated. “People from around the world sending money to help the victims of the tsunami-earthquake were not expecting their money to be used to fund killing whales in the Southern Ocean.”

Before the Japanese fleet departed for Antarctica earlier this week, the coast guard informed it would be sending out guards to protect it from environmental activists, AFP reports.

Fisheries Agency official Tatsuya Nakaoku said the move would ultimately help people who depend on whaling and whose livelihoods were ruined by the tsunami.

“The government will support the reconstruction effort of a whaling town and nearby areas,” he said. “This programme can help it reconstruct food processing plants there…”

“Many people in the area eat whale meat, too. They are waiting for Japan’s commercial whaling to resume,” he retorted.

Last February, the defiant actions of Sea Shepherd prompted Japan to shorten its hunt for the 2010-11 season by a month — after catching only one-fifth of its planned bounty.

Japan intends to kill almost 1,000 whales this time around, The Guardian reports.

In November, the Japanese Government approved a USD 1.6 billion extra budget, the third of 2011, to fund reconstruction and boost the economy lagging from the impact of the March disaster. Of the USD 64.2 million designated for fisheries-related spending, USD 29.3 million were earmarked for “stabilising whaling research.”

“We will bolster measures against acts of sabotage by anti-whaling groups so as to stably carry out the Antarctic whaling research,” the fisheries department then said.

Sea Shepherd is ready to confront the Japanese fleet. Three of the green group’s ships will set sail next week, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

“We are hoping to deter their operations,” Watson said. “I assume the security vessels will try and dislodge us. I am assuming there will be some difficult confrontations.”

SSCS asked Australia to send a vessel down to keep the peace, but the country refused, he told.

Whale meat at the Tsukiji fish market, 2008

Japan also approached Australia – asking to help protect it from groups like Sea Shepherd – to no avail. Apparently Australia doesn’t buy that Japan whales for scientific purposes, which is what Japan has claimed for a long time.

Australia does not “buy for one minute this argument,” said Australian Environment Minister Tony Burke.

“You don’t travel from one side of the globe to the other to harpoon whales and chop them up in the name of science,” he snapped.

Excellent.

Meanwhile, the clamor got louder this week when Latin American members of the International Whaling Commission urged Japan to halt its “scientific” whaling in Antarctica and respect sanctuaries.

Save the whales!

A view of Jordan Pond in the Acadia National Park of Maine, USA

By Maria Rainier

In the spirit of giving this holiday season, don’t just consider minimizing your carbon footprint during an eco-tour.  Consider what more you can do to give back.  Many tours and travel experiences that encourage you to volunteer—voluntourism, as it were—are much more affordable than their lounging-on-the-beach varieties.  With a carefully planned eco-tour of your own or hopping on the bandwagon with like-minded do-gooders, you can face the new year with your wallet intact, a cleaner conscience, and a cleaner planet.

Cactus at Big Bend National Park in Texas

Stay Local to Mind Your Carbon Footprint

Not only do air fares skyrocket during the holiday season, we leave a hefty carbon footprint every time we step on a plane.  Instead, consider riding a train or even cycling to your eco-destination, depending on your location.  If you call North America home, consider the Big Bend National Park in Texas.  It’s got 800 acres of America’s biggest national park and it’s open year-round, although it may close on Christmas Day.  Rather than driving around and pitter-pattering carbon footprints across the park, get out and enjoy the outdoors and camp in one of the three campgrounds, $14.00 a night after a $10 seven-day pass per individual.

If you’re on the east coast, consider the Highland Lake Inn in Flat Rock, North Carolina, where you can bring the whole family (even the dog) and go hiking and fishing, and relax after a day spent outdoors at its gourmet restaurant with its own two acre organic garden.  During the summer and fall, guests can learn how to grow, harvest, and cook assorted veggies, herbs, and flowers you might find in such a garden.  A room costs $89.00 a night.  If you’re planning a holiday vacation here, consider the Christmas Day Buffet Celebration Weekend Package or the Christmas Eve 4-Course Dinner Weekend Package.

Meanwhile, up north awaits the Acadia National Park, from where you can see the Atlantic coastline and the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.  You can camp for between $14 and $20 a night depending on the site.

Raspberry bushes at a small WWOOF participant farm in Wattamolla Valley, near Berry, NSW, Australia

Give Back to Save Greens

If you’re feeling more industrious and a little bit like pinching pennies this holiday season or in the coming year, consider bartering your way through an eco-tour.  Sierra Club’s Outings program has countless trips ranging from $400 in the U.S. to over $5,000 trips to safaris in Botswana and boat tours in Antarctica.  Be prepared to volunteer your time and your muscle, however, as is the nature of true voluntourism.  Similar programs include Ecovolunteer, which allows you to participate in efforts to protect nature and its inhabitants through local conservation organizations.  Coral Cay Conservation is in the same vein and is also worth a look.

Perhaps the most rewarding and budget-friendly experience is World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), which welcomes travelers across America to participate in their daily goings-on.  The cost ranges between a $20 and $50 registration fee and transportation fees to the farm—that’s it.

WWOOF has counterparts in other countries; you can go to Tuscan wine country and pick grapes for weeks and not only enjoy some of the most beautiful countryside you’ll ever see in your life, but make good friends, eat good foods, and even pick up a little Italian, too.  In this way, you can make this season and 2012 a year of win-wins—for the planet and your wallet.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education performing research surrounding online universities and their various program offerings. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Hello there!

In this post, I’m going to share with you some special dates for the month of October as well as something we can all practice today, September 28. Show your compassion for the planet and your fellow beings!

Here’s a list of events and celebrations for the next few weeks:

September 28: Green Consumer Day – Of course, the best way to be a green consumer is … tun tun tun … not to be a consumer at all! But if you must succumb, consider purchasing something used or recycled instead of a shiny new (even if “green”) gadget/garment/whatever-you-need. Unless it’s food. You probably shouldn’t buy used food, whatever that would be.

October 1: World Vegetarian Day – This one is particularly special for me, as I’ve been a vegetarian for the past 14 years and an on-and-off vegan. October is Vegetarian Awareness Month, although I’ll admit I’m not sure what that means. Anyway, take it a step further and celebrate Meat-Free Monday too for a happier planet and a happier you! Plus, it’s cheaper if you stay away from fake meats.

Oh, Lisa, that's exactly what happened to me.

October 1-7: World Wildlife Week – Help raise awareness about the importance of preserving wildlife by “adopting” a wild animal or species for cheap to keep wildlife in the wild (choose from 100 species! Note: this makes a sweet present for birthdays and holidays), signing petitions, educating others on boycotting exotic animals and animal parts, and whatever else you can think of.

October 3/4: World Animal Welfare Day – Look for an event in your area, as this event is celebrated worldwide! I, for one, will be attending an event in downtown Buenos Aires on Sunday. There will be vegetarian food and general super-awesomeness! Here’s some info on events going on in New York City, Venezuela y Argentina. Dates might vary by a day, so make sure you go on the right one!

October 4: World Habitat Day – Held annually on the first Monday of October, the United Nations says this is a day to ponder the state of our towns and cities and the basic right of everyone to adequate housing and to remember our collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.

“The United Nations chose the theme Better City, Better Life to highlight our collective vision of a sustainable urban world that harnesses the potential and possibilities, mitigates inequalities and disparities, and provides a home for people of all cultures and ages, both rich and poor.”

Read more here.

More events coming up in the next post.

Wind power

Australia’s looking up: a report recently showed how Australia could power itself with 100% solar and wind energy by 2020 using technology that is commercially available right now.

However, the federal government reached a deal to keep its renewable energy target at only 20% by 2020, while raising more near-term targets.

In any case, Beyond Zero Emissions — an Australian independent, not-for-profit NGO — released the report, “Zero Carbon Australia,” which contains a detailed explanation of how powering the country completely with renewable energy could be achieved in merely a decade. Beyond Zero Australia was founded in 2006 to help facilitate a quick transition to a zero carbon future.

“Zero Carbon Australia” says 40% of power can be generated with the use of wind and the rest from solar thermal installations (speaking of which, Denmark intends to source 50% of its power from wind by 2025). The report proposes managing variability in renewable power by using molten salt thermal storage (molten salt can store heat so that it can be retained for use for electricity during bad weather or at nighttime, when solar rays are not available).

First public solar phone in Australia

The plan estimates that energy use will jump by 40% (!) up from 228 terawatt-hours/year in the present to 325 terawatt-hours/year in 2020. This will cost some USD 32.3 billion per year, by the way — but the authors find this manageable:

“The required investment of [AUD] 37 billion/year is the equivalent of 3% of GDP. The extra money spent versus Business-As-Usual to 2020 is the equivalent of $3.40 per person per day, the cost of a cup of coffee.”

Hey, that’s nothing [for most people in Australia, I assume and hope]. It’s fantastic.

The concept’s technical feasibility now needs just one bit of help:

“What is required to make this happen is leadership from policymakers and society, with firm decisions made quickly that will allow this transition to occur.”

Naturally.

So if you’re heading to Australia anytime in the next 10 years (or if you live there!), remember to support hotels and establishments that are pushing for increased renewable energy throughout the country. Stay at eco hotels, buy locally grown food, etcetera. We have the power to change the world!

You can help Beyond Zero Emissions if you wish by making a donation here.

These days, many seafood species are in decline and numerous stocks have already been depleted by overfishing. Various types of tuna and the Fraser sockeye salmon stocks in British Columbia, Canada, are all species under severe threat.

Part of the problem is fraud – and when eco-certifications are awarded without due consideration, without being truly warranted, everyone suffers (that is, the fish and those of us who care for the planet).

The London-based Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) offers eco-certification to fisheries across the globe. It has never refused the certification to any fishery that has completed the certification process. Fishy, isn’t it? And we’re not the only ones who think so. But I’ll talk more about the MSC when I discuss the sockeye salmon stocks below.

Atlantic bluefin tuna

Tuna

I’ve already blogged about the plight of tuna – bigeye, bluefin, and others – and the efforts of environmental groups like Greenpeace as well as those of entire countries who have called for an international ban on the tuna trade, focusing on bluefin tuna in particular. This call, by the way, has been futile. Some blame Japan and say officials from that country threatened representatives of poor African and Asia-Pacific nations at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting in Qatar last March, which was a complete failure. Whatever the case, tuna thus remains without official protection.

Fraser sockeye salmon - photo from TreeHugger

Fraser sockeye salmon

This time I want to discuss the plight of the Fraser sockeye salmon stocks in British Columbia on Canada’s Pacific coast.

The MSC has just has just certified three Canadian salmon fisheries as sustainable. As consumer awareness about seafood sustainability is growing worldwide, lots of companies are coveting and applying for the MSC label, which makes their seafood gain popularity in the market. You, Save Eco Destinations reader, may be one of the people who makes efforts to purchase environmentally grown or harvested foods. And you should be aware that the MSC is trying to fool you.

Sockeye salmon fished from the Skeena and Nass Rivers and from Barkley sound on Canada’s Pacific coast will now be sold with MSC’s coveted eco-label worldwide. But Dr Craig Orr, executive director of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society, believes this is, to put it bluntly, crap. He thus vowed that his organization will be supervising the fisheries to make sure MSC standards are being followed.

“The MSC has just granted eco-certification to three fisheries that routinely overharvest threatened and endangered salmon stocks,” said Orr. “As disturbing as this is, the MSC has placed several conditions for improvement on these fisheries, and we will be watching closely to see if these conditions are enforced.”

Earlier this year, his organization plus two other conservation groups from BC – the David Suzuki Foundation and SkeenaWild Conservation Trust — filed a notice of objection to the MSC’s intent to give the Fraser River sockeye salmon fishery eco-certification.

The certification was thus put temporarily on hold pending the verdict of an independent adjudicator, whose decision is expected by Saturday, July 10.

“We objected to the Fraser River certification because we believe it does not meet the MSC’s own minimum standards for certification, and that the management of the fishery is so dysfunctional that the conditions of certification are very unlikely to be met within reasonable timelines,” explained Greg Knox, executive director of SkeenaWild conservation trust. “Overfishing is a serious concern in the Skeena, Nass, and Barkley Sound fisheries, but the situation is not as dire there as it is on the Fraser,” he noted.

Under the MSC’s third-party certification process, firms hired by fishing industry “clients” decide if a fishery meets the MSC’s criteria for eco-certification. Again, I would like to note that no fishery has ever been refused certification after having finished the MSC assessment process and no objection to a certification has ever been upheld.

The three Canadian sockeye salmon fisheries were assessed by the independent organization Moody Marine Ltd, reported CBC News.

Some Fraser River sockeye stocks harvested in the fishery that is about to be MSC certified are classified as “endangered” by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, and “critically endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, whose scientists consider overfishing a key threat.

A commission of inquiry by the Canadian Government recently targeted the Fraser fishery because of a major collapse of the fishery and prevalent concerns over mismanagement.

“Eco-certification can provide a powerful incentive for improvement in the way we manage our fisheries,” declared Aaron Hill of Ecologist Watershed Watch, “but it becomes meaningless when you set the bar too low, and certify unsustainable and mismanaged fisheries. It becomes fraud.”

The assessment for Fraser River began in 2009, when only 1.4 million sockeye salmon returned despite the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) forecast of up to 10.6 million, reported Vancouver Sun.

“It was a catastrophe,” said Sto: lo First Nation fisheries adviser Ernie Crey. “No one knows what happened to those ‘missing’ fish.”

MSC-certified seafood

Why the MSC’s certification means nothing

The MSC eco-label isn’t even good enough to meet the sustainability policies of some supermarket chains. Really. Retailer Waitrose refuses to carry MSC-certified hoki from New Zealand.

“The fact that the sustainability policy of one of the UK’s largest food retailers could not be met by fish carrying the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) eco-label proves the council’s ineffectuality,” Greenpeace said last year.

Supermarket chains in the U.S. and Europe have refused to carry New Zealand’s orange roughy, a species that is MSC-certified even though it is endangered. This fish is harvested by bottom trawling, which is bad news for seabed communities and is one of the most environmentally destructive fishing methods in existence.

“This shows that even MSC certification is no guarantee of sustainability,” said Greenpeace New Zealand’s oceans campaigner Karli Thomas.

Greenpeace also believes Friend of the Sea (FOS), another eco-certification scheme, is unreliable. FOS even offers eco-certification for farmed fish. Imagine that! I won’t even get into how wrong that is (in this post).

Greenpeace believes that no certification system for sustainable seafood currently exists that is 100% reliable.

Further, Professor Daniel Pauly at the Fisheries Centre of the University of British Columbia and the principal investigator of its Sea Around Us Project accused the MSC last year of acquiescing to pressure from the Walton Family Foundation and Wal-Mart and being complicit to a scam.

“At first, the MSC certified only small-scale fisheries, but lately, it has given its seal of approval to large, controversial companies. Indeed, it has begun to measure its success by the percentage of the world catch that it certifies. Encouraged by a Walton Foundation grant and Wal-Mart’s goal of selling only certified fish, the MSC is actually considering certifying reduction fisheries, with the consequence that Wal-Mart, for example, will be able to sell farmed salmon shining with the ersatz glow of sustainability. (Given the devastating pollution, diseases, and parasite infestations that have plagued salmon farms in Chile, Canada, and other countries, this ‘Wal-Mart strategy’ will, in the long term, make the MSC complicit to a giant scam),” he wrote.

FYI, here are other fisheries hit by the MSC

“The Atlanto Scandian herring fishery is PFA’s third fishery to achieve MSC certification: its North Sea herring and its North East Atlantic mackerel fisheries were certified in 2006 and in 2009.” – FIS reported on July 8.

Others include Alaska flatfish, Eastern Canada swordfish, Norwegian cod and haddock, North Pacific albacore tuna, and the Aker BioMarine krill (Euphausia superba) fishery has been in the Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean.

So what can you do?

Here are some neat recommendations (except for the MSC one).

Keep up the fight!

Northern bluefin tuna

In keeping with my last post on illegal trading, I will continue discussing the conditions of some species on the verge of extinction. It helps to be aware of these so that you can report any suspicious activity to the proper authorities when you are in areas notorious for the illegal sale of animal parts – such as China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Nepal, and various African regions. In my last post we looked at tigers, rhinos, and elephants.

I will now continue by discussing the depleted stocks of certain tuna species and Atlantic bluefin in particular. While this animal can still be legally traded, this will hopefully soon change.

Meanwhile, we can be aware of the types of tuna we consume and choose to purchase. Much tuna continues to be illegally caught and traded all over the globe and particularly in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)

Bluefin tuna

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) met in Doha, Qatar recently and discussed the state of numerous animal species across the globe. Very unfortunately, it actually decided to reject the proposal to ban the international tuna trade.

Last week, the European Commission (EC) warned,

“The failure of the United Nations (UN) wildlife trade body CITES to protect Atlantic bluefin tuna, a sushi mainstay, puts the species at risk.”

The situation is so dire for tuna and its management so pathetic, that Sue Lieberman, policy director for the Pew Environment Group in Washington, said

“The problem today is not there is serious mismanagement of trade in sharks, as for tuna, but that there is no management at all.”

I’ve discussed the perilous situation of certain tunas before. Many countries are still hoping for an international trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna, which is in great danger of extinction yet continues to be fished relentlessly by countries such as Japan, which prizes bluefin tuna as a traditional dish in the form of sashimi. It is a very valuable and revered tradition in that region to eat this animal, which complicates its stance on the issue (still, many tuna dealers support the ban, as they realize that without it Atlantic bluefin tuna will soon be simply gone forever).

“If action is not taken, there is a very serious danger that the bluefin will no longer exist”- said the EU’s Environmental Commissioner Janez Potoznik in a statement.

Please boycott certain species of tuna

Please boycott Atlantic bluefin tuna anywhere you see it for sale and consider educating sellers and buyers about the plight of this fragile species.

Other tuna species in a precarious position are Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna, Pacific Ocean (eastern & western) bigeye tuna, and North Atlantic albacore tuna – which are all overfished, according to the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (a global, non-profit partnership between the tuna industry, scientists, and the World Wide Fund for Nature).

This year, Greenpeace International added the albacore, bigeye tuna, blackfin tuna, pacific bluefin tuna, northern bluefin tuna, southern bluefin tuna and the yellowfin tuna to its seafood red list (Wikipedia).

Manu Island, Fiji

The government of Fiji created the Fiji Ecotourism Association in 1995. One of its alleged aims is to “improv[e] the welfare of the local people.”

There are, supposedly, several eco-resorts and National Parks and Reserves to visit. You can learn about local culture by attending a talanoa (storytelling) session about traditional local medicines, legends, and history; you can attend their mekes, a cultural feast featuring traditional song and dance.

Now, the definition of ecoutourism relies partly on the concept of being respectful and furthering the welfare of local communities; and learning about their culture from a reverential perspective sounds great.

But can ecotourists really help locals with their business in a land ruled by a violent and oppressive military regime?

It’s a question worth asking, and I think the answer is a bold no.

By supporting ostensible ecotourism in Fiji (or any kind of Fijan business) we are supporting a regime guilty of human rights violations, widespread censorship, and a refusal to hold elections. Boycotting is a significant way in which we can pressure Fiji’s government to change its tactics, as the country is heavily dependent on tourism for GDP growth.

Let’s look at a couple of examples why the idea of ecotourism in Fiji may be an oxymoron.

Air pollution caused by cruise ships

Ecotourism in Fiji: Cruises

Tourism companies apparently get very excited about hosting “cruising enthusiasts” and even host cruise companies and operators. Ironically,

Cruise ships generate an astonishing amount of pollution: up to 25,000 gallons of sewage from toilets and 143,000 gallons of sewage from sinks, galleys and showers each day. … Cruise ships dump untreated sewage from toilets once the ships is three miles from shore.

And you don’t think this crap (literally) is going to affect Fiji’s marine ecosystems? Exactly.

Here’s more:

Each cruise ship carries an average of 3,000 people and produces as much sewage and waste as a mid-sized city. Tons of raw sewage, garbage and even hazardous waste are produced and disposed of each day by a single ship. This constant discharge of waste into our oceans is multiplied by dozens of ships operating every day in our precious oceans.

Cruise ships do not have to comply with environmental and water quality protection laws that are required for municipalities. They are allowed to dump sewage and garbage directly into our oceans—and they do!

Incredibly, the most common practice of cruise ships is to dump waste at sea, usually at night. While they are not supposed to release raw sewage or other solid waste into state waters (3 nautical miles from shore), ocean currents can return discharged sewage, polluted waters and garbage to our shores. Fish do not know boundaries.

Cruise liners also impact air quality. Diesel engines spew out diesel exhaust equivalent to 10,000 cars each day per ship and are kept idling, even when in port.

Well.

Ecotourism in Fiji: Sports

Sports options on the island of Denarau include golf and tennis. But get this: runoff from fertilized lawns and golf courses causes nutrient pollution (nitrogen, phosphates, etc.), which in turn can cause algal bloom, sometimes known as red tide.

The effects of algal bloom, also caused by nutrient runoff from sugar cane farming in Fiji, include the production of neurotoxins that cause high rates of mortalities in fish, seabirds, marine mammals, and the litany of species that inhabit coral reefs, as the reefs die. This, as a result, impacts the Fijan communities that obtain their food and/or livelihood from the ocean.

More and more, it seems to me like “ecotourism in Fiji” is indeed an oxymoron.

The rise in sea levels is going to ruin this kangaroo's party - photo by kepakurl.com.au

If you’ve been wanting to check out Western Australia, you better get to it quick. Sea levels have increased by 8.6mm a year – at twice the world average rate – off the coast of Perth, said Australia’s National Tidal Centre. The global average is just over 3mm.

Scientists blame climate change.

Really? I am so shocked.

Anyway, Perth and the Kimberley region are experiencing the fastest rises in sea level.

It’s important to note that 80% of Australians live on the coast, and therefore low-lying communities may have to be evacuated in coming years due to flooding and erosion. Not to mention heavy rains, storm surges, and even tropical storms. Fun.

(I lived in Florida for 5 years, and I can tell you that many people take the yearly, 6-month-long hurricane season as an opportunity to host hurricane parties  when disaster strikes. Let’s just say that lots of alcohol is involved; I suppose it mitigates the panic.)

Officials are, of course, ruing the possibilities.

So why Western Australia?

Scientists say that tides are affected by the gravitational pull. Some climate scientists believe Australia is especially vulnerable to shifting climates and will experience increasing floods, droughts and storms. Sounds like Africa’s plight (more on that soon).

Let’s see what happens in Copenhagen next month. I mean, do we really want to live in a sea of storms all year long? As an ex-Florida resident, let me tell you, it’s no fun – hurricane parties notwithstanding.

Photo from prontohotel.com

These islands are a choice destination for nature lovers. It is an area that still retains untainted archipelagos—some of the few left in the globe. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a Biosphere Reserve with significant biodiversity of wildlife.

(FYI: The Galapagos is a group of volcanic islands in the Pacific located 972 km west of Ecuador, right on the equator.)

It seems that island officials, businessmen and locals, together with ecologist and Galapagos resident Gunter Reck, are speaking up about the threat inherent to overpopulation on their land, caused in part by tourism.

UNESCO already placed the islands on its World Heritage in Danger list in 2007.

Energy, water, and waste problems have been exacerbated by the escalating amount of tourists, but also the growing population and the consequent agricultural and other practices – which are evidently being practiced irresponsibly. It’s kind of like Twitter—the burgeoning amount of users causes the system to collapse. And this will continue to occur until they upgrade it or lower the amount of users—or tourists, as the case may be.

photo by consumerbrigade.com

97% of the islands constitute a National Park, according to the WWF.

However, there is a conundrum: 80% to 85% of the population relies on the tourism industry to make an income, and many families are large by Western standards, comprising of 4+ kids.

But that’s not all.

A persisting threat is the plants and animals introduced by humans (some of them pirates!). Species such as feral goats, cats, and cattle have become invasive and are destroying the habitats of native animals. And because these native species did not originally have any predators to be wary of, they have no skills to defend themselves of these new bullies. Poor wusses. Just kidding.

Amazingly mild and friendly seals - photo from the bs report

Plant species like guava, avocado, elephant grass, and citrus fruits like oranges and lemons have managed to become invasive as well, obliterating native plant species in the humid areas of San Cristobal, Isabela, and other parts of the islands.

Also, local environmentalists fear the growing poultry industry may spread disease to wild birds, and illegal fishing activities are messing with the marine sanctuary. Especially targeted are sharks – for their delicious fins, I imagine.

And poachers are slaughtering the mild-mannered sea lions. Wikipedia tells us that

On January 28, 2008, Galapagos National Park official Victor Carrion announced the killing of 53 sea lions (13 pups, 25 youngsters, 9 males and 6 females) at Pinta, Galapagos Islands nature reserve with their heads caved in. In 2001 poachers killed 35 male sea lions.

Can you even begin to imagine how a person could bash the head of a sea lion in? Despicable! - photo by naturetrek.co.uk

So heartless.

Read more about the threats to the Galapagos Islands here and here. If that’s not enough for you, be assured that you’ll find tons more info through a simple Google search.

Note: I am currently on vacation. (Yay WordPress magic that allows me to schedule posts for the future!). This will be my last post for the week.  See you soon!

photo by instatravel.org

The U.S.-based NGO Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has conducted research to determine which manners of transportation incur the lowest carbon footprints.

I know what you’re thinking—WALK, BABY, WALK!!

Yes, I agree most sincerely. Bicycling is another fabulous option.

Speaking of which, let me introduce you to a man who traveled throughout New Zealand for 30 days—on a bicycle! While his main intent was to explore the country’s landscapes as cheaply as possible, the grand bonus is his basically nonexistent carbon footprint. Except for the couple of rides he took with his bike on a stranger’s truck, this guy cycled his way through mountains, hills, everything. And he’s blogged all about it here. (He’s not done, so keep checking for updates.)  So. Fabulous.

On to the study.

UCS compared CO2 emissions from different types of vehicles plus emissions per person, per pair, and per family of four. It concluded that the three most crucial factors to help determine the carbon footprint of one’s travel are the type of vehicle, distance traveled, and number of travelers. With these in mind, you can figure out how [un]green your next trip would be.

The researchers found that if you’re traveling farther than 500 mi. by yourself or with one other person, the environment is better off if you take a nonstop coach flight (don’t even think about flying first class) than if you take a car.

Bus trips are most often greener than coach flights and car trips by 55-75%. But what about a fuel-efficient car, you ask? Taking the bus will probably reduce a couple’s CO2 emissions by 50%. If you are taking a car, then, naturally, a hybrid will kick an SUV’s bum.

Considering taking the train instead of driving or flying? Train trips will reduce emissions by 60% per passenger per mile when compared to one-person car trips and by 30% as compared to a 500-mi. small jet flight.

Low seasons are also greener because less traffic means less fuel waste for both land and air travel. Besides, gas and plane ticket prices will be lower too! Here you can read about other ways you can use the study’s results to save money (woohoo!).

Download the full report here.