Save Eco Destinations

Note: Even I’m sick of discussing it, but I can’t help myself.

The swine flu/H1N1 rage is over or dwindling in many parts of the world (and yes, growing in some). 70 deaths in Mexico now. And millions due to the regular flu, by the way.

I just want to say, all the overreacting has caused me to postpone my vacation. First, it was just going to be a few weeks. Now, for reasons external to H1N1 but impacted by the postponed trip, it will be a few months. No good.

Pigs are abused in factory farms

So I hope the rest of you have had better luck and suffered from no panic, or at least were able to control the media’s flu frenzy. It’s too bad that countries have been shutting people out and blocking people in due to this. And that masks, paranoia and general anxiety have been cutting us off from one another! You know, I was afraid people would give me dirty looks on the plane and at airports since I suffer from allergies and frequently blow my nose. But I am speaking even of those who do not.

And a big no-no to you, big pharma, for feeding it (and sponsoring it? Most likely!). Bad big pharma. Bad.

Oh, and if you wanted environment-related news regarding H1N1, the Huffington Post has posted a few links. (I just didn’t find them relevant enough to the usual topics to discuss here.) And let me repeat that I blame Big Pharma, not factory farms, for the virus. Although, factory farms are horrible. Go vegetarian! Ok, no pressure.

taken at Isla Mujeres, by Ricardo Carreon

Prices have been slashed by 50-70% in an effort to lure back tourists, many of whom not only did not come after having bought their tickets and reserved their rooms along the coasts of Quintana Roo—which is arguably understandable—but they didn’t even cancel. How rude.

The federal government is giving the tourism industry a hand through a multimillion-dollar campaign worth USD 450 million. They got loans for hotels, cuts in airport and port fees and tax write-offs, the New York Times reports.

And the government should be generous: Mexico’s tourism industry earned USD 13.3 billion last year alone (the worst case scenario is thought to be a USD 5 billion loss for 2009, up to 0.5% off their GDP). Two million people depend on the Mexican Caribbean tourism industry to feed their families. Tourism represents 8% of the country’s economy.

Cozumel by John and Lee

Still, no cruises will stop at Mexico. And even a Royal Caribbean representative admits that “It is not necessarily the risk” It’s more about whether our guests feel comfortable visiting Mexico.” Right! Because Mexico has been stigmatized, which I find unfair. And really, anywhere something this hysterical happens it would be unfair, it’s not a Mexico thing.

And yet the US Govt still says “essential travel only or you’ll get H1N1.” Overreact much? This is why people are in fear—Because people exaggerate!

I’ll let Jon Stewart tell you about it (plz follow the link because I can’t figure out how to embed a video).

The Cancun Hotel Assoc will be working with Mexican travel agents to get more Mexicans back in the area. It’s deserted out there, I hear. Once the global flu threat is dismissed or lifted, the assoc will work with US and other foreign travel agents to attract gringos and everyone else back.

North Hemisphere folks, you will get to swim, sunbathe, relax, hike and party your ass off in Mexico this summer. For cheap. Just skip DF and you’ll have no excuse to freak.

Swine flu’s so last week.

Come on, let me see a smile on that pretty face of yours!

ruins in Acapulco by tourbyvan

P.S. I think this issue gets to me so much because I used to be one of the people who saw or heard something on TV and believed it. Sure, I was a kid back then. But it’s always been disheartening to me to learn that I’ve been duped even if everyone else is too. It’s not cool. It’s crap. It has to stop. And bringing panic to the masses is not only crap but also evil. Not to mention the ulterior motives of selling Tamiflu and all that shit.

P.P.S. I think there’s no more for me to say on this issue, so expect a break. Yay!

I told you: rich white people

Land in Tulum is going up in price due to the upcoming development of Aldea Zamá and speculations as to the local  population increase to come. Realtors actually expect Tulum’s population to swell large enough to surpass Playa del Carmen’s!

Wouldn’t that be awful? It would stop being Tulum, essentially. It would become more polluted. It would become poisoned with corporate interests—and it would show—much to the dismay of the locals in particular.

Not to mention that it would be located right next to the ecological national park and archaeological sites. Yet there is not one mention of the development aiming to prevent damaging the environment or being at all ecologically mindful.

Aldea Zamá will be placed close to downtown Tulum, encompassing residential lands, green park areas and commercial community zones. This part of Tulum is having its infrastructure prepared to host the coming corporate plague. Details as to the infrastructure alteration are hiding somewhere.

The people in charge try to sugarcoat it, you know, by saying it will be cozy. Check it: “We don’t want the people feeling as if they are living in a resort, spring break city, we want them to feel as if they are in a home and within a home community,” said Francisco de La Torre, sales director of the project.

Hmmm.

As far as esthetics, the plan is to “embrace the Mayan ambience”—yet employ “contemporary styles.” Um, wouldn’t that kind of clash?

How is that supposed to “preserve the treasured Mayan cultural history”? Building freaking condos ain’t gonna do it!

They think meshing modern technology with “the skills of local artisans [and] indigenous materials” will make it fit flawlessly into Tulum. Yeah, and at the same time they will create a “European ambience.”

Are they stupid or lobotomized? No, wait: they just want your $. Clever fu**ers. I’m sure they’ll fool plenty of folks with their inconsistent promises.

So no wonder they expect the local population to increase—they’re building unsustainable condos for rich white people (come on, that’s their target demographic, you know it) at the expense of nature and archaeology.

Well that’s nothing new.

The only thing I like about Aldea Zamá is that they plan to encourage walking as the main mode of transportation…although even their model photo-illustration portrays a BMW right by the shops–but wait–I thought everything was going to be walking distance?

Oh, right: they lied.

Al-Shaybah oil field, southeastern Saudi Arabia. (photo by Encyclopedia Britannica)

Saudi Arabia wants to convince you that the reliance on oil will remain throughout the world and for decades to come. The country has issued a warning, no less, against a so-called “premature shift” to renewable energy.

Wha?

Apparently, SA’s Oil Minister spoke at the Energy Pact Conference and asserted that oil, coal, and natural gas ought to remain the energy “workhorses” for a long time-numerous decades! He also said that investing in alternative energy could result in decreased investment in fossil fuels (duh!) and ruin the global economy (huh?).

Sounds like some greedy folk are trying to take advantage of everyone’s fears about the current economic situation to place themselves somewhere most of us agree they (oil magnates) should not be, if only because our priority is becoming ever more green instead of black (which is also kind of green, but only because of the dollar bills).

While SA’s oil minister claims that the world’s need of oil as a primary source of energy will remain for many decades to come, SA’s oil reserves will only last for another 80 years if current production trends persist. The oil reserves in SA are the largest in the world, by the way.

If SA had 200 years’ worth of oil production left, then okay, your greed makes some sense. But 80?? That’s just plain stupid.

If you’re planning a trip to the Middle East, make sure to skip SA and write the country’s government to tell them why!

At this juncture, SA’s words come as an insult to the rest of the world.

Have you heard of Earth Hour? The idea is that people around the world can do something to fight against global warming by sitting in the dark for an hour drinking beer and throwing peanuts at each other.

Well, if you want to. That’s as much good as it’s gonna do global warming, anyway.

In truth, the idea is to turn the lights off for an hour and head outdoors to do something useful, or at least non-polluting. Bring your friends and family with you. Don’t forget your non-human animal companions! Earth Hour’s goal is to reach 1 billion participants. Supposedly, your actions will influence the fate of the Earth via the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. Earth Hour thinks that if enough people turn off their lights for 1 hour on 1 single day of the year, politicians will put their greedy interests on the back burner and vote to help stop global warming.

Flip it off on March 28, at 8:30pm local time.

The website reads: “For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming.”

Whatever.

Earth Hour started two years ago and bloomed into what some (although I think not I) would call a massive movement. Maybe it’s monumental among certain green groups in the US, I don’t know, but not in the places where I most recently lived in the US, and certainly not where I live now either. I mean, it’s in the paper, but I haven’t heard anyone talking about it. Have you? That’d be nice.

I mostly think these events are rubbish, honestly. Like those “don’t buy gas” or “anti-consumer” days. For something to be effective, it needs to be practiced consistently and regularly, not once a year and for one hour. Spend all this time and energy to teach people how to make a difference in their daily lives, not shut off their lights for 1 measly hour and leave them on while they take naps in front of the television, which will just make these gals and chaps feel absolved of any guilt because “I JOINED EARTH HOUR.”

Please!

Additionally, I find it repulsive that corporations like Unilever; YPF, WalMart, Nike, etc. are “supporting¨ the movement. Listen, Unilever, when you stop the vivisection and remove all the carcinogenic compounds from your products, maybe we’ll talk. Goddamn hypocrites.

Do you think I’m wrong? Let me know.

It's very eco-friendly to keep animals in captivity!!

MexicoVacationTravels.com touts the Croco Cun Zoo in Puerto Morelos as a place where you can have ecological fun.

Are you kidding me?

Somebody ought to punch that entry’s author and everyone involved with that zoo in the face.

They’re not green: they’re hypocrites.

One thing is taking a jungle tour and surreptitiously, quietly, respectfully, witnessing the beauty and majesty of nature’s fauna and flora. The point being to avoid disruption, to not stress out the animals, to be eco-friendly without altering the ecosystem.

Another thing is supporting a zoo, an establishment that has intruded on nature to build facilities in which to exploit (sorry, exhibit) endangered animals. They are keeping these animals captive, letting you touch and feed them, pretending they’re awesome, and charging you for it. These people represent another group of humans who have sold their souls. But this group is worse than, say, the corporations in charge of Tartagal’s deforestation, because the people of Croco Cun Zoo want you to think they’re on yours and nature’s side, when in truth it’s a ruse, it’s insulting to the animals and to us.

They say their mission is to educate  when copious studies have found “there is little evidence that schools are developing children’s understanding of zoology during such visits or that the visitors are using the interpretation provided by the museum or zoo.” In general, zoos “provide few opportunities for amusement and education.”

The folks at Croco Cun Zoo just want your money-at animals’ expense. Don’t let their sugarcoated words fool you.