Macchu Pichu - A Victim of its own Success

Earlier this month, The World Heritage Committee requested that “reinforced monitoring” should be applied to certain properties on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, voicing grave concern over governance of Macchu Pichu, highlighting urgent problems of deforestation, landslide risk, uncontrolled urban development and illegal access to the sanctuary. UNESCO demonstrated serious concerns over the future protection of the site and have considered putting Machu Picchu on its list of World Heritage Sites in Danger, entitling it to special attention and international assistance.

Machu Picchu is perched 8000ft above sea level in Peru’s South Western Andes. Before its discovery in 1911, this ancient Inca citdel had previously escaped destruction by Spanish Conquistadores but since its rise to international fame over the past 50 years, a new wave of invaders has threatened its longevity; like so many marvels of the world, Machu Picchu is in danger of being loved to death by tourists.

The unprecedented amount of tourism it receives is largely due to its international status as a ‘must see’ attraction. It was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981, spurring waves of visitors to travel to Peru to see the ancient ruin, but the tidal wave came in 1983, when the 500 year old site gained UNESCO World Heritage status and the tourists began arriving in swarms. Then in 2007, Machu Picchu was named as one of the ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’ and, with this globally nominated status, the number of visitors doubled to 5000 per day, levels which spurred fears that the ruins could be destroyed by irresponsible tourist to a point of no-return.

As always, there is an economic verses conservation battle here. Around 858,211 tourists visited Machu Picchu in 2008 and Peru’s National Chamber of Tourism estimates that tourism brings in around $500,000 per day. UNESCO frequently fight battles to halt further developments, some of which have been successful; admission prices have been increased, an application for cable car access was turned down and in 2006, a proposal to allow flights was denied, following the protests of leading environmentalists, who said that they would cause irreparable damage to the ruins and rare wildlife. However, there are many recommendations that have been ignored: UNESCO suggest that visitor numbers should be cut to 800 per day, and that soft shoes should be warn to reduce the impact of scrambling over the ruins. A major concern is further uncontrolled development and unrestricted access to the site and in 1999 UNESCO suggested that tourist infrastructure was reduced, another recommendation that has so far been ignored.

A victim of its own success, Macchu Pichu is undoubtedly an astonishing construction and, despite the battles between environmentalists, governments, tour operators, conservationists and tourists, all parties share the common belief that the site is one of remarkable value. Sustainability is vital to all interest groups but some are more willing than others to make short term economic cuts in order to achieve longevity. The path to achieve this goal is unclear; would joining the ‘World Heritage Sites in Danger List’ be beneficial to Macchu Pichu’s preservation, or would it again spur a new wave of tourists desperate to catch the ruins before their original character is destroyed forever? Hands up if this article has made you rush to book a flight to Peru before it's too late!

Image taken from cortestravel.com

Eight of the most Eco-Friendly Beaches

From Europe to Thailand, the website ‘Mother Nature Network’ (MNN) has identified eight of what they consider to be the most eco-friendly beaches in the world. Many have gained their success and reputation through supportive governments and by limiting visitor numbers. Not surprisingly, nature reserves and remote islands feature regularly in the list but it’s great to see that even some major tourist such as Hawaii’s Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, can sustain outstanding conservation efforts, alongside tourism and economic developments. MNN’s list includes:

• Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia (Photo): A top attraction in the area, which has won numerous environmental protection awards, as well as being crowned ‘Cleanest Beach in Queensland’. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Visitor limits numbers here and access is by registered tour guides only.

• Playa Matapalo, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica: Around 250,000 species of flora and fauna are found here, where the Portalon National Wildlife Park is protected by the environment-conscious Costa Rican government.

• Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu, Hawaii: Hawaii’s first Marine Life Conservation District has been protected since 1990 and its limited amount of visitors are required to watch an educational video before entry.

• Las Islas Cies, Galicia, Spain: A National Park Island where cars are prohibited and only camping is offered for accommodation.

• Sancho Bay, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil: A protected marine ecological reserve, visitor numbers to the island of Fernando are limited to 420 at a time. Access to Sancho Bay is naturally restricted to small numbers, as access is only possible by a ladder that’s wedged in a rock crevice.

For the full list, take a look at the MNN website

Photo taken from www.top-channel.tv

Palm Oil Biomass Developments: ICOPB 2010

Palm oil, largely used in the manufacture of food products is becoming increasingly popular as an ingredient in bio-diesel and power-station fuel, a use which has massive potential to increase global demand for this already highly contested resource. Whilst the economic benefits are huge to the developing countries of Indonesia and Malaysia, the associated environmental and social impacts are major concerns, as large scale rainforest destruction, depleting orang-utan populations and loss of local land rights and community resources are already serious threats.

Recognising the high and increasing value of their palm oil resources, Malaysia is to host their second International Conference on Palm Oil Biomass (ICOPB) on the third of August this year in the capital, Kuala Lumpa. The first ICOPB was held in August 2008 and was attended by delegates from more than 17 countries worldwide. Whereas sustainability and renewable materials are considerations, the ICOPB conferences focus on the commercialization, business opportunities and developments for the palm oil industry, the latest findings and potentials for improvements to technologies and the experiences and successes of current business ventures. ICOPB 2008 considered the role of palm oil biomass in sustainable management in line with the Kyoto Protocol and no doubt, there will be expectations for ICOPB 2010 to make environmental concerns a firm feature in discussions but there are fears that even if the demand for palm oil as a biofuel is directed at sustainably certified sources, the new demand is likely to spur much of the current global demand elsewhere towards destructive plantation development.

The boom in renewable fuel sources has fuelled massive increases in palm oil production. Developing and developed countries across the globe have been quick to start adopting new alternatives to oil and imports of palm oil could reach unprecedented levels if desired levels of production and trade proceed; in the UK the conversion of just one oil fired power station to palm oil could alone double UK imports. The international demand for palm oil for use in bio-diesel has already spurred Indonesia and Malayasia to massively increase the size and number of plantations; by 2020 Indonesia’s oil palm plantations are projected to triple in size to 16.5 million hectares.

Despite the ‘green labelling’ of renewable energy sources, many environmental groups are opposed to adopting palm oil as an alternative to fossil fuel consumption; Friends of the Earth does not support the use in the UK of palm oil as a biofuel for electricity production, except where recycled oil is used. As the world continues to make the move towards new energy sources, it is vital that consumers and decision makers who are influential in creating demand make both environmentally and socially sustainable choices, as well as ensuring that developing nations are not denied the opportunities to progress.

UK Submits Downe for UNESCO World Heritage Site Status

Darwin's house, gardens and countryside in the village of Downe, Kent (South East England), is being considered alongside 32 other applicants for UNESCO World Heritage Status, at the 34th committee meeting, being currently held in Brasilia.

Nominated by the UK government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the UK has submitted Downe for its fundamental role in evolutionary biology. Scientist Charles Darwin lived and worked in Downe for forty years, making radical discoveries into evolution and writing 'The Origin of Species'(1859). Darwin’s concepts of evolutionary adaptation through natural selection formed the basis of modern evolutionary theory.

Darwin’s garden at Down House and the countryside surrounding it were central and inspirational to many of his investigations. He used these landscapes extensively for his studies of biodiversity and carried out daily observations and experiments there, many of which are documented in his diaries and autobiography.

The UK has pitched Downe as an open-air laboratory in which the theory of evolution by natural selection was developed, holding universal and worldwide importance in not only life sciences but in medicine, agriculture, philosophy and beyond.

A former girl’s school, Down house and gardens was opened as a museum in 1929, following an appeal at The British Association for the Advancement of Science. Down house has been owned by English Heritage since 1996 and is now considered a site of outstanding international significance. A major UK attraction, Downe has been well preserved, with much flora and fauna still in the habitats in which Darwin observed them.

The landscape and buildings of Downe are testimony to Darwin’s exceptional contribution to our modern day understanding of natural life and thus protection and worldwide recognition is considered vital by many.

Image taken from archifield.net

UNESCO World Heritage Commitee in Session

The UNESCO World Heritage Sites committee will meet this summer in Brasilia, for its 34^th session. Chaired by the Brazilian Minister of Culture and President of the World Heritage Committee, João Luiz Ferreira, the committee are meeting to monitor the state of conservation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, study requests for International Assistance from the World Heritage Fund, consider which of the 32 applications for potential new sites will make it to their World Heritage List and which of their established sites will be extended.

Six applicants for UNESCO nature status will be considered at the committee meeting, being held from 25 July to 3 August. These include:

- Danxia (South West China): A wildlife refuge in an area of unique geology, encompassing the mountains and foothills of the Yantze River.

-Reunion Island (France): An Indian Ocean French territory, containing 2 volcanoes fed from a unique, deep seated hot spot connected directly to the center of the world.

- Phoenix Islands Protected Area (Kiribati): The largest marine protected area in the world and the largest marine conservation project undertaken by a developing nation.

Some of the many submissions for Cultural properties include Australian Convict Sites (Australia), São Francisco Square in the Town of São Cristóvão (Brazil), Konso Cultural Landscape (Ethiopia), Fort Jesus, Mombasa (Kenya) and Darwin’s Landscape Laboratory (United Kingdom).

The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawaii, will be considered for inscription in the ‘mixed’ (cultural and nature) category and Pirin National Park in Bulgaria and Monte San Giorgio in Switzerland and Italy are both hoping to expand their designated areas.

For more details on the conference, take a look at the official website http://www.34whc.brasilia2010.org.br/

The Future Looks GREEN for Car Hire

A study by car hire company Avis recently discovered that, since 2007, Europeans’ concern over their impact on the environment has risen by 55%, increasing the demand for companies to behave ethically. Almost 50% of Europeans, including 32% of British citizens, expressed the desire to minimise the impact their travel has on the environment.

Many believe that tighter controls should be applied for businesses failing to adopt environmentally friendly practices and the study revealed that 8 out of every 10 customers believe that businesses should be issued with penalties for neglecting to take steps towards safeguarding the environment.

Recently, Avis launched ‘avis-greenerworld.com’ a website which informs customers on how to make environmentally responsible choices, tips on how to reduce their carbon footprint and details Avis’s Carbon Neutral projects, such as: Supporting a hydropower project in China, collecting methane from animal waste in Germany, replanting trees in Snowdonia and investing in a bio-mass project in India.

Since 1997, Avis claim to have offset 147,000 tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent as driving a car 17,299 times around the equator, and have been a CarbonNeutral® company since 2000, which means that they are obliged to offset every tonne of CO2 they produce. Nick Mountfield, Head of Marketing, Avis UK said that Avis recognise the importance of leading the way on environmental matters and confirmed their long term commitment to sustainable developments.

Adding to ongoing projects, Avis recently partnered with the Renault-Nissan Alliance to offer electric cars to its customers from 2011, adding these to their ‘Green Fleet’, a partnership that Senior Vice President, Renault Corporate Sales Division, Uwe Hochgeschurtz says “...will play an important role in enabling customers to experience the new technology and learn about the environmental benefits of electric vehicles, which are sure to become a significant alternative for car travel in the future”.

For many big name car hire companies throughout Europe, adding hybrid cars to their fleets has been an increasingly popular move over the past few years, with Japanses and other Asian makes the most purchased vehicles. The Toyota Pruis, a fully hybrid electric car, dubbed as one of the most fuel efficient gasoline car currently sold, has been the most popular choice. Avis UK and Avis Scandanavia recently introduced 20 new Toyota Prius vehicles to their selection, whereas their Italian fleets include the LPG fuelled Volkswagon. Hertz expanded its ‘Green Fleet’ in 2008 by introducing 3,400 Toyota Prius cars, a trend also adopted by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, who offer a considerable amount of hybrid cars amongst their available vehicles.

Smaller companies are doing their bit too. Within the UK, ‘Green Motion’, launched in 2005, claims to be ‘the world's first truly environmentally friendly car and van hire company’. Green motion was awarded ‘Rental Company of the year 2009’ in the UK’s ‘Green Fleet Awards’ last year, for producing 50g/km of carbon less than its nearest national rental rival.

‘Going Green’ is becoming big business; Hertz anticipates an increase in the number of people who wish to rent the most fuel-efficient vehicles and the market for low-CO2 cars in general is expected to grow increasingly strong in the coming years. With global fuel prices ever on the rise, it’s no big surprise that more fuel efficient options are becoming the more popular choices amongst customers and, costing around 10% less to run overall, can actually save the car hire companies cash in the long run. Add the growing environmental concerns of customers, and companies who are marketing themselves on their Green credentials are starting to win over more and more customers than those who don’t.

The success of current ‘Green fleets’ and predictions for future growth have spawned a new breed of ‘Green’ car companies and many existing firms have been quick to jump on the ‘green wave’. However, it’s still worth doing your research, as some companies appear to be applying the ‘Green’ tag, whilst not proving, or some not even mentioning, their environmental commitments. You’d be forgiven for assuming that ‘Green Rent a Car’ and ‘Go Green Car Rental’ were amongst the pioneers of Green car rental but their websites do not refer to co2 reduction, Green fleets or, in-fact, environmental concerns at all, and whilst ‘Green-Car-Hire-UK’ promises that they are “working hard to become one of the UK's best fully environmentally friendly car rental companies, offering the latest range of vehicles, with the lowest possible CO2 levels”, last time I checked it looked like they’d failed to detail exactly how they planning to meet these claims.

So, the future looks green for car hire companies. Driven by consumer demand, big names have made significant headway and with many smaller firms are celebrating their commitments, the field for customers to make environmentally responsible decisions is becoming more accessible. However, it’s our responsibility as customers to continue to fuel the eco-friendly drive and to ensure that we continue to make careful choices before assuming that any company brandishing the ‘Green’ label is necessarily is environmentally conscious!

Photo Taken From Allegheny College website

Ever fancied yourself as a panda keeper?

As part of an awareness campaign on the plight of the panda, of which there are just 1,600 left in the wild, Chengdu Panda Base in South West China, has launched a global competition to invite animal lovers around the world to help look after these endangered animals for one month.

Earning around $150 a month, 24 year old Yang Gangkun, a graduate in veterinary studies, is a panda keeper, looking after 8 pandas alongside 14 other keepers at the breeding centre. His day starts at 6:30 and begins with feeding, cleaning and exercising the pandas. Yang says that spends two nights a week sleeping near the pandas, to safeguard them and that the panda’s are very responsive to humans.

The Panda base in Chengdu openned with 6 pandas in 1987, a figure which has now risen to 84 in total. Keepers are particularly busy during the spring mating season and summer birthing season, a time when the committed panda keepers work flat out. Another major challenge for the centre is preparing pandas to be released into the wild. In the past, some released pandas have been found dead, thought to have been attacked by their wild cousins. Keepers and researchers at the reserve aim to address this problem.

Organisers say that, from August, they will be looking for "bright, articulate and engaging individuals from China and around the world, who care deeply about conservation issues". The prize will involve assisting researchers and helping to raise awareness through blogging.

Full details of the competition and how to enter are yet to be released.

Photo taken from www.students.ou.edu

Ever fancied yourself as a panda keeper?

Earning around $150 a month, 24 year old Yang Gangkun, a graduate in veterinary studies, is a panda keeper, looking after 8 pandas alongside 14 other keepers at the breeding centre. His day starts at 6:30 and begins with feeding, cleaning and exercising the pandas. Yang says that spends two nights a week sleeping near the pandas, to safeguard them and that the panda’s are very responsive to humans.

The Panda base in Chengdu openned with 6 pandas in 1987, a figure which has now risen to 84 in total. Keepers are particularly busy during the spring mating season and summer birthing season, a time when the committed panda keepers work flat out. Another major challenge for the centre is preparing pandas to be released into the wild. In the past, some released pandas have been found dead, thought to have been attacked by their wild cousins. Keepers and researchers at the reserve aim to address this problem.

Organisers say that, from August, they will be looking for "bright, articulate and engaging individuals from China and around the world, who care deeply about conservation issues". The prize will involve assisting researchers and helping to raise awareness through blogging.

Full details of the competition and how to enter are yet to be released.

Photo taken from www.students.ou.edu

Low Cost, Low Carbon

Evidence suggests that air travel accounts for around 5% of the world’s carbon emissions, a figure which could reach 50% in future decades, if it continues to grow at current rates. This places a huge responsibility on airlines to cut their carbon emissions but is a movement that will be lead by passengers, who have the authority to make environmentally responsible choices on the distance they travel and the airline they choose.

According to flight comparison site, Liligo, budget airlines produce around 30% fewer carbon emissions, per passenger, than traditional airlines, operating with business and first class seats. It was estimated that an Easy Jet flight from London to Zurich has a carbon footprint of 277kg per couple, compared with 688kg with Aer Lingus. The main reasons for the drop in emissions are down to newer aircrafts and higher loads.

Upgrading their fleets with the latest technology and fuel efficient aircrafts, Easy Jet planes are around 3.5 years old on average, and Liligo discovered that British Airways planes are around three years older than the average Ryan Air aircraft.

In order to maximise passenger numbers, no-frills airlines pack in as many passengers per flight as possible; whereas Airbus A319 takes around 124 seats, the average Easy Jet flight has 156. Budget airlines also tend to fly with fuller capacities. According to a study carried out by the Association of European Airlines in 2009, British Airways’ flights were 73% full, whereas EasyJet averaged 86% capacity and Ryanair 82%.

Profit-wise, no-frills models also seem to be working best; low-cost carriers are booming, whilst the competition is facing falling numbers; Easy Jet reported a 9.3 % rise in passenger traffic last December, Ryan Air’s bookings increased by 7 million and Wizz saw an increase of 33%, whereas BA carried 4% fewer passengers than 2008 in December and suffered an overall loss of £400m, an impact largely to do with union lead strikes.

Many full-service airlines are now responding to the changing market place, adding more economy seats, cutting luggage allowances and charging for food and drink in an attempt to offer cheaper flights. Passenger decisions over which airline to choose are predominantly price-led and the popularity of budget airlines will almost certainly increase, as passengers feel content that they are also making more environmentally responsible choices.

Image taken from Airliners.net

UIAA's Mountain Protection Label

The International Mountaineering Federation have announced plans to draw up a certification system, promoting and protecting sustainable mountain tour operators - about time!

Mountain environments are home to a vast portion of our planet’s unique biodiversity and, due to the popularity of mountain sports, including climbing, hiking, mountain biking, shooting and skiing to name but a few, are some of our most vulnerable landscapes. In addition to the impacts of erosion and overuse, mountain regions are amongst the areas that suffer most from global warming and climate change – the past decade has seen immense portions and even entire glaciers disappearing from arctic regions.

On World Environmental Day (June 5^th 2010) The International Mountaineering Federation, UIAA (Union International des Associations d’Alpinisme) announced plans to introduce a Mountain Protection Label.

The certification scheme plans to help mountaineers to minimize their impact on the environment, awarding tour operators and mountain recreation organizations which commit themselves to acting according to high mountain protection standards.

To establish these high standards, UIAA will use UNEP’s (United Nations Environment Program) guidelines, set out in “Mountains and Tourism A Practical Guide to Managing the Environmental and Social Impacts of Mountain Tours”, as the basis for certification. Linda McMillan, UIAA Mountain Protection Commission president and Deputy Vice-Chairman, IUCN-WCPA Mountains Biome says that “The Mountain Protection Label is designed to be an easy to use high-value tool that enables tour operators and their clients to minimize impacts on our precious mountain landscapes.”

The proposal has received much support from mountain and climbing communities worldwide, and has attracted particular enthusiasm from the Nepal Mountaineering Association; President Ang Tshering Sherpa says "The Mountain Protection Label is a very exciting idea. Currently, we are investing a lot of time communicating with potential clients to convince them of our commitment to social, cultural and environmental protection. This Label will provide operators like us a convenient and trusted way to prove of our strong commitment to mountain protection ethics."

The UIAA plans for certified companies and organisations to be able to vote on the governance of the new label and hopes to develop a strong, international community, united in their concern for safeguarding and sustaining mountain environments.

Lucy's article was also posted on http://www.responsibletravelnews.com/

Image from UIAA

UIAA's Mountain Protection Label

Mountain environments are home to a vast portion of our planet’s unique biodiversity and, due to the popularity of mountain sports, including climbing, hiking, mountain biking, shooting and skiing to name but a few, are some of our most vulnerable landscapes. In addition to the impacts of erosion and overuse, mountain regions are amongst the areas that suffer most from global warming and climate change – the past decade has seen immense portions and even entire glaciers disappearing from arctic regions. On World Environmental Day (June 5^th 2010) The International Mountaineering Federation UIAA (Union International des Associations d’Alpinisme) announced plans to introduce a Mountain Protection Label.

The certification scheme plans to help mountaineers to minimize their impact on the environment, awarding tour operators and mountain recreation organizations which commit themselves to acting according to high mountain protection standards.

To establish these high standards, UIAA will use UNEP’s (United Nations Environment Program) guidelines, set out in “Mountains and Tourism A Practical Guide to Managing the Environmental and Social Impacts of Mountain Tours”, as the basis for certification. Linda McMillan, UIAA Mountain Protection Commission president and Deputy Vice-Chairman, IUCN-WCPA Mountains Biome says that “The Mountain Protection Label is designed to be an easy to use high-value tool that enables tour operators and their clients to minimize impacts on our precious mountain landscapes.”

The proposal has received much support from mountain and climbing communities worldwide, and has attracted particular enthusiasm from the Nepal Mountaineering Association; President Ang Tshering Sherpa says "The Mountain Protection Label is a very exciting idea. Currently, we are investing a lot of time communicating with potential clients to convince them of our commitment to social, cultural and environmental protection. This Label will provide operators like us a convenient and trusted way to prove of our strong commitment to mountain protection ethics."

The UIAA plans for certified companies and organisations to be able to vote on the governance of the new label and hopes to develop a strong, international community, united in their concern for safeguarding and sustaining mountain environments.

Lucy's article was also posted on http://www.responsibletravelnews.com/

Image from UIAA