According to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, new grants will permanently protect private forestland in 33 states and U.S. territories. The grants were awarded through the Forest Legacy Program (FLP) and total $72 million. The program will protect nearly 2 million acres of land in all. The Forest Legacy Program works with individual states to strategically protect lands from development in […]
Indonesia Claims to Tap Volcanic PowerIndonesia has launched an ambitious plan to tap the vast power of its volcanoes and become a world leader in geothermal energy, while trimming greenhouse gas emissions. The sprawling archipelago of 17,000 islands stretching from the Indian to the Pacific Oceans contains hundreds of volcanoes, estimated to hold around 40 percent of the world’s geothermal […]
Is the large-scale production of algal biofuels a viable alternative and should South Africa be pursuing it as a liquid- fuels option? Proponents suggest that it could indeed be a viable endeavour, and estimate that an industry could emerge within five to ten years, or sooner, should there be an innovation breakthrough. They add that it could also form an […]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, in cooperation with eight partner countries and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), on Wednesday launched its Energy and Environment Partnership programme with Southern and East Africa (EEP-SE&A). Speaking at the launch in Johannesburg, the Ambassador of Finland Tiina Myllyntausta said that energy consumption was on the increase worldwide, especially in developing […]
Do you remember the 1999 movie Office Space with Jennifer Aniston and Ron Livingston? It’s a favorite of mine and if you haven’t seen it, I’ll need to explain one of the plot lines in order to set up this blog post. Livingston plays Peter Gibbons, who works in an administrative role at a computer company called Initech. When his friends […]
Spend two weeks playing with crocodiles on the Zambezi River. Spend the morning setting crocodile traps and spend the afternoon measuring and tagging and counting crocodiles. This is a beautiful area and the schedule allows plenty of time for birdwatching and fly-fishing. 14 days for $2849. at http://www.earthwatch.org
BAOBAB was founded to promote an ALTERNATIVE form of TRAVEL (ecotourism) that benefits local communities economically and is sensitive to the natural environment. BAOBAB offers small group trips with set itineraries or tailor-made eco trips. Trips are generally 8 days and locations offered are Egypt/Sinai, Jordan, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. More info at http://www.baobabtravel.com
Work in Skaftafell National Park in southeast Iceland constructing and maintaining footpaths in the National Park. These paths help to protect the area’s fragile ecology from the impact of tourism. The work is strenuous, so this trip is great for the physically fit types. Accommodations – you will be sleeping in your own tent but hot showers and a base […]
The International World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms Association (WWOOF) provides the venue for people around the world to learn first-hand about organic growing methods; enables both the organic farmers and volunteers to make organic farming a viable alternative; and, improves communications concerning the importance of organic farming in the world today. Since its inception in 1971 London, WWOOF has […]
Build peace while you travel!! Servas is a network established in 1948 and operates around the world. Member hosts and travelers work together to foster peace, goodwill, and mutual respect. As a Servas traveler, you may seek homestay exchanges with overnight host families typically for three days and two night using the host list as your guide, or meet with […]