We haven’t disappeared (Don’t make us worry)
Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2022 1:02 pm
Love snakes. Would handle that one cautiously because it's big enough to constrict.
Falsehoods Unchallenged Only Fester and Grow
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I used to like snakes a lot, but then something must have happened (though I'm not sure what - maybe a bad dream ot something) and I found myself absolutely terrified of them. I couldn't even handle looking at a picture of one. That seems to have finally mellowed somewhat, though, and settled into a general loathing of them.pipistrelle wrote: ↑Sat Nov 05, 2022 1:02 pm Love snakes. Would handle that one cautiously because it's big enough to constrict.
Fodor’s No List 2023
Ten regions to reconsider in 2023.
Maybe the world is trying to tell us to slow down. So far this year, we’ve clocked 29 climate-related disasters that have each caused more than a billion dollars worth of damage, from a catastrophic “monsoon on steroids” in Pakistan to a pair of hurricanes that swept away bridges and homes in Puerto Rico and Florida, and record heat waves and drought that killed thousands of people and agricultural crops across Europe. The latter even exposed “hunger stones,” rocks engraved to mark low water levels during historic droughts. A circa 1900 inscription on one in Děčín, along the Elbe River in the northern Czech Republic, reads, “If you see me, then weep”—an ominous reminder that no pocket of the planet has gone untouched by climate change.
For all the good it can do in bolstering local economies and connecting cultures, tourism is a significant contributor to climate change. Three years after the word “covid” entered our daily vocabulary, tourism numbers from April to July 2022 exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Travel currently accounts for about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and is poised to increase by 2030. And there are plenty of unquantified effects of overtourism: stress on supply chains, destruction of wildlife habitat, and overcrowding. As climate change intensifies, the damage may make popular destinations inhospitable to travelers and cause their economies to plummet.
Anti-tourism movements and travel boycotts, especially to destinations accused of human rights or environmental violations, might seem like easy solutions. But they don’t usually have the desired effect. Simply choosing one destination over another doesn’t tell those in power—municipal governments—why you’re spending your dollars elsewhere. More than anyone else, blanket boycotts affect the lowest-paid and most vulnerable workers, typically women, migrants, and people of color.
For this year’s No List, we’re highlighting destinations to reconsider visiting in 2023 in three main categories: natural attractions that could use a break in order to heal and rejuvenate; cultural hotspots that are plagued with overcrowding and resource depletion; and locations around the world immediately and dramatically impacted by water crises.
GSTC-Recognized Standards for Hotels
GSTC-Recognized Standards are sustainable tourism standards that adhere to and are equivalent to the GSTC Criteria. This means that the GSTC Criteria are included within the set of standards owned by a Certification Body, by a municipal, provincial, or national tourism authority, by specialized tourism organization, or by large tourism businesses with multiple business units.
GSTC-Recognized means that a sustainable tourism standard has been reviewed by GSTC technical experts and the GSTC Assurance Panel, and deemed equivalent to the GSTC Criteria for sustainable tourism. This means that the GSTC has verified that the standard aligns with the GSTC Criteria and that any additional clauses do not contradict GSTC Criteria requirements. GSTC Recognition does not ensure that the certification process is reliable, only that the set of standards used to certify includes the minimum elements to ensure sustainability. A Certification Body that utilizes a GSTC-Recognized standard may apply for GSTC-Accreditation which relates to the quality and neutrality of their certification process.
The following standards have been Recognized as aligned with the GSTC Industry Criteria for Hotels and Accommodations
(visit here for GSTC-Recognized Standards for Tour Operators)
(visit here for GSTC-Recognized Standards for Destinations)
NOTE:
This is a list of standards. GSTC has NOT analyzed the quality of the process of certification of these standards except those that have been accredited by GSTC.
GSTC does NOT certify directly. The GSTC Criteria appear in this list to clarify the point that Certification Bodies that gain accreditation have the option to certify by using their own GSTC-Recognized standard or by using the GSTC Criteria.
Green Key Criteria
The Green Key award is a leading standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. This eco-label represents a commitment by businesses that their premises adhere to the strict criteria set by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). A Green Key stands for the promise to its guests that by opting to stay with the Green Key establishment, they are helping to make a difference on an environmental level. Green Key is a voluntary eco-label awarded to hotels and other establishments in 65 countries.
Have a blast! Is that wildfire smoke problem from Canada done now?AndyinPA wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 12:11 am I've mentioned it, but I am heading out on the train on Wednesday morning to NYC with the granddaughter. I'll be staying at her place tomorrow night as they are ten minutes from the train station, so will be gone from some time tomorrow until late Sunday night. Might peek in tomorrow yet.
Sorry, everyone!neonzx wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 1:20 amHave a blast! Is that wildfire smoke problem from Canada done now?AndyinPA wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 12:11 am I've mentioned it, but I am heading out on the train on Wednesday morning to NYC with the granddaughter. I'll be staying at her place tomorrow night as they are ten minutes from the train station, so will be gone from some time tomorrow until late Sunday night. Might peek in tomorrow yet.
You have a lot of fun, too!!W. Kevin Vicklund wrote: ↑Wed Aug 02, 2023 9:50 am Of course, I will be arriving just as Andy is leaving. About to head out for a week-and-a-half of camping a bit north of Pitttsburgh (Pennsic, for those that know).
Very cool! My daughter used to go years ago.W. Kevin Vicklund wrote: ↑Wed Aug 02, 2023 9:50 am Of course, I will be arriving just as Andy is leaving. About to head out for a week-and-a-half of camping a bit north of Pitttsburgh (Pennsic, for those that know).
Awesome! Was she a Pittsburgh native at the time? I've been going since '96 (Pennsic 25), with the exception of last year and the plague years where it was cancelled.AndyinPA wrote: ↑Wed Aug 02, 2023 11:24 amVery cool! My daughter used to go years ago.W. Kevin Vicklund wrote: ↑Wed Aug 02, 2023 9:50 am Of course, I will be arriving just as Andy is leaving. About to head out for a week-and-a-half of camping a bit north of Pitttsburgh (Pennsic, for those that know).