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climate change

Environment, Travel

When a Gift to Yourself is a Gift to the Planet

Remember the very successful Charity Auction in July for both South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT) and the UK Antarctica Heritage Trust (UKAHT)? There were some fabulous donations and some surprising ones – Four Seasons Maldives kindly donated 5 large Coral Frames to the auction! What’s the link? It’s kind of like connecting the dots – except with oceans instead! The Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean to be precise, they are joined – get out a map and check it out. But still the SGHT Team and Four Seasons ‘ummed and ahhed’ over whether the ‘ocean restoration and conservation’ association between these two distant places would result in auction bids for the frames. It did!

Curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to know the stories behind the like-minded people who successfully bid on the coral frames. Fortunately, they both agreed to let me share some insights….

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November 13, 2023
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Environment, Travel

We’ve Lost Five Times the British Isles worth of Sea-Ice from Antarctica! 

Scientists are trying to unravel the cause of the shrinking sea-ice, or ice that floats, on the surface of Antarctica’s Oceans. Currently its much lower than has previously been measured as a September ‘average’.  In fact the area of ice that is missing is about five times the size of the British Isles. 

I can’t imagine how you go about measuring the sea-ice around Antarctica, but whatever way you look at it, we are missing A LOT!

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October 26, 2023
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Environment

Seriously Royal Mail – you have to ‘Opt Out’ of receiving junk mail that you never asked for?

Worst still, you have to register EVERY TWO YEARS to stop it!

Does anyone these days really need a physical piece of paper to order a pizza delivery? Well apparently Papa Johns thinks so. Along with the local estate agent Robsons and Anglian Windows!

We have lovely postmen in Chorleywood, friendly, chatty and helpful. My last conversation though was about about the physical ‘junk’ mailers that he wanted to give me, along with my package! This is how it went….

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October 9, 2023
5188
Environment, Travel

Has Anyone Asked the Penguins What They Think?

Protecting the Waters Around South Georgia – The Marine Protection Area Five Year Review is Underway

I’m currently reading Mensun Bound’s book, The Ship Beneath the Ice – his journal of the search and discovery of Shackleton’s sunken ship Endurance. He talks about Shackleton’s Men having to kill and eat penguins. Twenty-eight men and numerous dogs needed to be fed – with Emperor penguins mainly plus some Adelies. I liked what Bound said next:

‘We might wish to shield our eyes from the horrors of what Shackleton’s men did to those birds a hundred years ago, but what the modern world has visited upon them is infinitely worse. The way in which we have blighted and befouled their environment has disrupted their feeding patterns and breeding cycles to the extent that many of their nesting grounds on the west side of the Peninsula are now ghost rookeries. Were Shackleton alive today I have no doubt he would be a fervent environmentalist.’

It led me to ponder on the balancing act of ensuring the waters around South Georgia can sustain the teeming wildlife in it while fulfilling some of human kind’s seemingly insatiable appetite for fish!

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September 27, 2023
4977
Environment, Travel

What a Juxtaposition!

South Georgia Heritage Trust’s Whale Conservation – Versus – Iceland Begins Whale Hunting as of 1st September 2023!!

This week marks the safe return of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Quest crow’s nest, to its home in the crypt of All Hallows by the Tower of London, following its exhibition travels to Athy, Ireland and Grytviken, South Georgia.

While we celebrate that return along with many of man’s GREATEST qualities that are to be found in the Shackleton endeavours, with an event that supports the continued conservation work of SGHT largely including whales, I can’t help but contemplate the juxtaposition of the Icelandic governments decision to go forward with the whale hunting this season, eliminating Fin whales in a most barbaric and cruel way. The WORST of man’s qualities around this decision!

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September 5, 2023
4901
Environment, Travel

Landaa Happy Eggs

… multi-international chickens, beautiful gardens build staff moral

Sustainable Tourism at Four Seasons Maldives Series, 7 of 7

I am ‘shouting out’ about resorts where I can see they are truly focussed on leaving the world better than they found it. 

A fun topic for this last in the series, but still has purpose. Four Seasons have a very rounded approach, its not just the environment they have a commitment to but people as well and they are well known for the emphasis they put on their staff welfare.  Here is a little insight into one of the staff areas at Landaa Giraavaru and how they came to have Landaa Happy Eggs!

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August 7, 2023
3718
Environment, Travel

Eliminating R22 Gas…

… and a 22% energy saving

Sustainable Tourism at Four Seasons Maldives Series, 6 of 7

I am ‘shouting out’ about resorts where I can see they are truly focussed on leaving the world better than they found it. 

Always looking for ways of becoming more energy efficient, essential air conditioning for the staff quarters, installed over 14 years ago was a potential advocate for significant savings. But a considerable undertaking when you consider they have approx 450 permanent staff plus external third party staff to accommodate.

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July 29, 2023
3758
Environment, Travel

Being a Good Neighbour, when it comes to Plastics

… 16.7 tons of it!

Sustainable Tourism at Four Seasons Maldives Series, 5 of 7

I am ‘shouting out’ about resorts where I can see they are truly focussed on leaving the world better than they found it. 

You couldn’t really say Landaa Giraavaru has neighbours, not in the traditional sense of being right next door! There are some mainly residential islands that are reasonable close though, with Kamadhoo the closest at just under 3 kms away, Kendhoo and Dhonfanu 11kms.  

Which makes it even more noteworthy that they help their neighbouring islands when it comes to plastics.

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July 24, 2023
3631
Environment, Travel

A New Use for Scrap Glass?

… the ultimate ‘recycling and re-using’ idea!

Sustainable Tourism at Four Seasons Maldives Series, 4 of 7

I am ‘shouting out’ about resorts where I can see they are truly focussed on leaving the world better than they found it. 

Removing much of the ‘stuff’ that creates waste, especially plastic waste, is the strategy at Landaa Giraavaru. The Landaa Spring – covered in the previous blog and video in this series – is a prime example, fresh island water in refillable glass bottles = no single use plastics from that source. Swapping out plastic bottles in guest bathrooms for cute refillable containers and removing plastic bottles from mini bars, means they already have made big headway into reducing waste, with little coming from guest rooms. But at Landaa Giraavaru they go a lot lot further than this.

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July 17, 2023
3676
Environment, Travel

Antarctica. It’s Time to Act. NOW!

One of our most precious continents. Subject to and suffering from the increases in temperatures to both oceans and atmosphere. Such significant consequences to so much and so many, as sea levels rise and the Southern Ocean’s currents change with the ice melt from what is the planet’s greatest freshwater reserve.

This short ‘teaser’ film, showcasing the collapse of Antarctica is meant to draw your attention to the dramatic effects that are happening right now.

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July 12, 2023
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