News Stories
“People Will Die”: New Hunting Laws to Take Effect in Australian National Parks
Beginning later this year, any person with a recreational hunting license will be able to shoot “feral pests” across almost 80 national parks and reserves in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), including the highly popular Kosciusko, Warrumbungle…
Plastic Water Bottles, Begone! Travelers Against Plastic Campaign Launched
Purchasing a plastic bottle of water or two while traveling may not seem like a huge deal on an individual level, but multiply that by the number of travelers crisscrossing the globe every day and the impact is massive. On…
To Boycott or Not to Boycott: The Ethics behind Your Travel Dollars
Ethical travel as a concept is now common discourse, with travelers increasingly asking now they can minimize the impact they have on local communities, as well as expressing growing interest in volunteerism and working with communities to enact change. Travelers…
New Report on Trends and Statistics Finds Interest in Responsible Travel on the Rise
Tourism is the world’s largest industry, and it grows larger every year. In 2012, for the first time in history, international tourist arrivals surpassed one billion. In 2011, international tourism receipts exceeded $1 trillion. Hand in hand with this extraordinary development…
Controversial Decision to Allow Mining in French Guiana’s Only National Park
French mining company Rexma has received permission to mine for gold in an ecologically sensitive area along the Limonade River in French Guiana, three kilometers downstream from the geographically isolated town of Saül.
French Guiana is a French territory in…
Endangered Rhinos Slaughtered in South Africa to Fuel Asian Demand
More than a dozen rhinos are cruelly slaughtered in South Africa each week in order to fuel an increasing demand from Asia for their highly coveted horn. The South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, recently confirmed…
South Korea Cancels Plans to Commence “Scientific” Whaling, but Issues Remain
The South Korean government has abandoned plans to begin scientific whaling following domestic and international resistance. Scientific whaling involves the killing of whales for the purpose of research – a practice environmentalists dismiss as a thinly veiled cover for illegal…
Traveling Ethically to Tibet Amid Protests and Repression
Across Tibet, monks, nuns, students, and others are protesting China’s continuing control of the region – many in a gruesome and tragic way. Ninety-five Tibetans have set themselves ablaze since March 16, 2011 – 33 of them in the last…
Festival in Exile: Malian Musicians Gather Despite Imposition of Sharia Law
As an ambassador for peace, internationally known Malian artist Oumou Sangaré will lead a stalwart line-up of African musicians in one of two caravans that make up the 2013 Festival au Désert in Exile. An international music event that draws…
Campaign to Stop the Farming of Endangered Sea Turtles in the Cayman Islands
The world’s last remaining turtle farm has recently come under heavy criticism from the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and the Sea Turtle Conservatory (STC). As part of a global campaign targeting sea turtle farming practices, the…
