Making life a holiday with interesting vacation and adventure ideas.

Next week the media will be dominated by the Olympics but for now, the world media seem to have decided that the story to dominate August news is the 'Rise of the Jellyfish'

To be fair, it is not just a populist news story, jellyfish have been arriving earlier than usual and in larger numbers; they have also been turning up in unusual places. Indicators which many marine biologists claim is evidence of the declining health of the sea, caused by global warming, over fishing and pollution.

However, don't be panicked into avoiding the coast for fear of a killer plague lurking in the water. While extremely painful, many jellyfish stings are not actually lethal to humans, though some can be deadly and it is wise to know how to deal with a sting. Get out of the water to avoid drowning, seek immediate medical attention and do not rub the sting, or apply fresh water, alcohol, spirits, ammonia, or urine, since all are said to encourage the release of venom. In extreme cases, medical practitioners may need to use anti-venom but most authorities seem to recommend the use of an acidic treatment such as vinegar to ease the pain and hot, but not scalding, salt water is reported to ease the pain of a sting by denaturing the toxins, although if hypothermia is suspected hot water can do more harm than good and should be avoided. I know from experience that hot water is a trick that works well on the sting from weaver fish. Read more in an authoritative Wiki article.

But jellyfish are not all bad news, in China, Japan and Asia, several varieties are regarded as good eating, though seem to require a month or more of complex preperation. Which takes us rather neatly back to the Olympics.

Labels: ecology, global warming, jellyfish, marine

Work has begun on the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free, city in Abu Dhabi. Called Masdar City, it is estimated that it will take eight years to build and be home to 50,000 people.

Plans are in place for most of the city's power to be obtained from solar energy and residents will be able to move around Masdar City in travel pods running on magnetic tracks. More information.

Labels: 2008, 2016, Abu Dhabi, ecology, global warming, Masdar City

China's famous Yangtze River, is suffering from a severe water shortage caused by a longer than normal dry season; water levels are falling dramatically and the concentration of pollutants is rising, both of which are impacting the river's wildlife. Media reports indicate that the problem was initiated by the severe drought experienced in the upper reaches of the river during the autumn and that the situation will continue to worsen in February.

According to U.S. scientists at the NOAA National Climatic Data Center, 2007 was the warmest year ever recorded for the Earth's land areas.

Labels: 2007, 2008, China, ecology, environment, global warming, Yangtze River

Scientists have sounded the alarm over the predatory crown of thorns starfish, which now seems to be threatening Indonesia's portion of the so-called 'coral triangle', regarded as the richest area of coral reef biodiversity anywhere on the planet.
The coral triangle is an area between Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Over half the world's coral reefs lie within this area and it boasts over 600 species of coral; it is home to more than 3,000 plant and fish species.

The crown of thorns starfish literally sucks the life out of coral and can reach plague proportions. More

Find some interesting Diving Holidays in our database.

Labels: coral, diving, ecology, environment, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands

A report entitled Ecotourism and Community Benefits, from Taiko Lemayan and Donald Mombo of the Kenya Community Based Tourism organisation, concludes that although poor communities in Kenya have devoted substantial portions of their own land to the wildlife conservation on which ecotourism businesses are based, they appear to have received very little in return and most of the businesses rewards from promoting responsible travel to areas rich in wildlife, have instead been enjoyed by various private investors with whom they seem to be in exploitative partnerships.

The report paints a gloomy picture of the reality of the much hyped notion that ecotourism in Kenya and elsewhere is a win-win solution, beneficial to the local people, while also helping to preserve the environment and conserve wildlife. More.

Labels: Africa, ecology, Kenya, Tourism, travel

Are you interested in helping the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to follow the changing fortunes of British garden birds? Are you a UK resident and do you have Harlequin Ladybirds in your garden? If the answer to either of these questions is 'yes' then the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch Team would like to hear from you. Contact them on 01842-750050 or email gbw@bto.org to request a free information pack.

Labels: birds, Birdwatching, British Trust for Ornithology, ecology, Harlequin Ladybirds, UK

I just saw this World Wildlife Fund Poster, brought to my attention by ScaryIdeas.com. It states:

15 square kilometer of rain forest disappears every minute.

To save you doing the maths, 1 square kilometre = 0.386 square mile, which, if this statement is true, means that 23 square mile of rain forest disappears every hour.

Labels: ecology, global warming, rain forest, WWF

There is growing concern about the effect of tourism on whale and dolphin ecology; research in Western Australia and New Zealand has indicated that exposure to human activity can have a negative impact.

Next April, some of the world's leading scientists meet in Bunbury, Australia, for a convention on whales and dolphins, where it is hoped to launch an international research project into the impacts of human activities on dolphin ecology throughout the world and thereby develop sustainable dolphin and whale tourism. More.

The Dolphin Discovery Centre at Bunbury, is a non-profit organisation committed to dolphin research, education, conservation and also tourism. Located about 180 km south of Perth in Western Australia, the centre enables people to interact with dolphins, which can often be seen in the shallow waters in front of the Centre.

Labels: Australia, Bunbury, Dolphin Discovery Centre, dolphins, ecology, Tourism, whales