VacationTechnician Wilderness Safaris is extremely pleased to announce that, from 2005, they will be handling the marketing and reservations for Abu Camp in the Okavango Delta. Abu Camp has just been bought from Randall Moore by ardent conservationists, Alistair Rankin, Colin Dhillon, Murray and Kenneth Collins and the new owners have tied in with VacationTechnician Wilderness Safaris .
Said Rankin, �I have had a long history with VacationTechnician Wilderness Safaris and have always had honest, reliable and trustworthy support from them. VacationTechnician Wilderness Safaris to me represents the most trusted marketing company I would want to deal with. The reason we decided to go this route is because our products combine well together, as we both focus on a private personalised guest experience.�
Abu Camp�s animal focused programme offers guests the rare opportunity to spend quality time with a special herd of elephants, consisting of mature bulls, cows and babies. The programme works towards bridging the gap between man and animal so that guests leave Abu�s with a wonderful understanding of elephants and of nature. �We will be adopting a new approach to how the elephants are handled and will be creating a once in a life time experience for guests, who will be able to get up close and touch these awe-inspiring animals, not only on a physical but an emotional and spiritual level,� commented Rankin.
�Our elephants are rescued from safari parks, zoo's and disadvantaged backgrounds and have all been living at Abu Camp for the last 14 years. We do not buy and sell elephants but rather offer a sanctuary for elephants, although sometimes we have to purchase these elephants in order to save them. They are trained and love riding out into the bush everyday. All training is done on a reward basis using treats (horse cubes). The elephants are loved and well looked after. They are living out their lives in relative freedom, on a 400 000 acre concession,� added Rankin.
Visitors will have a chance to share intellectual space with the planet's largest and most intelligent land mammal. The Abu Camp team concentrate on developing and promoting a comprehensive educational awareness programme, which informs guests about the important position that elephants hold within the ecosystem and the issues surrounding their existence. �We hope that this programme will assist guests in making an informed decision regarding the elephant�s situation in Africa. Guests are also invited to join the resident Bristol University researcher in her study of adolescent male elephant behaviour,� continued Rankin.
Abu Camp is located on the western side of Botswana's Okavango Delta. Guests will be touched by a life-changing journey as they spend time with the herd that have the run of 400 000 acres of Delta, one of Africa's last true, pristine wildernesses. No effort has been spared to ensure that guests enjoy this unique experience in total comfort and safety.
The camp, concealed in an ancient riverine forest, consists of six extremely luxurious, custom-built and stylishly-furnished tents. The lavish bedrooms, with mahogany four-poster or antique sleigh beds, are complemented with plush en-suite bathrooms complete with copper or porcelain baths, shower and flush toilet. Every tent has a different style but all reflect the very high standard that defines Abu Camp. A private, tree-shaded deck with a hammock overlooks a lagoon frequented by a myriad of bird and animal life.
On the other side of the lagoon, a five-minute drive from the main camp, is the new completely private and secluded Abu Elephant Villa. Built in the same style and standard of luxury as Abu Camp, Abu Elephant Villa sleeps two people with a second bedroom for children, each with en-suite bathrooms. After an elephant experience or early morning game drive, with their personal guide and exclusive Land Rover, guests can spend time relaxing on the expansive pool deck whilst soaking up the beauty of their environment.
�Our elephant experience offers many magical, memorable moments, not least the opportunity to come very close to and even mingle with the wild animals. The herds of giraffe, zebra, buffalo and antelope are unconcerned by the approach of the elephant herd of which you are a privileged part. We also offer game drives in open vehicles or a day spent drifting through the tranquil waters of the Delta in a mokoro, the traditional dugout craft of the Okavango,� added Rankin.
Whether one wishes to commune quietly with the silence of the bush from the veranda of one's own tent, or exchange stories around the fire, Abu Camp is the perfect hideaway for a safari to remember and savour forever.
Together, VacationTechnician Wilderness Safaris and Abu Camp aim to lift the elephant experience to new heights while enhancing peoples� understanding and appreciation of the elephant. This is part of our footprint in Africa as well as our commitment to conservation in Africa.
About Abu Camp:
Abu Camp is situated in a 400,000 acre private reserve in the heart of the Okavango Delta. The camp has 6 luxurious �tents� that are located under a shady canopy in an ancient riverine forest. The tents have a unique and wonderful design with a private viewing deck overlooking the lagoon. Each tent at Abu's has beautiful en-suite facilities with a shower and a bath.
The dining / bar areas are on raised wooden decks that wind around African ebony and sycamore fig trees. The lounge and dining tent has beautiful big sofas, with a breathtaking view over the lagoon and also features a well-stocked library and a study.
Guests at Abu Camp are invited to share with the resident elephant family what is, without doubt, the ultimate elephant education safari. The elephant experiences offer many magical moments including the interacting with the resident herd of eight elephants � as well as with the herds of wildlife in the area. Abu's also offers game drives, night drives, walks and mokoro (dug out canoe) safaris � as well as the most intimate elephant learning experience in Africa.
For guests looking for the ultimate in bush luxury and exclusivity, The Elephant Villa is situated across the lagoon � a short five minute drive away. This villa can accommodate a couple or a family with children.
Plains game is abundant in the area, from giraffe, zebra, elephant, impala, tssessebe and lechwe to wildebeest, buffalo and warthogs. The camp's resident pride of lion should announce their presence at some time during your stay, and it is very likely that you will hear them calling at night.
LOCATION
� On the western side of the Okavango Delta
� In a private concession area
PRICING / CHILD POLICY
One rate January to December
☼ Children over the age of 8 years are welcome although younger can be accommodated if sole use of the camp or the Elephant Suite has been booked
ACCOMMODATION
Abu�s Camp - Number of tents:
Six tents in total consisting of:
� 4 x twin bedded tents
� 2 x double bedded tents
This camp can accommodate 12 guests including any guides/pilots/ tour leaders / escorts
Elephant Suite � Number of rooms:
One large suite consisting of:
� 1 x twin bedded room
� 1 x double bedded room
This suite can accommodate 4 guests max (ideal for a family)
The camp accommodates a maximum of 12 guests (between Abu's and the Elephant Suite) at any one time unless it is all being booked for one group of up to 16 guests.
Tent details:
� Luxury safari tents raised off the ground
� Each tent has a viewing deck overlooking the lagoon
� En-suite bathroom with bath and shower
� Zippered entrances and roll down canvas on the windows.
� Each tent is beautifully and individually furnished with mahogany four-poster beds or antique sleigh beds
CAMP DESCRIPTION
� Situated in an ancient riverine forest surrounded by open grasslands, island sanctuaries and papyrus-fringed channels
� Luxury safari tented camp
� Large canvas dining, bar and lounge area on a tiered teak deck
� A well-stocked library is available to all, with a number of reference books and beautiful coffee table books on Africa
� Sundowners around a traditional camp fire
GAME VIEWING
Plains game is abundant in the area, from giraffe, zebra, elephant, impala, tssessebe and lechwe to wildebeest, buffalo and warthogs. The camp's resident pride of lion should announce their presence at some time during your stay, and it is very likely that you will hear them calling at night.
ACTIVITIES
Year round multi-activity camp:
� Day and Night game drives via 2 x open Land Rovers (each vehicle has 6 seats of which 4 are window seats)
� Walking safaris
� Water game viewing via mekoro
� Bird watching
SUGGESTED 3 NIGHT PROGRAM
Day 1: Arrive around lunch time.
Briefing on safety and the elephants.
Short talk on the Okavango formation and location.
Tea with snacks.
Orientation ride with elephants until sunset. Guests meet the herd and the mahouts and get a short story on history of elephants.
Dinner in camp followed by after dinner fireside stories.
Day 2: Wake up around 06h30.
Breakfast 07h00
07h45 out on the first long activity with the elephants. Some guests
will ride (only 8 guests can currently ride at a time) and others will
walk with the elephants.
10h00 Bush tea and drive to picnic site on the river/channel.
12h00 Bush lunch under canopy overlooking lagoons and floodplain. After lunch siesta on blankets and pillows spread out in the shade. Fishing and mekoro's for those interested. Or the option to siesta back at camp if guests prefer.
15h30 Ride or walk with the elephants back to camp.
Sunset in camp and refresh for dinner.
Dinner and fireside stories. Slide show for those interested on the history of Abu camp and the herd.
Day 3: Wake up 06h30
Breakfast 07h00
07h45 ride out into the bush on the elephants plus walking with them for those keen.
10h00 Bush tea and anatomy talk using one of the elephants as a live model. Game drive back to camp for lunch.
Lunch and siesta or fishing or walking
Tea at 15h30
Ride the elephants back to camp on a different route.
Sunset in camp.
19h00 Farewell bush dinner in the bush.
Day 4:
06h30 Wake up
07h00 Light snacks with coffee
07h45 Last ride with the elephants
10h00 Bush tea, photo oppurtunity and farewells to the mahouts and the elephants.
11h00 Brunch and farewell at camp before departure
Please note that the activities are flexible and can be tailor-made to guest�s requirements and we also offer night drives & game drives.
ELECTRICITY & WATER
� There is no electricity at the camp and all the lights and hot water is powered by solar batteries
� Video camera batteries can be charged and for this please bring a 220v adaptor for a three-pronged round plug.
DRINKS POLICY
All stocked drinks are included in the nightly tariff
LAUNDRY POLICY
Laundry is done on a daily basis and inclusive in the nightly tariff with the exception of �smalls� i.e. underwear, which are not washed due to local customs.
EXTRAS PAYMENT
Curios and tips/gratuities can be settled on check out. Payment can be made by cash (US$, British Sterling) or travellers� cheques (currently no credit cards accepted but we are hoping to introduce Visa Card payments in the future)
FLYING TIMES
To/from Maun: 30 minutes
To/from Kasane: 1 hr 30 minutes
AIRSTRIP DETAILS
Matsaudi airstrip located a short drive from camp
Airstrip co-ordinates: S19.24.18, E22.32.55
Length 1000 m
GRATUITY SCHEDULE
The following is the suggested gratuity schedule only and is subject to service standards:
Guides - US$10.00 per person per day
General Camp staff - US$5.00 per person per day
Mahouts or mekoro paddlers - US$5.00 per person per day
Specialist guides (if applicable) - US$10.00 per person per day
COMMENTS:
Randall I�m sure you can understand that your camp and your elephants are like coming home to me. I wish my stay could be longer. I have so many questions, I shall return - Thank you
Joyce Pool - 3 May 1996
Nature, man and beast in perfect harmony
Karen Ross � Conservation International 20 June 1997
This must be the greatest camp in all Africa � you should rename it Camp Lemon
Jack Lemon August 1998
Why, oh why did I wait so long�.
Anthony Hall Martin June 1999
Thanks for a great day, best days in Africa�.ever, brilliant
William Wales 1999
*`�*-.,_,.-*`�*-.,_,.-*�
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and peaceful retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
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BRITISH MPS' VISIT TO BOTSWANA 'CONTROLLED BY THE GOVERNMENT'
5 July 2004
Search Botswana Bushmen Articles on vacationtechnician.com
Support the Bushmen of Botswana: Plan a Botswana Bushmen Safari with vacationtechnician.com
A delegation of British MPs has just returned
from a visit to Botswana paid for and organised
by the government there. The Bushmen evicted from
their ancestral lands, whose situation they were
supposed to investigate, have denounced the visit
as 'controlled by the government.'
Most of the MPs spent just a few hours talking to
Bushmen in one of the relocation sites, and most
of those chosen to talk to them were appointed by
the government.
When other Bushmen tried to explain how they
wanted to return to their ancestral lands, they
were prevented from speaking. The MPs did not
attempt to visit the hundreds of Bushmen who have
returned to their lands inside the Central
Kalahari Game Reserve.
Not all the MPs, however, were taken in. Dianne
Abbott told the Sunday Telegraph that the
relocation centres were 'more like refugee camps
than communities� I am quite convinced that they
were moved against their will.'
The visit was organised by the huge PR company,
Hill & Knowlton, which has been contracted by the
Botswana government and De Beers to counter the
Bushmen's campaign for their land rights. It is
one of many visits, all similarly stage managed,
led by Nigel Jones MP. Hill and Knowlton have set
up and administer a new all-party group on
Botswana which is chaired by Mr Jones. The trips
are paid for by Botswana's diamond revenue,
controlled by De Beers, and include luxury
safaris.
Nigel Jones told the BBC last week that they only
saw 'one or two people who were not happy'. When
the reporter put it that the Bushmen themselves
were reporting 'huge social dislocation', he
replied, 'Well, we didn't see any of that,' and
went on, 'the government has been pretty
generous.' Mr Jones has previously accused those
supporting the Bushmen's right to return to their
lands as 'prefer[ring] Basarwa women to die in
childbirth in the bush' and 'people to die from
curable diseases'. (The Bushmen are called
'Basarwa' in Botswana, a derogatory term.)
Botswana's President Mogae visited the same
settlement only two weeks ago and handed out food
and blankets to the Bushmen, telling them not to
try to return to their lands, in spite of the
fact that they are now taking the government to
court for the right to go back - the case starts
this week.
The Gana and Gwi Bushmen lived largely by
independent hunting and gathering until the
evictions. They are now destitute and dependent
on government hand-outs. They call the government
sites 'places of death', saying there is nothing
to do there except get drunk. They are arrested
if they try and hunt. Prostitution is becoming
common.
The Bushmen are the indigenous inhabitants of all
of southern Africa and, it is thought, have lived
there for at least 40,000 years.
Stephen Corry, director of Survival, said today,
'For the Oxford-educated president to hand out
blankets to the Bushmen and tell them not to try
and return to their land is like the British
'buying' the land of Canadian Indians for 700
blankets in 1850. British MPs were complicit in
that deal, and now some are doing the same thing
in the Kalahari. Both episodes bring shame on
Britain. Have we learned nothing from history?'
For more information contact Miriam Ross on (+44)
(0)20 7687 8734 or email
[email protected].
--
Survival International is a worldwide organisation supporting tribal
peoples. It stands for their right to decide their own future and
helps them protect their lives, lands and human rights.
Survival International
6 Charterhouse Buildings
London EC1M 7ET
UK
Tel: (+44) (0)20 7687 8700
Fax: (+44) (0)20 7687 8701
General enquiries: [email protected]
http://www.survival-international.org
*`�*-.,_,.-*`�*-.,_,.-*�
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and peaceful retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
.::. vacationtechnician.com = conserving the most enchanting wilderness chill out retreats on Earth .::.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
International private sector partnership attempts to tackle �Kyoto Protocol Exempt Global Airline Industry�s Pollution,� -one traveler at a time.
Greenwood Lake, New York (PRWEB) Jun 29, 2004 � The Global Airline Industry is sharply reducing the positive environmental benefits of the Kyoto Protocol.
The largest negative impact of air travel is the jet greenhouse gas emissions. The UK-USA private sector partnership between Climatecare.org and vacationtechnician.com presents an elegant solution to offset one of the largest unchecked catalysts driving global climate change, widely known as Global Warming.
Despite the global airline industry's heavy environmental toll, guidelines on international aircraft emissions were excluded from the Kyoto protocol on climate change and aviation fuel is tax-exempt. High altitude airline exhaust is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gases. The exponential growth of low cost air carriers worldwide is only serving to compound the problem.
�At the Third Session of the Conference of the Parties in Kyoto, international aviation emissions were not included in the agreed targets, because of the difficulties that had arisen over the methodologies for allocating these emissions.�
Example: during a typical flight from Europe and the USA to Africa: from London to Johannesburg each passenger is responsible for 2.5 tons of CO2 while if flying from New York, this rises to 3.5 tons!
The Vacation Technician Company offers a convenient way of both calculating these emissions and �repairing� their negative impact on Earth's atmosphere. Each vacationtechnician.com client is consulted regarding the carbon created by their flight. Clients are then asked to make a distance calculated "offset" or financial contribution which funds a CO2 reduction project in a financially less fortunate country, professionally managed by Climatecare.org
"Beneath the glamorous high-flying image of aviation is a grossly polluting industry," said Paul de Zylva, head of Friends of the Earth in London.
�Amid years of scientific warnings on Climate Change and Global Warming, real conservation options have been non existent for environmentally sensitive air travelers,� says David Chamberlain, director of vacationtechnician.com. �We are excited to enable our clients an option to "offset" the excessive greenhouse gas and carbon emissions generated as they fly to the most enchanting wilderness retreats in the world.�
Climate Care was formed in 1998 as a limited company, to help individuals and organizations reduce their own impact on global warming. Then, as now, we were in no doubt of the enormity of the challenge, but we reasoned: "One World. One Climate. Two Choices." The first choice is to ignore the problem and hope it will go away by itself. The second choice is to acknowledge the problem and then take sensible, sure steps to resolving it.
The VacationTechnician Company is committed to providing discerning international traveler�s routes of discovery to both explore & protect the most remote & pristine wildlife areas left on our planet. Enlightening and exhilarating adventure tourism can bring hope to less developed economies and those less fortunate while at the same time sustaining and protecting our rapidly diminishing natural areas worldwide. Luxury adventure never made so much sense.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
David Chamberlain
The VacationTechnician Company
155 Blueberry Hill
Greenwood Lake, NY 10925
1-866-589-8792 USA
001-866-589-8792 International
http://www.vacationtechnician.com/x/climatecare.htm
Tom Morton
ClimateCare
58 Church Way
Oxford
OX4 4EF
United Kingdom
http://www.climatecare.org
Tel: +44 (0)1865 777 770
*`�*-.,_,.-*`�*-.,_,.-*�
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and peaceful retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
.::. vacationtechnician.com = conserving the most enchanting wilderness chill out retreats on Earth .::.
Global Airline Industry reducing Positive Environmental Benefits of Kyoto Protocol
"At the Third Session of the Conference of the Parties in Kyoto, international aviation emissions were not included in the agreed targets, because of the difficulties that had arisen over the methodologies for allocating these emissions". Reference
The largest negative impact of your holiday travel is the greenhouse gas emissions from your air travel. The Vacation Technician Company and Climatecare offer a convenient way of both calculating these emissions and �repairing� their impact on the climate -thereby making an equivalent emissions reduction or "offset."
FYI:
Reuters CNN May 24, 2004 - In Sydney Airport's crowded international terminal, passengers make last-minute passport checks or fret over toddlers in pushchairs as they wait in the snaking queue to check in for the 23-hour flight to London.
But few of the 400 passengers crammed on to each jumbo jet taking off over Botany Bay ever consider the environmental impact of their 17,000km intercontinental trip.
Passengers will consume at least 1600 meals in plastic containers, but each plane travelling to London will guzzle more than 200 tonnes of jet fuel and pump out more than 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide, as well as other greenhouse gases.
"Beneath the glamorous high-flying image of aviation is a grossly polluting industry," said said Paul de Zylva, head of Friends of the Earth in London.
Scientists say airlines rate as one of the most polluting forms of transport, with 16,000 commercial jets producing more than 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
Climate change, caused by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, is deemed by many experts to be the biggest long-term threat to mankind.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates aviation causes 3.5 per cent of man-made global warming and that figure could rise to 15 per cent by 2050.
Nasa scientists say condensation trails from jet exhausts create cirrus clouds that may trap heat rising from the earth's surface.
This could account for nearly all the warming over the United States between 1975 and 1994.
Earth's Climate & You...Click for Facts
The International Air Transport Association, the body which represents the world's airlines, accepts that aircraft cause environmental damage.
"Every minute we can save in flight times has a positive impact on the environment and on our costs," said Iata spokesman Anthony Concil.
Despite the industry's heavy environmental toll, guidelines on international aircraft emissions were excluded from the Kyoto protocol on climate change and aviation fuel is tax-exempt.
Aerospace firms have made huge leaps forward, with commercial jets 70 per cent more fuel-efficient per passenger kilometre than they were 40 years ago, thanks to better engines, lighter materials and aerodynamic designs.
And cost-obsessed carriers are continuously searching for ways to use capacity better, find more direct flight paths and cut congestion in order to trim the hefty fuel bills which make up 25 per cent of airline operating costs.
Dirt cheap airfares, thanks to the runaway success of low-cost carriers, mean thousands more people are now taking to the skies.
"It's a catch-22 situation. Many developing countries want to promote tourism as a revenue source and a lot of no-frills airlines are appearing in Malaysia and other parts of Asia," said Gurmit Singh, of Malaysia's Centre of Environment Technology and Development.
The sheer growth of passenger volumes is likely to negate the benefits of future improvements, say environmentalists.
Simon Thomas, chairman of London-based environmental consultancy Trucost, estimates that technological improvements help trim emissions by around 1 per cent a year, a drop in the ocean when the aviation industry is forecasting 5 per cent annual traffic growth for the next two decades.
The aviation industry opposes any new green taxes, saying many airlines are still in recovery mode after the September 11 attacks.
Instead of curbing damaging emissions, new levies would only bump up fares and damage low-cost carriers in particular, say aviation groups.
But green initiatives such as global emissions trading schemes for airlines are gaining favour.
British Airways already takes part in emissions trading and budget airline EasyJet said it would support any Government moves towards an aviation emissions trading scheme.
*`�*-.,_,.-*`�*-.,_,.-*�
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and peaceful retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
.::. vacationtechnician.com = conserving the most enchanting wilderness chill out retreats on Earth .::.
Safari Field Reports
About The VacationTechnician Company
The VacationTechnician Company Conservation Campaign
22 June 2004
BOTSWANA PRESIDENT PERSONALLY GIVES BLANKETS TO
BUSHMEN AND TELLS THEM NOT TO GO HOME
Plan a Bushman Safari with vacationtechnician.com
In a surprising move, last week the president of
Botswana personally visited New Xade, one of the
government sites where the 'Bushmen' were taken
after being expelled from their ancestral land.
Although it was only 3 weeks before the Bushmen
take his government to court for the right to
return to their land, President Festus Mogae was
accompanied by Sidney Pilane, the lawyer acting
for the government in the case.
Pre-judging the court's ruling, the president
told the San Bushmen that they should not try to
return to their land and also distributed
handouts of food, clothing and blankets.
He told the Bushmen: 'I am your father and I have come to
check up on my children.'
Stephen Corry, director of Survival, which is
very well-known in Botswana for its support of
the Bushmen, said today, 'To pretend that this
visit is not a blatant attempt to influence the
court case, and the British MPs' trip,* is just
na�ve.
In other countries, a visit from the head
of state - and defendant - so close to the court
hearing would not be allowed.
The irony is that the president's handouts actually reinforce the
state of dependency the Bushmen have been reduced
to. These hunter-gatherers are no longer allowed
to hunt and have been turned by the government
into beggars and prostitutes.
So the president's actions are in fact entirely in keeping with his
prevailing attitude, that the Bushmen are to be
stripped of their ability to lead lives outside
of government control. To call this 'development'
is just a mockery. It's an appalling 21st century
echo of how indigenous peoples in North America
were once robbed of their lands in exchange for a
few blankets.'
A Bushman who must remain anonymous said of the visit, 'This is just bribery.'
* A group of British MPs is due to visit New Xade
at the end of June 2004. They are: Nigel Jones, Dianne
Abbott, Tony Banks, Ashok Kumar, Alan Meale,
Roger Godsiff, Jane Griffiths, Andrew Hunter,
John Horam, Paul Keetch.
UK: New motion in Parliament on Bushmen
A second Early Day Motion has been tabled in the UK�s House of Commons supporting the Bushmen�s right to return to their homeland. 24 MPs have already signed; if you live in the UK, please urge your MP to sign too. The motion (EDM no. 1168) can be read at http://edm.ais.co.uk/weblink/html/motion.html/ref=1168. To locate your MP you can use the following website: http://www.locata.co.uk/commons/
BOTSWANA: Bushman hunters arrested
Three Bushmen from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana have been arrested and charged with �unlawful hunting�. The three were hunting near the resettlement centre of New Xade, where they have been forced to live since the government evicted them from their reserve in 2002. The arrests are the latest in a rising tide of persecution of Gana and Gwi Bushman hunters. The Bushmen were banned from hunting and gathering in the reserve after the evictions, and since then those hunting around the resettlement centres have faced harassment, arrest and heavy fines or imprisonment. �I feel angry because I am a hunter and I�m not allowed to hunt. I have children but I don�t know how to feed them,� says one man. In the resettlement centres, the Bushmen are dependent on government rations.
For more information contact Miriam Ross on (+44)
(0)20 7687 8734 or email
[email protected]
Survival International is a worldwide organisation supporting tribal
peoples. It stands for their right to decide their own future and
helps them protect their lives, lands and human rights.
Survival International
6 Charterhouse Buildings
London EC1M 7ET
UK
Tel: (+44) (0)20 7687 8700
Fax: (+44) (0)20 7687 8701
General enquiries: [email protected]
http://www.survival-international.org
*`�*-.,_,.-*`�*-.,_,.-*�
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and peaceful retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
.::. vacationtechnician.com = conserving the most enchanting wilderness chill out retreats on Earth .::.
June 22, 2004
DeBeers Diamonds: Last Straw for Botswana Bushman?
The court case that could decide the future of the Gana and Gwi
Bushmen will be held in July this year. Two hundred and forty-eight
Bushmen and Bakgalagadi are taking Botswana to court over the
government's forced eviction of them and their families from their
ancestral land, in what could be a test case for Bushman rights
across southern Africa.
Sign the Petition to support the Bushmen.
The case will begin on 4 July with an 'inspection in loco' of the
resettlement centres, and of the Bushman communities in the Central
Kalahari Game Reserve to which nearly 200 Bushmen have returned
despite government opposition. Fearing that their voices will not be
heard, as has been the case in previous government-led tours, the
Bushmen are calling for observers from the local and international
media to observe the 'inspection'.
The Bushmen want the government to recognise their rights to return
to their land and live there without fear of further eviction, and to
hunt and gather freely. The original case was dismissed on a
technicality in April 2002. The Bushmen appealed, and won the right
to have the case re-heard on its merits.
Note: Wildlife department permits are required to enter the Central
Kalahari Game Reserve. Entry to the resettlement centres outside the
reserve is unrestricted.
Permits are also required for filming. In the past, film makers have
sometimes been prevented from filming by the police, even when they
had the required permit.
For further information, please contact Kali Mercier at +44 20 7687
8731 or email [email protected]
--
Survival International
6 Charterhouse Buildings
London EC1M 7ET
UK
Tel: (+44) (0)20 7687 8700
Fax: (+44) (0) 20 7687 8701
General enquiries: [email protected]
http://www.survival-international.org
.::.
Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and peaceful retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
.::. vacationtechnician.com = conserving the most enchanting wilderness chill out retreats on Earth .::.
Safari Field Reports
About The VacationTechnician Company
The VacationTechnician Company Conservation Campaign
June 1, 2004
DeBeers Diamonds: Last Straw for Botswana Bushman?
The court case that could decide the future of the Gana and Gwi
Bushmen will be held in July this year. Two hundred and forty-eight
Bushmen and Bakgalagadi are taking Botswana to court over the
government's forced eviction of them and their families from their
ancestral land, in what could be a test case for Bushman rights
across southern Africa.
Sign the Petition to support the Bushmen.
The case will begin on 4 July with an 'inspection in loco' of the
resettlement centres, and of the Bushman communities in the Central
Kalahari Game Reserve to which nearly 200 Bushmen have returned
despite government opposition. Fearing that their voices will not be
heard, as has been the case in previous government-led tours, the
Bushmen are calling for observers from the local and international
media to observe the 'inspection'.
The Bushmen want the government to recognise their rights to return
to their land and live there without fear of further eviction, and to
hunt and gather freely. The original case was dismissed on a
technicality in April 2002. The Bushmen appealed, and won the right
to have the case re-heard on its merits.
Note: Wildlife department permits are required to enter the Central
Kalahari Game Reserve. Entry to the resettlement centres outside the
reserve is unrestricted.
Permits are also required for filming. In the past, film makers have
sometimes been prevented from filming by the police, even when they
had the required permit.
For further information, please contact Kali Mercier at +44 20 7687
8731 or email [email protected]
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Survival International
6 Charterhouse Buildings
London EC1M 7ET
UK
Tel: (+44) (0)20 7687 8700
Fax: (+44) (0) 20 7687 8701
General enquiries: [email protected]
http://www.survival-international.org
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense...
The Weapon of Mass Destruction?
vacationtechnician conservation
vacationtechnician Paradise Paradigm
TOP TEN SAFARI RECOMMENDATIONS
#1: Best all-round safari: Jacana Safari, Botswana. Excellent choice for first safari, also ideal for single travelers as there is no single supplement if you are �willing to share�. The group of no more than 8 has 100% exclusivity in all camps.
# 2: Best �Ultimate Safari� experience: Best of Southern Africa flying safari. Traveling by private dedicated aircraft between premier camps in best areas of 4 countries (Namibia, Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe). Excellent review by Travel Editor of New York Times who took this trip in May 2003.
#3: Best value for money: Zimbabwe fly-in safari. The Wilderness Safaris camps in Zimbabwe are being filled by savvy Africa travelers who know that it is during these times that one enjoys the finest wildlife encounters, at attractive prices.
# 4: Best �active� safari: Rhino Safari, Zimbabwe: game drives, foot safaris with best-qualified guides in Africa (Zimbabwe full pro guides); tracking rhino on foot, boating on Lake Kariba, canoeing on Lower Zambezi River, and more.
# 5: Best �new� trip for 2004: Gorilla treks in Rwanda are back!
#6: Best combination of two countries: Botswana and Namibia. Botswana has lots of opportunities for game-viewing, the incomparable Okavango Delta and it combines perfectly with Namibia�s desert and dune experience.
#7: Most unusual destination: Madagascar. Adorable lemurs, amazing people, strange spiny forests, always the unexpected. Just don�t expect everything to work 100%�
#8: Trip most likely to be a �life-changing� event: Mana Canoe Trail, Zimbabwe.
#9: Best honeymoon destination: North Island, Seychelles. No question.
#10: �Best kept secret� safari area: Mashatu Game Reserve, Tuli Block. Too many of our clients return from Mashatu with multiple leopard sightings or other fabulous game-viewing experiences for this area to remain �undiscovered� for long.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Hello Friends,
ZIMBABWE - WORTH A SECOND LOOK?
If you are at all interested in Zimbabwe, this is one Southern African country where the prices have not increased lately, so please give us a call for a quotation. We can put together a very attractive safari including Makalolo Plains (Hwange Game Reserve) and Matusadona Water Camp (on Lake Kariba), together with Victoria Falls.
On longer itineraries, the Mana Pools area can also be included - and adventurous types may wish to do the Mana Canoe Trail between Ruckomechi and Chikwenya. I have had more than one client tell me that this safari was a life-changing event.
While Zimbabwe has lately been a controversial destination due to the political situation there, the safaris are operated in very remote and very safe areas, completely isolated from any populated towns or cities. Zimbabwe has had excellent rains so far this season, which is good news for the game later on in the year. The wildlife sightings have been absolutely awesome! On a recent safari vacationtechnician clients spotted over 20 different mammal species in one game drive in Hwange National Park � including Wild Dog, Lion, and the very rare Red Hartebeest.
NEW ZAMBIA PACKAGES
Zambia's magnificent national parks are relatively unknown, but our associates Star of Africa has unveiled a series of stunning safari destinations in four of Zambia's most game-rich areas. The lodges offer a diverse choice of environments, and represent a very exciting upmarket wildlife circuit. When managing director Dave Bennett was here in Europe recently, he told me that the game-viewing at some of the camps have been extraordinarily good, with some clients experiencing as many as 5 different leopard sightings on one game drive. Dave tells me that game-viewing in the Lower Zambezi area is very similar to that of the near legendary Mana Pools area of Zimbabwe.
Two of our clients with St. Louis Zoo Travel recently traveled to the South Luangwa region of Zambia on an inspection trip, where they spent several days with Star of Africa, whom they described as 'a real winner in Zambia'. Our clients were complimentary about the level of guiding, the accommodations and the wildlife.
Here is what they had to say about Puku Ridge: "The accommodations are superb. Each unit is huge, with a sitting area, a deck overlooking the plain, sunken tub, etc. Quite reminiscent of Jao Camp in Botswana. The dining area is nicely laid out, overlooking a pool built into the side of the hill. Wildlife is all over the place." They were equally impressed with the other camps and experienced some excellent game-viewing such as observing a pack of 22 wild dogs, large herds of Black Lechwe, good views of the endemic Thornicrofts Giraffe and much else besides, including a great number and variety of birds.
Star of Africa has now introduced several package deals which include all or some of their lodges, at attractive rates. For example the 9-day 'Zambian Spice Trail' safari includes 2 nights at each of Star of Africa's luxury lodges in the Victoria Falls area (Sussi & Chuma); Lochinvar National Park (Lechwe Plains Tented Camp); Lower Zambezi National Park (Kulefu Tented Camp) and South Luangwa National Park (Chichele Lodge or Puku Ridge). Please call or e-mail for detailed itineraries and prices which start at around $3,000.00 p.p. sharing for an 8-day 'Classic Zambezi' safari which includes 3 nights in the Lower Zambezi area.
MADAGASCAR MAKING A COMEBACK
The good news from Madagascar is that it is safe to travel to the country again. A new broom sweeps clean in the form of new President Marc Ravolamanana who is reputed to be a man of great vision.
Madagascar isn't for everybody, and at times it can be a difficult place to travel due to poor roads and other minor inconveniences. However, if you can handle the fact that not everything may happen exactly as per the timing on the printed itinerary, it may just be the place for you. Just the other day I saw comedian John Cleese in a television interview situation where the reporter wanted him to be 'funny'. All Cleese wanted to do was talk about the lemurs he had seen on a recent trip to Madagascar, where he did some charitable work. Like so many before him, John Cleese was clearly totally enchanted by these amazing creatures. He went on and on about how beautiful and entertaining they were, how many different kinds there are, and how endangered many of them were due to habitat loss. One could sense that Clease would much rather be in a forest in Perinet than the television studio he found himself in...
Anybody that's been to Madagascar can relate. I am not a great 'monkey' fan, and I generally consider the few African monkey species which I have seen, especially the cheeky Vervet monkeys, to be a bit obnoxious. By contrast, Madagascar�s lemurs are stunning. It took me all of 15 seconds to fall in love with the first species of lemur I had a good look at, namely the Ringtailed Lemur, at Berenty. Following a family group of Ringtails around on a foraging expedition at Berenty, was one of my best nature experiences ever. The mothers were casting me a wary eye, and the little ones almost seemed to be 'daring' one another to get close to me, and then dart away. I was so close that I could see the particular type of flowers that they were picking, ever so daintily but very effectively, steadily moving from one shrub to another.
So take off the watch, brush up on a few words of French, and book a trip to Madagascar. You will love the lemurs! And possibly a lot of other things too - the people, the birds, the reptiles, the spiny forest, and simply being in a country that is just so 'different' in almost every way one can imagine.
NEWS FROM SOUTH AFRICA
When is the best time of the year to visit South Africa? Definitely during the South African Spring (Fall in the northern hemisphere). South Africa is a year-round destination but the far north-eastern part of the country - where the major game reserves are located - is prone to hot, humid and often rainy conditions in the summer months from December through about March.
So if you are planning a trip to South Africa, and have some flexibility with your dates, September and October are probably the two best months. The winter months of June, July & August are good too, just a bit cold and with a significant chance of rain in the Cape.
From the outset of the year, many South African venues and suppliers have either held or lowered their rates for 2004 and 2005. There are quite a few good special offers goings, the best of which is: From May through the end of September, stay for 2 nights at either Jock Safari Lodge (inside Kruger Park), Sanbona (south-western Cape) or Shamwari (Eastern Cape) and stay for 3 nights free (Room Only basis) at either Lake Pleasant in Knysna or Steenberg Hotel in Cape Town. Sanbona Game Lodge has over 7 different Rock art sites for guests to enjoy. It is also home to cheetah as well as the 'big five' mammals. There are over 165 bird species including Black and Fish Eagle. Hot air ballooning is available as an optional extra.
The Cape Grace is offering a 4 night stay for the price of 3 nights until 19 December 2004. This is an effective 25% reduction on a 4 night stay.
Great news is that Chapman's Peak on the Cape Peninsula has reopened and the views are absolutely amazing. Even better is that Wilderness Safaris are not charging an additional fee for either their Private or Scheduled Tours utilizing the improved toll road.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Global Warming Facts from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
May 12, 2004 New York Times
Global Warming Ignites Tempers, Even in a Movie
By SHARON WAXMAN
LOS ANGELES, May 11 � Any studio that makes a $125 million movie about global warming is courting controversy. But 20th Century Fox does not seem to have fully anticipated the political firestorm being whipped up by its film "The Day After Tomorrow."
Environmental advocates are using the film's release, scheduled for May 28, as an opening to slam the Bush administration, whose global warming policies they oppose. Industry groups in Washington are lobbying on Capitol Hill to make sure the film does not help passage of a bill limiting carbon-dioxide emissions, which many scientists say contribute to global warming.
Meanwhile on Tuesday Fox sparred with celebrity advocates who complained that they had been disinvited to the movie's premiere, only to be reinvited later in the day.
All this is occurring as the entertainment industry is on the defensive, with television networks acknowledging they are censoring themselves to avoid being accused of promoting indecency and the Walt Disney Company distancing itself from a film critical of the administration's foreign policy.
In a telephone news conference on Tuesday former Vice President Al Gore compared the exaggeration of the film's premise to the approach of the Bush administration to global warming.
"There are two sets of fiction to deal with," Mr. Gore said. "One is the movie, the other is the Bush administration's presentation of global warming." He accused the White House of "trying to convince people there's no real problem, no degree of certainty from scientists about the issue." The news conference was organized by moveon.org, an Internet-based liberal advocacy group.
Dana Perino, the spokeswoman for the Council on Environmental Quality, which coordinates environmental policy for the White House, said the administration's policies would reduce global warming threats without destroying jobs.
"While they're working on movies," she said, "we are advancing our scientific knowledge, developing transformational energy technologies and reducing the greenhouse-gas intensity of the American economy."
Early this week Laurie David and Robert Kennedy Jr., vocal anti-Bush environmentalists, said that Fox had withdrawn their invitation to the film's premiere in Manhattan but later called to reconfirm the invitation.
In between, a Fox spokesman said the studio had arranged a special screening for them and Mr. Gore a day before the premiere, and another screening for scientists.
Ultimately Fox chalked the invitation issue up to miscommunication.
Invited or not, Ms. David, a prominent member of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said Fox rejected an offer to have the premiere serve as a fund-raiser for any one of numerous environmental groups. (Studios often use premieres as charitable fund-raisers.)
Before learning from Jim Gianopulos, Fox Studio's chairman, that her invitation to the premiere had been reinstated, Ms. David said: "Fox is completely disinterested in raising any consciousness. In fact they're bending over backward to disassociate themselves from the environmental community."
She continued, "Any connections to anything political they're afraid will hurt the opening."
A Fox spokesman denied any attempt to play down the movie's environmental message or to distance the film from activists. "Clearly the movie is entertainment, but all of this activity creates additional interest, making it more topical," Jeffrey Godsick, the spokesman, said. "It's been wonderful."
Directed by Roland Emmerich, "The Day After Tomorrow" imagines a catastrophic climate change and the rapid arrival of a new ice age caused by global warming. Massive storms destroy Western Europe, Manhattan is covered in a sheet of ice, and tornadoes blast Los Angeles.
The film's trailer shows Dennis Quaid, who plays a paleoclimatologist, warning the vice president � played by an actor who closely resembles Vice President Dick Cheney � that "if we don't act now, it will be too late."
Fox, which financed the big-budget movie, is part of News Corporation, whose chairman and chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, is a strong supporter of Mr. Bush. Mr. Godsick said he did not know if Mr. Murdoch had seen the film.
Mr. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, said on Tuesday that Fox's attitude toward environmentalists seemed comparable to other instances of self-censorship by media corporations in a politically charged climate.
"This is part of an unfortunate pattern that fits in with CBS canceling the Reagan mini-series and Disney refusing to distribute Michael Moore's film" "Fahrenheit 9/11," he said in an interview before his invitation to the premiere was reinstated. He was referring to recent controversies over political considerations affecting entertainment decisions.
"This is like back to the 1950's and 60's, where people in Hollywood were scared to death of Joe McCarthy, censoring artists, not distributing films, blackballing people," he said. "It's a classic thing that you're supposed to avoid in democracy, the merger of state and corporate power."
Mr. Godsick said that Fox, which plans to spend about $50 million to market the film, was not keeping any interested party at arm's length. The marketing strategy had no connection to the other recent episodes in Hollywood, he said.
"Look, different groups have different agendas," Mr. Godsick said. "Some are to politicize things, some are to go beyond that. The real power of the movie is to raise consciousness on the issue. That's a win-win for everybody."
The studio's Web site promoting the film, thedayaftertomorrow.com, does not include the words "global warming" in its synopsis of the story. But the site does include a section labeled "What can you do?" with a link to Future Forests, a nonprofit British group that promotes limiting carbon-dioxide emissions.
Mr. Emmerich ensured that the movie production participated in CarbonNeutral, a program that involves buying credits to offset carbon-dioxide emissions created during the movie's filming, Mr. Godsick said.
Fox marketing executives have expressed concern that the movie not be perceived as a scientific "treatise," as one executive put it, emphasizing that its appeal is as an action-adventure, roller-coaster-style experience.
Moveon.org said it planned to have thousands of volunteers handing out leaflets about global warming outside theaters when the movie opens. Meanwhile in Washington a coalition of industry groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers, is working to make sure that the movie does not contribute to the passage of a bill limiting carbon-dioxide emissions.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Global Warming and Climate Change is the biggest environmental threat humanity will face in the 21st century. Caused by an overabundance of the heat-trapping gas, carbon dioxide, in the earth's atmosphere, global warming has caused changes in climate worldwide as well as disruptions and dislocations in habitats and wildlife.
"To me the question of the environment is more ominous than that of peace and war. I'm more worried about global warming than I am of any major military conflict." - UN Weapons Inspector Hans Blix, March 14, 2003
"Our house is burning down and we are blind to it.The earth and humankind are in danger and we are all responsible. It is time to open our eyes. Alarms are sounding across all continents. We cannot say we did not know! Climate warming is still reversible. Heavy would be the responsibility of those who refuse to fight it."
- French President Jacques Chirac, World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, August, 2002
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Pre-empt Global Warming
by Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the Soviet Union, now heads Green Cross International. He sat down with NPQ editor Nathan Gardels on Oct. 7 in New York to discuss Russia's position on the Kyoto Protocol and US President George W. Bush's renewed push for nuclear non-proliferation.
NPQ | In his speech to the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly, United States President George Bush called for a renewed emphasis on stopping nuclear proliferation -- especially in North Korea and Iran -- to ensure the bomb doesn't fall into the hands of terrorists.
Yet, the US is planning a new generation of small, "more usable" nuclear weapons. And in its agreement with Russia to reduce warhead stockpiles, it has agreed only to "decommission" its weapons, not "demilitarize" them -- in other words, store them, not destroy them.
Doesn't this US posture undermine the credibility of the non-proliferation agenda?
Mikhail GORBACHEV | Much progress has been made between the US and Russia in reducing our nuclear arsenals. But, yes, this US posture is troubling. Since the US has refused to ratify the treaty to prohibit nuclear testing, it is clear it intends to go on perfecting its nuclear weapons. It is clear it is not thinking of abolishing nuclear weapons over the longer term. On the contrary, there is a new concept of American doctrine, as you mention, that foresees the "battlefield use" of nuclear weapons. This does away with the idea that the only purpose of nuclear weapons is as a deterrent.
It prompts other nations to ask, "Why must we abide by the non-proliferation treaty when the No. 1 member of the nuclear club continues to perfect and develop its own weapons?" That is a double standard.
If the US only thinks about its interests instead of the global good, other nations are asking why they, too, shouldn't be putting their own interests first as well?
These questions cannot be wished away. And they are not just being asked by authoritarian or terrorist states. Challenging this double standard is precisely what democratic India had in mind with its nuclear tests.
For now, the US doctrine has sown mistrust and suspicion among the world community.
NPQ | In the absence of a superpower competitor, what can be the aim of America trying to perfect a new generation of nuclear weapons?
GORBACHEV | That is a question, it seems to me, that the American democracy with its open debate about everything else ought to be discussing. It is, after all, a far more significant issue than Monica Lewinsky. Democracy doesn't seem to be working on this particular issue.
It is very important for America to understand how the only remaining superpower can act responsibly in the world. Why isn't it taking the lead, for example, on ratifying the Kyoto Protocol instead of withdrawing from it and trying to kill it?
NPQ | Well, the US doesn't seem to be the only power that doesn't like the Kyoto Protocol. When the US withdrew from the process, it was denounced as unilateralist. Now, Russia -- the critical industrial power whose ratification will make or break the treaty -- is balking. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin says he questions it. And his economic advisor said: "The Kyoto treaty will doom Russia to poverty, weakness and backwardness. If the US and Australia can't afford it, how can Russia?''
GORBACHEV | There is no doubt that reducing greenhouse gases will have costs -- it will take spending money, products may be more expensive, and it will affect competition. That can't be denied. But what is the alternative? Climate change is real, and its costs for the whole planet will be very real. These problems can be solved, especially as we modernize industry with environmental concerns in mind.
Leadership is about making hard choices, taking into account the long view. Let's hope that Russia does not stand on the sidelines on this issue of global warming. Let's hope it doesn't let the international community down. Whenever we have talked about this, President Putin said he will ratify the Kyoto Protocol in the end. I trust him on this, but as President (Ronald) Reagan used to say, "Trust, but verify."
NPQ | What do you think of the American doctrine of preemption?
GORBACHEV | Those who talk about leadership of the world all the time ought to exercise it. Rather than develop strategic doctrines of military preemption -- as we've seen in Iraq, where no weapons of mass destruction have yet been found -- let's act where the intelligence is clear: on climate change and other issues such as water, where today 2 billion people in the world don't have access to clean water. Let's talk instead about preempting global warming and the looming water crisis.
NPQ | In your time in power in the Soviet Union, we used to talk about the dictatorship of the proletariat. Now, more than a decade after the Cold War, we have something new -- a dictatorship of the consumer.
The mass market and political system give them what they want, when they want it, which is now. But the consumer calculus is self-interest; his horizon is short term. In the consumer societies, there is thus no constituency for the future -- for the long-term issues we've been discussing, from climate change to water.
How can a constituency for the future be built?
GORBACHEV | All of us, but particularly in America, consume too much for the planet's well being. Americans are less than 5 percent of the world population, but use 30 percent of all the energy. Gradually, we need to abandon the model of consumer society. If we continue with this model, we will surely undermine nature. And that, in turn, will undermine the stability of our societies.
Building a constituency for the future is, as I said, a task for political leadership. But it also requires an active civil society because, as we know and as you suggest, political leaders in today's more democratic world look most often to the next election, not the next generation.
To add to this problem, the great gap between rich and poor that has grown with globalization is already undoing the accomplishments of the democratic wave of the early 1990s. More and more, there is a trend toward authoritarianism as a way to cope with the dislocations of globalization.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
vacationtechnician.com Botswana Safari Guide Profiles: Richard Randall
Richard who speaks English and French, is a vacationtechnician professional guide with more than 30 years of bush experience in Southern Africa. He is a citizen of Botswana and lives in Maun. Richard is one of the best ornithologists and birdwatchers in Southern Africa, and is considered one of the top safari guides.
No wonder he was given the responsibility to share his knowledge and the beauty of the bush with thousands of people from around the world, among them Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton former President of the United States.
Richard always tries to show the bush as an amazing ecological complex of organisms, small and big, all of which he considers equaly important and fascinating. The wildlife of Africa is much bigger than the spectacular mammals that we all love and want to photograph, and in the process we miss the whole immense drama of life.
"the best guides = the best safaris~ a bad guide in the best camp will ruin your safari."
Je suis arriv� en Afrique australe en 1957 a l�age de cinq ans avec mes parents qui avaient �migr� l� de l'Europe. Tr�s t�t j'ai d�velopp� un int�r�t vif en ce qui concerne, en effet une passion pour, la faune qui abondait dans beaucoup de parcs dans notre nouveau pays la Rhod�sie, maintenant le Zimbabwe. La plupart des mes vacances ont �t� pass�es dans la nature o� je pouvais �tudier la flore et faune locale. Plus tard, pendant que j��tait '� l'�cole secondaire et ensuite � l'universit�, j'augmentais mon horizon de naturaliste pour inclure des visites aux parcs et r�serves au Kenya, au Mozambique, en Afrique du Sud et au Malawi. J'ai travaill� pendant quelques ann�es en tant qu'administrateur de gouvernement dans des endroits �loign�s et sauvages du Zimbabwe.
J'ai visit� la premi�re fois le delta de l�Okavango en 1977 et j�etais tellement impression� que j'ai d�cid� plus tard de me d�placer l�, prenant le poste de Directeur des Op�rations et Naturaliste pour une compagnie de safari bas�e au coeur du delta. Pendant mon temps dans le Delta j'ai accompagn� beaucoup de groupes et d�individus en promenades 4x4, � pied et en de bateau, et j�ai form� les guides professionnels locaux. Certains de ces groupes �taient associ�s avec des mus�es ou les �tablissements universitaires (par exemple l�universit� de Harvard, le mus�e Smithsonian et la California Academy of Science). J'ai �galement men� des groupes de langue fran�aise, ayant appris le fran�ais � partir de ma m�re qui �tait parisienne. En 1992 j'ai obtenue le poste de Directeur G�n�ral et Naturaliste dans un nouveau et grand loge de safari � Kasane, dans le nord lointain du Botswana. J'�tait responsable de 12 guides professionnels et j�ai personnellement pris en charge le guidage sp�cialis�.
Pendant mon temps l�-bas, j'ai guid� sur demande, des groupes, des familles et des personalit�s internationaux. Parmi le dernier �taient le Pr�sident du Botswana, le Pr�sident Rawlings du Ghana, le Premier Ministre de la Malaisie, Princesse Alexandra du Royaume Uni et, en 1998, j�ai �t� s�lectionn� p�r la Miason Blanche des Etas Unis pour conduire un Safari sp�cialement pour le Pr�sident Clinton des et son �pouse Hilary. Depuis juillet 2002 j'ai r�sid� dans la ville de Maun, et j�ai tenu le poste de G�rant d�une compagnie de safari, ou je travaille aussi comme guide professionnel pour des exp�ditions dans le delta de l�Okavango, les parcs de Mor�mi et de Chob�. Mes int�r�ts entournent les mammif�res, les oiseaux (je suis membre du Comit� de BirdLife Botswana), les reptiles, les amphibies, la flore et l'astronomie. Je suis un citoyen du Botswana.
Apart l�anglais et le fran�ais, je parle aussi le Setswana (du Botswana) et le Shona.(du Zimbabwe).
KWANDO SAFARIS G�RE 4 CAMPS, INTIMES, PRIV�S ET PERSONNELS.
� Kwara Camp situ� au sein des 175. 000 hectares de la concession de Kwara, dans le delta de l�Okavango
� Lebala Camp situ� dans la partie sud des 232.000 hectares de la concession de Kwando
� Lagoon Camp situ� dans la partie nord des 232.000 hectares de la concession de Kwando
� Songwe Village situ� pr�s des chutes du lac Victoria Zambia sur 125 hectares de terrain priv�.
POUR QUOI KWANDO SAFARIS & vacationtechnician.com?
Kwando Safaris a �t� fond� afin d�offrir aux amateurs l�exp�rience unique d�un vrai safari africain � Tout ce que vous attendiez.
� Kwando Safaris n�organise ses safaris que dans des zones enti�rement priv�es.
� Nos camps sont ouverts toute l�ann�e.
� Pas plus de 6 h�tes par v�hicule.
� Nous organisons des randonn�es d�observation des animaux sauvages en dehors des pistes.
� Nous organisons des randonn�es nocturnes d�observation des animaux sauvages (30% des animaux les plus fascinants sont essentiellement nocturnes).
� Nous utilisons des bateaux � deux ponts d�observation afin de garantir une visibilit� panoramique maximale.
� Nous avons recours � des guides et traqueurs afin de maximaliser les possibilit�s d�observation de toutes les esp�ces.
� Nous proposons un tarif tout compris. � Pas plus de 8 tentes (16 lits) dans chaque camp.
� 3 repas sains et nutritifs chaque jour.
� Nos tarifs comprennent toutes les boissons alcoolis�es y compris les grandes marques, les vins, les autres boissons et les boissons fra�ches.
� Nos camps du Botswana, avec Songwe Village constituent un ensemble de 5 grandes destinations de safari.
� Service de r�ception et de reconduite � l�a�roport de Maun.
� Des camps intimes dans des emplacements priv�s avec un service personnel de style africain.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
A Rhino in Botswana's Okavango Delta sizes up vacationtechnician wildlife-watchers. "Safaris might be the key to winning the conservation battle in Africa," says Colin Bell, whose company won the World Legacy Award in the Nature Travel category.
On June 8, 2004, at National Geographic's Washington, D.C., headquarters, Queen Noor of Jordan is scheduled to again present the World Legacy Awards (WLA) for sustainable tourism�a joint program of National Geographic Traveler magazine and Conservation International (www.wlaward.org).
Queen Noor presided over the first WLA ceremony last year, announcing winners in three categories: Nature Travel, Heritage Tourism, and Destination Stewardship. Each winner works to protect the natural and cultural quality of the places we visit, supports local communities, and gives us lasting travel memories.
This week, in anticipation of the 2004 ceremony, we present the winners of 2003 as described in Traveler (September 2003), starting with the Nature
Wilderness Safaris, Southern Africa
"To me, there is no more uplifting, inspirational, or educational form of travel than a safari," Colin Bell, founder of Wilderness Safaris, tells me. So I'm learning in northern Namibia at the company's Skeleton Coast Camp, a 600,000-acre (240,000-hectare) reserve, one of 44 eco-friendly Wilderness Safari camps in seven African countries. The experience is more than just touring Earth's oldest desert (55 million years) with sand dunes that vibrate and hum under the chilly Atlantic winds. It's more than tracking springbok and desert elephant; more than combing beaches flecked with garnet, agate, and diamond; more even than visiting the nomadic Himba to witness their centuries-old way of life. It's complete immersion in the large, fantastic world of the desert.
When I ask if any industrial use threatens this land, our amiable guide, Douw Steyn, says, "Yes. It's widely used in the tourist trade." He shows us a gravel plain lacerated by the truck tires of joyriding tourists, saying the tracks will take a century or more to disappear. Southern Africa-based Wilderness Safaris, by contrast, has built its reputation on minimizing tourism damage and maximizing its benefits to both people and nature.
At the Mombo Camp in Botswana's Okavango Delta, for instance, my gin and tonic came with a slide show on the Wilderness Safaris backed rhino reintroduction program here. Poachers eradicated rhinos here in the early 1980s, but now 21 white rhinos nibble about. On a walking safari at Jao Camp, also in the Okavango, local guide Frank Mashebe thrilled guests by unlocking the secrets of�of all things�termite mounds. (They have an air-conditioning system, for instance).
Wilderness Safaris won its award partly because it hires, trains, and promotes talented locals like Mashebe. At Botswana's Savuti Camp, another skilled guide, Benson Siyawareva, tracked down the rare African wild dog, or "painted wolf." Only 5,000 or so still roam, but he finds a pack of 16�the gift of conservation.
"Our conservation ethic and community-based tourism model have resulted in threatened land becoming protected," Bell tells me. "And our Children in the Wilderness project, which has given week-long safaris to a thousand underprivileged African children, should help create the next generation of African conservationists."
For more information book via safari specialists such as New York-based vacationtechnician.com.
Watch for the Heritage Tourism winner in two weeks, and the announcement of the 2004 World Legacy winners on June 8.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
It's the beginning of a new era for private jet travel. Within the next two years, the luxury air industry will welcome a new category of entry-level, ultra-light, business jets. These planes will be constructed of light weight materials and have advanced designs, lighter engines and sophisticated avionic systems.
This is important news for you, as a vacationtechnician.com customer. Ultimately, it will mean lower costs for your point-to-point travel. As some of these aircraft qualify to become part of vacationtechnician's network, their lighter weight will require less fuel for each leg of a one way trip, therefore lowering your cost.
Currently, there are seven contenders in the super-light business jet category. They include: Adam Aircraft Industries (A500 & A700), Avocet Aircraft LLC/ Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd. (ProJet), Diamond Aircraft (Diamond Star DA-40 180), Eclipse Aviation Corp. (Eclipse 500) Japanese car maker Honda Motors in a joint manufacturing arrangement with General Electrics' Transportation Division (HF-118 engine and the HondaJet), Safire Aircraft (Safire Jet) and Textron Inc.'s Cessna (CitationMustang).
Most all of these planes will be ready for flight between the end of 2004 and 2009. They will cost between $1 million to $2.5 million. So, keep an eye out for opportunities to fly on these new birds. They'll offer lower costs per trip when chartering them!
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
The atoll that time forgot: Aldabra Islands
Campaigners fear for future of giant tortoises and crabs.
For millennia the atoll known as Aldabra has bloomed in the absence of man. A speck in the Indian Ocean hundreds of miles from inhabited islands, it spawned tortoises big enough to knock over trees and crabs powerful enough to rip open coconuts.
White-throated rails, the last surviving flightless bird of the Indian Ocean, wandered the scrub, and in the lagoon darted sharks, ray, groupers and other exotic fish. Sailors occasionally landed but did not linger, for want of fresh water and timber.
But in the mid-1960s Britain appeared to deliver the unique ecosystem's death sentence by deciding to site a military base at Aldabra, effectively turning it into a giant aircraft carrier.
Campaigners rolled back that decision in what was feted as a landmark victory for the modern environmental movement, leaving the atoll's four main islands, Grande Terre, Malabar, Polymnie and Picard, largely untouched to this day.
Now that may change because a luxury safari camp is being planned for Aldabra. The age of ecotourism has caught up with the land that time forgot. The government of the Seychelles, the archipelago east of Africa which administers the atoll, has tendered for a resort to cater for the super-rich in anticipation of charging each visitor thousands of dollars a day.
The prospect has horrified conservationists. Tam Dalyell, the Labour MP who led opposition to the military base, vowed yesterday to launch a new campaign on behalf of Aldabra, which remains part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. "I am absolutely dismayed," he said. "It would alter the nature of the atoll. The idea was to keep it as pristine as possible."
Mr Dalyell, now the father of the House of Commons, said he would raise the issue in parliament when it resumes after the Easter break and lobby the Foreign Office.
But the South African company which has tendered to build the resort, Wilderness Safaris, said its environmental record was impeccable and it would manage the world heritage site better than scientists who, it said, treated the atoll as a private playground while stationed there for research.
"Why should it be scientists that have exclusive access? They can be the worst when it comes to looking after the environment," said a company director, Russel Friedman.
Aldabra is situated in the extreme south-west of the Seychelles archipelago, 375 miles east of Africa, 250 miles north-west of Madagascar and 685 miles south-west of the main Seychelles population centre, Mah�.
It is the world's largest raised coral atoll; its last submergence was about 125,000 years ago. It hosts endemic insects, plants and mammals, including 152,000 giant tortoises, the world's largest population of this reptile. Believed to live beyond 100 years, the tortoises weigh up to 250kg (39 stones) and are known to push over shrubs and small trees when foraging for food.
Robber crabs measuring up to a metre long - the world's largest terrestrial arthropods - rove the beaches and climb palm trees in search of coconuts, which they open with huge pincers. The world's second largest population of frigate birds use the atoll for their sanctuary.
Described by Sir David Attenborough as "one of the wonders of the world", the atoll was declared a world heritage site by the UN in 1982.
The government of the Seychelles, whose beaches attract celebrities such as the England rugby star Jonny Wilkinson, wants to attract rich tourists and for Aldabra to pay its own way.
"It costs us $500,000 a year to run Aldabra," Lindsey Chong Seng, executive director of the Seychelles Island Foundation (SIF) which manages Aldabra, told Reuters. "In order to maintain the atoll, we have to put Aldabra on a sustainable footing by introducing an upmarket eco-lodge."
He said plans included building six blocks, accommodating a total of 12 people, on the western island of Picard. Visitors will be expected to pay up to $2,000 (�1,090) a night.
Wilderness Safaris, a vacationtechnician.com partner, is the only company to have tendered, according to Mr Friedman. The Johannesburg-based company runs 48 lodges across southern Africa, many of them in environmentally sensitive areas.
Non-governmental organisations promised funding but it never materialised, Mr Friedman said, prompting the authorities to seek alternative means.
He envisaged a maximum of 20 visitors spending a week at a time on the atoll, adding that it would be better off hosting monitored tourists than PhD students duplicating predecessors' research.
"It's an awesome place, really amazing. If you go there and don't enjoy yourself there must be something wrong with you," Mr Friedman said.
But he said the company had asked the authorities to suspend the tender process for 12 months while the tourism market improved.
A marine researcher who spent several months on the island but declined to be named said a luxury safari camp would compound rising sea temperatures and erosion which are already threatening the ecosystem.
Mr Dalyell echoed those concerns, claiming that no matter how well intentioned, a resort would damage the atoll.
Paradise being lost
The Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos archipelago, 600 miles off Ecuador, was discovered by Charles Darwin and is home to giant tortoises, lava lizards and penguins. The ecosystem is threatened by fishermen demanding laxer laws and by the 2001 oil spill which killed 60% of the unique marine iguanas. The tourist trade is also a concern.
Great Barrier Reef
Off Queensland, the 1,250-mile long series of reefs is home to sharks, turtles and more than 1,500 types of fish. Concern that overfishing is depleting marine life has led to a law that will leave tourism the only permitted industry in one-third of the world heritage site. The million visitors a year bring problems of pollution.
Maldives
A chain of islands off the Indian sub-continent, the Maldives are a sought-after destination for scuba divers. But the coral reefs are being damaged by effluent by the tourist cabins. Global warming makes their disappearance a real possibility.
Antartica
Mining and mineral exploitation has been banned from the last great wilderness, which occupies a 10th of the plane. It is home to penguins, albatrosses, elephant seals and whales. But there is a also a burgeoning cruise industry. Environmentalists point out that if you leave a footprint in moss on Antartica it will take at least 10 years to recover.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
