Baileys Trail is helping ecotourism in Southeast Ohio

The Post Athens. (September 25, 2019) Baileys Trail is helping ecotourism in Southeast Ohio. Retrieved November 11, 2019, From, https://www.thepostathens.com/article/2019/09/baileys-trail-helping-ecotourism-ohio

 

In Ohio, the construction of the Baileys Trails, an 88-mile long trail, will provide a much-needed boost in travelers and ecotourists, stimulating the economy. Currently, Ohio is already a rather popular place for ecotourists, due to incredibly beautiful scenery and healthy ecosystems. The construction of the trails will only serve to continue and further this. The trails will likely be used primarily for biking, one of the most popular recreations in Southeast Ohio. In addition, it has been petitioned for local Colleges and students to participate in the planned and care of the project in order to further their learning in the industry.

I believe that the construction of these trails will offer up practically nothing but positives for both the people in Southeast Ohio and the environment. While it is true that the construction of this trail will inherently bring with it, more human presence in animals habitats and the construction of the trail will mean some minor flora and habitat destruction; ultimately the positives of the increasing environmental protection spending and the populations’ awareness and appreciation for nature and all its ailments outweigh these. All in all, the students will gain a deeper understanding about the subject they have chosen to study, the trails will bring in money for the locals, and the environment will be healthier and cleaner a win-win-win situ

Nonprofit Hawaii Ecotourism Association rebrands

The Garden Island.(September 10, 2019) Nonprofit Hawaii Ecotourism Association rebrands. Retrieved November 11, 2019, from, https://www.thegardenisland.com/2019/09/10/hawaii-news/nonprofit-hawaii-ecotourism-association-rebrands/

 

It is impossible to mention ecotourism within the United Staes, without acknowledging Hawaii’s thriving eco-tourism business. The main nonprofit ecotouristic company on the islands has decided to rebrand. Rather than being called “The nonprofit organization Hawaii Ecotourism Association”, they have decided to call themselves “The Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawaii” The company feels as though this better represents their means and motivations for tourism in Hawaii, which is a thriving business. In the article Lauren Blickley, Program Manager with the Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawaii explains the change by saying, “Whereas ecotourism is limited to nature-based tours or natural resources conservation, sustainable tourism considers communities and cultural conservation, environmental conservation, and economic development.”Hawaii’s incredible variety of flora and fauna, as well as its relative proximity to the mainland US, make it the ideal target for “sustainable tourism”.

 

This article recounts the aspect of ecotourism which can be easily forgotten, its a business, and businesses often rebrand or rename themselves as to appeal to a wider base of consumers and make a higher profit. This particular company is a nonprofit, and it has been one of the biggest advocators for ecotourism (or rather sustainable tourism) in Hawaii over the course of the last twenty years. While this article was rather short, it got to the point very clearly and managed to provide interesting information on the “sustainable tourism” industry in Hawaii.

A kaleidoscope of monarchs: Marveling at one of nature’s greatest journeys

FloridaMuseum.(October 29, 2019) A kaleidoscope of monarchs: Marveling at one of nature’s greatest journeys. Retrieved November 11, 2019, from, https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/marveling-at-monarchs/

 

When industries that once supported entire towns and communities go away, the local population is often left without and other means of income and the whole area delves into poverty. Ecotourism, however, has managed to assuage these negative impacts in many different areas, namely of which, towns along the migration path of the Monarch Butterfly. This article combines the first-hand experience of the author while within a monarch sanctuary (they describe it as a quasi-religious one) along with facts about dwindling monarch populations along with explanations. Florida has seen an 80% decline in the Monarch population in recent years, and the situation is not much better in California or Mexico. This serious decline in population does not spell out well for many of the ecotourism businesses who have based their livelihood off of the Monarch butterfly. It is for this reason that all most all of these businesses have invested heavily in the recovery and growth of the Monarchs

 

This article covers many different important facets of ecotourism namely, the ways in which the community is impacted, and the impact on the environment itself. To quite a few people in California, Florida, and near the Mexican border, the Monarch Butterfly is not just an insect but rather what puts food on their table. I like this article because it also delves into what it actually feels like to be surrounded by these insects, as well as gives a diverse explanation for why their species is in decline. I feel, however, that the author should have included more information about ecotourism’s impact on the local communities and people, rather than just saying that there is one. By doing so, the author leaves out a key human aspect of this story.

Visit Florida Sets Sights on Ecotourism Market

News 4 Jax. ( August 16, 2019) Visit Florida sets sights on ecotourism market.  Retrieved November 11, 2019, from, https://www.news4jax.com/weather/2019/08/16/visit-florida-sets-sights-on-ecotourism-market/

 

Florida receives an incredible amount of visitors every, in the six month period between January to June (2019) there were an estimated 68.9 million visitors. These astounding stats have prompted the Visit Florida group to look into more environmentally friendly forms of tourism (i.e Ecotourism). What will be instrumental in them rolling out new ecotourism programs will be volunteers. Volunteers are needed to do a lot of the work necessary to run and maintain these eco-friendly programs. Instead of focusing entirely on Disneyland and other big attractions in Florida, Visit Florida will now invest in ecotourism, which is great.

 

Florida is home to many different extremely popular amusement parks, such as Disneyland, Sea World (Ew), Universal Studios, and many more. With such a high visitor count, the impact on the environment is inherently massive. That’s why I’m glad to hear that Visit Florida is attempting to divert the attention from their beaches and parks to something a little cleaner and better for the environment. Not many different tourism bureaus are exploring the ecotourism industry and those who are don’t necessarily bring in quite as many visitors as Florida does. Every little step towards a cleaner tourism industry, is inherently a positive one.

SC resort plan for remote islands may be OK under ecotourism rules, but some oppose the project

The Post And Courier. (Nov 7, 2019) SC resort plan for remote islands may be OK under ecotourism rules, but some oppose the project. Retrieved November 11, 2019, from https://www.postandcourier.com/news/sc-resort-plan-for-remote-island-may-be-ok-under/article_1e6982a8-f445-11e9-bd8a-b3d0da5c57a6.html

 

In South Carolina, there is a conflict over whether the construction of an ecotourist hotel should be permitted. The project proposes the development of a 100 million dollar hotel made up of 50 guest units, units for the staff, and multiple accompanying facilities. Due to the fact it is, in fact, an island, if anyone were to be injured, they would have to be helicoptered out to the nearest hospital, and all visitors have to either arrive by boat or by helicopter. There is likely to be at any time, anywhere between 60-180 people on the island at any time. Currently, the locals are opposed to the project, but the government officials (who will undoubtedly receive some sort of money from the construction of the hotel) are in full support of it. Ultimately, the zoning board will have the final decision on whether the development will take place.

 

  The increased activity on the island will undoubtedly interrupt the lives of the local animals. I also do not believe that the hotel will be extremely profitable considering it is located in South Carolina, which is a far as I know not a big hot spot for tourism, whether it be eco touristic or not. It definitely isn’t a big economic hub. Based off of this, it seems that the construction of this hotel will only serve to disturb the environment and not bring in enough funds to counteract their impact or have a positive one

The Allure of Energy Storage in Today’s Wildfire-Ravaged Climate

Many discussions regarding solar energy sound “too good to be true” to customers as the benefits appear far from realistic. Convincing customers that the cost of installing solar panels eventually would pay for itself was hard enough, and now builders propose that building too many solar panels is better than solar panels alone. Further, the increasing rate of wildfires and power outages in California is substantially helping builders’ dreams appear within reach. When power grids fail from weather conditions, solar storage is a quick and simple alternative, yet much of the state still relies on battery backup systems that have not yet proven failure. Despite this, as rolling blackouts caused by PG&E become more common, customers’ interest in energy storage quickly rises as they incorporate solar systems. In order to truly convince the public, though, solar companies promise four future aspects of solar power systems: energy independence from competitors, more price range choices, protection from power outages, and a substantial effort to save the future of the planet. Before environmentally-beneficial results can take place, the only necessities remaining are public agreement and the increased building of solar farms.

As the rate of wildfires seems to increase substantially with excess power usage, installing solar panels and added storage makes complete sense. Not only will the use of solar panels themselves help to better the planet, but reducing the risk of wildfires also saves forests and wildlife, in addition to ensuring human safety. Because the forced power outages are highly inconvenient, customers can be quickly persuaded to purchase solar energy to give them a more reliable and less dangerous backup battery system, while simultaneously reducing their ecological footprint. As traumatic as wildfires are, they have opened the public’s eyes to the need for environmentally-friendly systems, as our current methods of providing power are wrecking more havoc to ourselves and our planet. Thus, this article relates to environmental science as it encourages a shift in energy resources and pushes for excess solar panel installment, to ensure a better planet and better electricity in general.

California Has Too Much Solar Power. That Might Be Good for Ratepayers

The one problem with adding renewable energy sources is the lack of correlation between the demand and the actual capabilities. In June, California set the record for the most solar energy on the main grid of the entire state, and the record for the most energy taken offline. Although California is recognized for being ambitious with their renewable energy use, their solar farms are producing far more energy than the average american household needs due to extreme heat temperatures and sun. Worried over wasting excess energy, lawmakers are trying to find ways to preserve the added sunlight, yet such excess energy might prove beneficial for ratepayers. By having too many solar panels than needed, the prices of electricity remain relatively low. Building solar panels has become so cheap that overbuilding it is actually beneficial as the extra power can replace the need for batteries altogether. Excess energy can become extremely useful on cloudy days, when there is no sun to supply power. By 2030, California plans to have 100% climate-friendly energy, encouraging other states to follow in suit as they watch California’s progress. States are further intrigued as California already uses the most energy, yet has the lowest electricity bills due to solar farm use. Essentially, overbuilding solar panels is far from harmful. It offers quick storage of energy far cheaper than batteries, and can help California reach the goal of fossil fuel replacement, with the help of neighboring state involvement.   

The sole argument against solar panels is their inefficiency during moments without sunlight. However, this article directly counters this as with increasing temperatures, a lack of solar power is not an issue whatsoever. Because an excess of solar energy can not only be beneficial in times of cloudy weather, but is also cheaper than the typical backup battery method, customers are quickly interested. Further, as California continues overbuilding solar farms in order to encourage other states to follow along, influence spreads surprisingly fast. Once neighboring states copy California and focus on building not only solar and wind farms but more than necessary, the message of making all power environmentally-friendly is obvious. Therefore, the article encourages a welcoming mindset towards solar energy, so much that installing excess is encouraged to further promote the project across the entire country. 

Giant Batteries and Cheap Solar Power are Shoving Fossil Fuels Off the Grid

Los Angeles, California is proposing to install a battery to back up a solar farm that could potentially power 7 percent of the city’s electricity for under two cents per kilowatt. To quantify this amount, such a battery would be cheaper than any fossil-fuel generated power. As fossil-fuel dependent companies such as coal companies go bankrupt, this paves the way for new renewable farms to take over. Already, 54 countries and 8 states have switched to renewable energy, making it a requirement in homes, factories, etc. Currently the cost to decarbonize the entire United States Grid would be around 4.5 trillion dollars. However, as switching to renewable energy becomes more popular as awareness is spread throughout the globe, prices may drop significantly with increased interest.  

Because cost is such a major concern stopping companies and families from switching to solar energy, it is important to spread awareness of the benefits of renewable resources altogether. By elaborating on the Los Angeles installation, this article alerts other states and cities within the United States to do their part as well. Taking big steps towards renewable energy is required to encourage the world to do the same, and eventually lower prices enough to where solar energy appears to be the only valid option. Stopping carbon emissions from large factories won’t happen without civic engagement, as customers refusing to support coal companies will cause more to go out of business, providing more opportunities for solar farms. Thus, this article relates to environmental science, as awareness of the benefits of renewable energy must be spread to encourage any change whatsoever. 

Farming the sun: As Water Goes Scarce, Can Solar Farms Prop Up the Valley?

In order to cope with drought repercussions, farmers in the San Joaquin Valley have resorted to using solar energy to supplement their revenue. Because the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is restricting the amount of groundwater farmers can pull from their basins, many areas within the valley will deplete, leaving open acre land readily available for solar panel use. These new panels would not only power four corners of the California power grid but also help reach the renewable energy goals of sixty percent of energy in California coming from renewable sources. However, the only downside to adding solar panels in this area is the economic decline it would cause, as solar farms have little to no job opportunities once built. Despite this, the need to designate more land to solar panels holds strong, as many argue that trying to renew the dried valley area for farmland would only cause poor air quality and dust problems that contribute to asthma regardless. Thus, such open land could greatly benefit the state, if used as an open renewable energy source. 

This article relates to environmental science as developers and farmers discuss what to do with such open land. Rather that try to sell housing on dry, dusty land that would cause harm to individuals’ lungs, the proposal of installing solar panels is far more efficient. The area within the San Joaquin Valley is wide open and key for renewable energy sites. Thus, by discussing the need for an increase in renewable energy locations to power not only the power grid but also neighboring farms, encourages the public to stand behind this ideal as well. The drought is limiting farmer’s water usage in this area anyways, and if the groundwater is essentially near depletion to begin with then the most logical solution is to turn the previously used farm land into a new solar farm. 

After PG&E Blackout, California Homeowners Shift to Solar and Batteries

Thanks to PG&E cutting off power due to wildfire hazards, the public is doubting the

stability of power grids and thus switching to battery and solar technology to decrease their 

reliance on power reserves. Although California already leads in solar panel installation, 

numbers continue to increase as buyers purchase battery technology to power their house off 

energy stored from solar panels in case of a blackout. Such demand for both systems has caused 

the prices of both to drop, and a lower monthly bill for the buyer that takes place instantly. 

Increasing rates of PG&E are also encouraging customers to switch to solar as the monthly 

payments are significantly cheaper. 

By expressing the necessity of solar power during potential blackouts, this article 

convinces readers to make such an investment. Through increasing the interest for solar panels, 

the demand increases as well, giving immediate benefits to solar companies. By spreading this 

desire for solar panels under the blanket of protection from blackouts, society is essentially 

tricked into helping the environment as well, as solar panels are far more beneficial 

environmentally compared to power grids. Further, increasing the number of people using solar 

panels reduces the amount of energy pulled from legacy utilities, making sparks less frequent

 along transmission lines and therefore less blackouts, while simultaneously saving energy 

overall.