Achtenberg, K. (2022, August 3). Governor Whitmer Announces Michigan Joining Three Other Midwest States to Build Lake Michigan EV Circuit, America’s Best Electric Vehicle Road Trip. Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://www.michiganbusiness.org/press-releases/2022/08/whitmer-announces-michigan-joining-three-midwest-states-build-lake-michigan-ev-circuit-americas-best-electric-vehicle-road-trip/ 

The governors of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wyoming have joined forces to create what will be known as an electric Route 66. This new approach to ecotourism is very unique, as it includes a 1,100-mile road trip route reserved for electric vehicles as well as attractions and amenities along the way. This project will bring new ecotourism locations to the Midwest as well as boost the states’ economies, and construction has already begun and is expected to be finished in the coming years. The road trip is also meant to highlight and promote small businesses along the way, favoring the local economy as well by encouraging the consumption of locally-sourced produce.

I think this project is very interesting, but also slightly confusing. I feel like this will definitely have a sustainable impact once finished but the construction sounds very costly and unsustainable. I also wonder if there really are that many electric cars in these four states to keep this going and make it a successful, meaningful project. Although it is unique and could actually be very environmentally friendly, I feel like there were other, more impactful ways the money and effort could’ve been spent.

Gagnon, H. (2022, August 23). Envisioning Justice in Ecotourism. Common Thread: Antioch University News. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://commonthread.antioch.edu/justice-in-ecotourism/ 

Ecotourism is a great way to travel but unfortunately, it can have some unethical aspects. Researchers Dr. Kelly Cerialo and Dr. Amy Lethbridge testify their findings in this article. Ecotourism is now a $270 Billion dollar industry, but many people aren’t benefiting from this money flux, many of them being Native populations. With over 500 Native tribes being federally recognized in the US, much of their land has been infringed upon due to ecotourism. The two researchers emphasize that this is also an international issue but that considering the US’ many other efforts to improve the environment, this is an issue that should be strongly addressed. 

 I believe this is an important topic to bring up when talking about ecotourism because sometimes it may seem like a perfect and flawless option for travel but that’s not always the case. Ecotourism is a good step towards sustainability but at what cost? It’s important to do good research on the locations one will be visiting because there could be issues even other than land infringement, such as unjust pay, false advertisement, and other unethical dilemmas that could damage a travel experience and the local environment.

Wittig, S. (2022, August 4). Sustainable Tourism Flagstaff. Green Living. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://greenlivingmag.com/sustainable-tourism-flagstaff/ 

Flagstaff, Arizona has become a quaint hotspot for those looking to vacation sustainably. Arizona has many ecotourism locations to offer, notably Sedona which has seen a strong peak in visits due to its popularity with influencers and celebrities. The article explains that this city has developed many different ways to promote ecotourism, from low-waste, locally-sourced dining to a blossoming arboretum. The city has also constructed a LEED building, which involves the cooperation of architects, environmental engineers, and local Native Americans to devise sustainable ways of living. Flagstaff has proven to be an affordable and earth-friendly destination for many eco-tourists. 

I really appreciate Flagstaff’s approach to rebranding itself as a good ecotourist city especially because of the wide variety of sustainable activities they offer. It spans many things from food, to wildlife, research, and even stargazing. Considering the fact that Arizona isn’t too far from California, hopefully, our state will catch up and also start developing greener cities especially because we have witnessed the effects of climate change rock the state recently.

U.S. Embassy supports inclusive economic growth and sustainable tourism in Tafilah. U.S. Embassy in Jordan. (2022, November 3). Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://jo.usembassy.gov/u-s-embassy-supports-inclusive-economic-growth-and-sustainable-tourism-in-tafilah/

Tafilah is a region southwest of Jordan’s capital, Amman. Located in the Jordanian countryside, the governorate is known for its lush vegetation featuring olive trees, grapevines, and other native plants. This recent meeting between the US Ambassador to Jordan and the Tafilah Governor was meant to help plan out and strategize different ecotourism approaches, as well as ecological education for the local youth. The USA’s funding of these projects will help encourage ecotourism in other locations, as well as within America. This cooperation is setting a good dynamic for the encouragement of ecotourism from the US government. 

Not only is this event a sign of improving diplomatic relations between Middle Eastern nations and the US, but it is also reassuring to see international cooperation in the protection of the environment. The USA already has many ecotourism locations so using that knowledge and these resources to help other countries start veering away from conventional tourism is a promising initiative to better the overall and local environments. I think the one downside to this American influence could be the possible “westernization” of certain foreign locations, losing their cultural values for the sake of a better climate.

• University of Portsmouth. (n.d.). Ecotourism is having a negative effect on primate’s behavior. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220425104845.htm

The act of ecotourism in Malaysia is causing the proboscis monkeys to become more stressed and angry. When tourists approach them in their boats with loud motors, the noise makes the monkeys stressed and makes them hide away in the deep forest, leaving them to be more vulnerable to predators. This is an issue because it disrupts the way the monkeys live and gives them unnecessary stress that the tourists give them. The monkeys also get more aggressive, especially the males.

The monkeys being bothered could really affect their ecosystem since they will become more vulnerable to predators. This will lead there to fewer monkeys and it could seriously affect their ecosystem because they play their own part which is helping the vegetation around them thrive. Environmental science ties into this because the ecosystem is being interrupted causing the environment itself to progressively get worse. I believe that places like that where wildlife is present, shouldn’t be available to the public because people can affect the behavior of wildlife. 

• Parekh, V. (2022, August 31). Hidden truths of ecotourism: Colombian case study. UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources. Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/sustainable/hidden-truths-ecotourism-colombian-case-study

The article is about Tyrona National Park in Columbia. We are introduced to the term “Green Grabbing”, “which is the transfer of ownership from local communities to either the government or private sector under the banner of environmentalism” (Parekh, 2020). In this case, some groups decided to take over the land that was there before and use it to market and produce drugs like marijuana. Ninety percent of the park is owned by a private group. This affected the ecotourism that once inhabited the park.

This article discusses a different but similar link with the industry by having to capitalize on the parks for their own success. This is very different from the rest because the park/land is being used to make a profit off of something else that is not the park. This ties into more of the economic side of Environmental Science because it is using natural resources to benefit others. I do not agree with the use of the land. I believe that it should be controlled by the government, like in the US, where the government controls the national parks, etc.

• O’Donnell, D. (2022, May 26). CATALYST – The Downside of Ecotourism. CATALYST. Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://catalyst.cm/stories-new/2019/11/26/the-downside-of-ecotourism

The ecotourist harms the areas around us, causing overpopulation n some places. The amount of carbon emissions made from air travel is 5%. Tourists in the ecotourist area use way more natural resources than locals living there. A place mentioned that is negatively affected by ecotourism is Macchu Picchu. The amount of waste made by tourists causes a lot of problems, from the trash they leave behind, to the waste they make. The land is overpopulated with numbers only increasing over time.

The area in Macchu Picchu is heavily affected by ecotourism which is causing it to have many problems. There isn’t much that benefits the land or Peru, besides the money they receive. A place like Macchu Picchu will not last very long with the number of people going and causing harm. I believe that this ties into environmental science because the number of people going is really affecting the environment. The environment will be seriously in danger unless more precautions are made to limit the number of people going and visiting.

• Revfine.com. (2022, May 14). Ecotourism: What it is, Advantages & Disadvantages, Examples & More. Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://www.revfine.com/ecotourism/

We learn about the many pros and cons of Ecotourism’s effect on nature. The article opens up by discussing the purpose behind ecotourism, which is to raise awareness to our environment. Then discusses the pros, which are that it promotes more attention and action towards wildlife preservation, and often, the money spent in ecotouristic locations is distributed amongst the community and the care for the wildlife. Some cons listed as well were that it can affect the wildlife’s behavior, driving indigenous and local communities away from the location, and ignoring ecotourism conservation practices. The article closes by telling us how to be a proper Eco-Tourist.

The idea of ecotourism affects the wildlife to either benefit or get worse over time, as explained in the article. Ecotourism could disrupt the ecosystem if precautions aren’t followed. In Environmental Science, we learn the dangers that humans have and could cause to the planet, ecotourism ties into that because we learn what we do that can affect the environment. I believe that the cons stand out more than the pros. We affect the wildlife more than benefit it and there should be more precautions and limits for people when it comes to ecotourism. Many people ignore the conservation practices (like keeping the area clean, no smoke, no loud noises, etc.) resulting in the disruption of the ecosystem, people will remain ignorant of the wildlife as it gets progressively worse.

• What Is Ecotourism and How to Plan Your Next Trip. (2022, July 27). Unsustainable. Retrieved September 6, 2022, from https://www.unsustainablemagazine.com/what-is-ecotourism-plan-your-trip/

The positive impacts of Ecotourism are supporting local communities and cultural literacy. The act of ecotourism helps bring more job opportunities to indigenous people and supports the community in which they live. It helps the idea of cultural literacy which is learning about the cultures surrounding the location. However, ecotourism still causes some issues, it ruins the environment. The demand for going to these eco-touristic locations causes issues with the locals and the wildlife there, often affected by consumer culture. 

I believe that environmental science ties into this because it shows how sometimes nature can be disrupted by our human footprint, affecting places negatively, and drifting wildlife and even other people away. Although the act of ecotourism has some benefits, I believe that there are more negatives than positives. It is nice that people are helping the environment in the process of ecotourism, but the harm they also do overlooks the good things that come out of it. Oftentimes, wildlife behavior is affected by our human footprint in these ecotourism locations. As said in the article, consumer cultures marketed toward tourists exploit natural resources and wildlife.

Gerald Flynn & Andy Ball. “Can Ecotourism Save Cambodia’s ‘Ghost Parks’?” Mongabay Environmental News, 8 Feb. 2022, https://news.mongabay.com/2022/02/can-ecotourism-save-cambodias-ghost-parks/.

In 2021 Cambodia signed into law of Sub-decree No. 30, which removed official protection from 127,000 hectares of land. This land formerly housed national parks and reserves. The article explains that this is similar to what is happening to many other protected forests and is what is leading to the degradation of many forests around the world. In addition, the article says that for many places ecotourism is a very useful tool, but in their case profits are far too low, and Cambodia’s natural and political conditions will cause it to fail, therefore they have a very little chance of saving ‘Ghost Parks.’

In this article, we are shown a very common problem when it comes to protecting our environment, which is that many are failing to protect important areas of our world. It explains an instance where ecotourism could be a possible solution, but with its given circumstances will not succeed in helping to save the environment. The article relates back to environmental science because one of our major problems is trying to conserve the world’s undamaged rainforests/land and not exploit their resources, if we are unable to do this eventually our whole planet will be industrialized.