Friday, April 22, 2016
Monday, April 18, 2016
French government bans plastic bags from supermarkets
Billions of plastic bags find their way into the world's oceans every year. Now the French government has moved to reduce the number of plastic bags in consumers' hands - by banning them from supermarkets altogether.
The French government has moved to ban all plastic bags from supermarkets in an attempt to curb pollution and reduce waste.
Amid debate on a biodiversity bill Wednesday evening, French lawmakers on the National Assembly's Commission for Sustainable Development voted in favor of an amendment that would bar single-use plastic bags that are not biodegradable from supermarket checkout lines and produce sections beginning in January 2016.
Instead, the measure proposed the use of thicker, reusable plastic bags or paper ones.
Renewed intiative
It was not the first time French shoppers faced a reduction in the amount of plastic bags available to them. Between 2002 and 2011, the number of plastic bags passed out in supermarkets dropped to 700 million from 10.5 billion.
The French Environment Minister Segolene Royal has said many consumers are unaware of the devastating effect the use of plastic bags has on the environment.
A press release posted on the ministry's website on Thursday said the discharge of plastic waste into the oceans not only posed a threat to marine life but had also cost the tourism and fishing industries some $13 billion.
Friday, April 15, 2016
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Positive & Negative Effects of Tourism
Tourism can bring many economic and social benefits, particularly in rural areas and developing countries, but mass tourism is also associated with negative effects. Tourism can only be sustainable if it is carefully managed so that potential negative effects on the host community and the environment are not permitted to outweigh the financial benefits.
- Economic Effects -- Positive. Tourism creates jobs, both through direct employment within the tourism industry and indirectly in sectors such as retail and transportation. When these people spend their wages on goods and services, it leads to what is known as the "multiplier effect," creating more jobs. The tourism industry also provides opportunities for small-scale business enterprises, which is especially important in rural communities, and generates extra tax revenues, such as airport and hotel taxes, which can be used for schools, housing and hospitals. Economic Effects -- Negative. Successful tourism relies on establishing a basic infrastructure, such as roads, visitor centers and hotels. The cost of this usually falls on the government, so it has to come out of tax revenues. Jobs created by tourism are often seasonal and poorly paid, yet tourism can push up local property prices and the cost of goods and services. Money generated by tourism does not always benefit the local community, as some of it leaks out to huge international companies, such as hotel chains. Destinations dependent on tourism can be adversely affected by events such as terrorism, natural disasters and economic recession.
- Social Effects -- Positive. The improvements to infrastructure and new leisure amenities that result from tourism also benefit the local community. Tourism encourages the preservation of traditional customs, handicrafts and festivals that might otherwise have been allowed to wane, and it creates civic pride. Interchanges between hosts and guests create a better cultural understanding and can also help raise global awareness of issues such as poverty and human.
Social Effects -- Negative. Visitor behavior can have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of the host community. For example, crowding and congestion, drugs and alcohol problems, prostitution and increased crime levels can occur. Tourism can even infringe on human rights, with locals being displaced from their land to make way for new hotels or barred from beaches. Interaction with tourists can also lead to an erosion of traditional cultures and values.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
5 great places in Iran you have never heard of
It might not be on everyone's travel radar, but Iran has a well-worn tourist circuit, encompassing attractions in the ancient cities of Shiraz and Isfahan.
For those wanting to get off the beaten path, the country has a wealth of lesser-known destinations that rival the stunning beauty and historical significance of their more famous counterparts.
Here are five of the best:
Rudkhan Castle
Hidden in the humid green forests of Iran's northern Gilan province is Rudkhan Castle, a medieval military fortress whose origins predate the rise of Islam in Iran.
Few foreign tourists have visited the site, which is a popular attraction among Iranians.
Work started on the castle during the Persian Sassanid era, between A.D. 224 and 651. Followers of the Ismaili sect (the infamous "Assassins" or "Hashashin") are believed to have renovated and completed the fortress during the late 11th to 12th centuries.
The hike up to the castle, which is situated along two peaks of a verdant mountain, takes more than an hour, prompting many locals to call Rudkhan the "Castle of a Thousand Steps."
After you've made the trek back down, it's worth stopping off for food on the drive back on the main highway toward Rasht, the capital of Gilan province. Try a northern Iranian lunch at the exquisite Pich restaurant (Pich Restaurant, Rasht to Anzali Highway, Khomam Beltway; +98 132 422 7554; Pichrestaurant@yahoo.com.) The "Torsh" kabob -- tenderloin marinated in pomegranate paste, walnuts and garlic -- is a particularly appetizing regional specialty.
Bekhradi Historical House
This 400-year-old inn built in Persia's Safavid era features four tastefully decorated multiroomed guest suites and is the oldest house to be restored in Iran.
Its renovation and artistic restoration took local interior designer and restoration specialist Morteza Bekhradi five years to engineer and complete.
Peppered with stained-glass windows and original artwork from the Safavid and subsequent Qajar eras, the house sits between two gardens replete with fruits and wildflowers.
The house's furniture was designed by Bekhradi using wood from the chenar (plane) trees that line the streets and historic gardens of Isfahan.
The designer says he sought to stay true to the setup of the original home, which he says is believed to have belonged to a Safavid-era aristocrat.
Even the traditional heavy Iranian wooden doors lining the entryways of the upstairs suites belonged to the original house and were restored using chenar wood.
Doors throughout the rest of the historical residence, which boasts an intricately decorated traditional "hojreh" room for cooling and relaxation, are chenar-wood replicas of Safavid originals.
To date, most guests have discovered the inn only by word of mouth, and even local Isfahanis are only just beginning to learn about this hidden gem.
Bekhradi Historical House, 56, Sonbolestan Alley, Ebn-e-Sina St, Shohada Sq, Isfahan; +98 31 34482072
Soltanieh Dome
A UNESCO World Heritage site in the northwestern province of Zanjan, the mausoleum of Oljaytu at Soltaniyeh is topped by one of the world's largest domes.
Built between 1302 and 1312 in Soltaniyeh, the capital city of the Mongols' Ilkhanid Dynasty, the monument is a mausoleum for Il-khan Oljeitu, the Ilkhanid's eighth ruler.
Though much of the structure's exterior coloring and tiles have faded through the centuries, the intricate brickwork, tilework and vibrant designs inside the mausoleum have remained largely unscathed.
The unique double-shelled structure of the Soltaniyeh Dome is also believed to have influenced the design of India's Taj Mahal mausoleum.
Interesting factoid: Oljeitu was born to a Christian mother and baptized as Nicholas. He later became Buddhist and then converted to Islam.
He intended for the Soltaniyeh Dome to house religious artifacts, but after clerics banned him from doing so, he decided to make the monument his own tomb.
Visits to the dome are worth sidetracking to Zanjan for a lunch of classic Iranian dizi, or lamb and chickpea soup, at Carvansarai Sangi (Zanjan, Iran; +98 241 326 1266), an ancient pit stop that's been converted into a popular local restaurant.
Laleh Kandovan Rocky Hotel
About 30 miles outside the northwestern city of Tabriz lies the troglodyte village of Kandovan.
People here live in cone-shaped caves cut out of volcanic rock at the foot of Mount Sahand, a dormant volcano.
Nestled within the 800-year-old village, the Laleh Kandovan Rocky Hotel has been literally hand-carved into the rocky landscape, with each of the luxury hotel's 16 modernized rooms encompassing a cave, or "karaan."
According to local lore, mineral water sourced from Mount Sahand, long valued throughout Iran for its medicinal properties, originated in the biblical Garden of Eden.
Guests of the hotel can take a relaxing soak in this precious liquid. If there's a spa tub in the room, the mineral water gets pumped in directly.
Laleh Kandovan Rocky Hotel, Kandovan Rd, Kandovan; + 98 412 323 0191
Toghrol Tower
Toghrol Tower is a Seljuk-era monument situated in the city of Rey, on the southern outskirts of Iran's capital city, Tehran.
Often overlooked by visitors who tend to stick to the higher-income northern and central areas of the Iranian capital, Rey is the oldest county in Tehran province and is speckled with historical monuments, including a 500-year-old Safavid-era bazaar.
The tower is said to serve as the mausoleum for Seljuk king Toghrol Beg, who established Rey as a major administrative center of the Seljuk Dynasty until its destruction by Mongol armies in the early 13th century.
From the tower, it's a quick ride into the heart of Tehran's Armenian quarter to round off the trip with a cup of coffee and Armenian pastries at the historic Cafe Naderi (Hotel Naderi and Cafe, Jomhuri Eslami Avenue, Tehran; +98 21 66 701 872), a haunt frequented for decades by Iran's greatest writers and intellectuals.
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Top 10 ways to enjoy a family vacation
I used to love to fly. What better way to catch up on my celeb magazines, eat a bag of M&M’s (that’s a must-have at 3,000 feet) and relax? And the best part of flying? Watching all those already exhausted moms and dads with all their kids and their crap shuffle past me, and knowing I wasn’t one of them.
Then I had my first child and became a member of the "Exhausted Travelers Club." My husband and I were invited by friends to come to France for two weeks with our 1-year-old. Like rookies, we said yes. Do you have any idea what it’s like to fly with a 1-year-old for 12 whole hours, transfer in Paris, schlep across the airport to catch that flight to Nice, only to finally arrive 15 hours after leaving home? Of course you do, because you’ve made the same rookie mistake that I have—you’ve traveled with your children. It was then that I made the rule: Vacations aren’t vacations when children are involved.
Now as the parents of two children, the hubs and I have been anxious to get out of town and to show our kids the world. So I’ve tested the waters in search of the perfect family vacation that actually involves my family. Here’s what I came up with:
RELATED: Why We're Skipping Summer Vacation
1. Don't Go Far
So yeah, this kind of cuts out the Paris trip you’ve been planning or that Boston to Hawaii journey you’ve been thinking about. Your 2-year-old doesn’t really care where she is. To her, Daytona Beach and Bali are all the same—they’re beaches. Go far enough so you feel like you went somewhere, and close enough to where you don’t need heavy pharmaceuticals just to endure the trip with your kids.
2. This Is Not the Time to Restrict Screen Time
OK, your kids are basically Amish at home and watch TV once every year, but on vacation anything goes—especially if you’re flying. So charge the battery on your Blackberry, iPhone, DVD player, computer and iPad and let those kids watch Finding Nemo 400 times. If they don’t cry on the plane, neither will you.
3. Go Somewhere the Kids Will Love
Sure, you used to look at those hotels with water slides and kid camps like they were for sissies. Guess what? Those hotels keep your kids happy and engaged. So soak up that splash pad and enjoy People mag while the little one yucks it up in the baby pool. Because nothing screams “bad vacation” like taking little kids to museums that mom and dad can barely stand.
4. Bring in Backup
Can’t stand your mother-in-law? Terrified of hotel babysitters? Uncle Jimmy makes you nuts? Well a family vacation is the perfect time to forget old grudges. Because those relatives you can’t stand will also be the first ones to hang with your kids while they nap, or babysit while you and the hubs have a night out. And those hotel babysitters? Check ‘em out and make sure you're comfortable. But once you are, even a few hours of help means you and the hubs get to have a vacation, too. At least for a few hours.
When traveling with kids, or traveling in general, it’s important to be honest about what you actually need to be happy.
5. Let Them Eat Cake
Like screen time, vacations are not the time to expect the kids to have their healthiest meals. Long after they’ve lost the taste for ice cream morning, noon and night, they’ll remember staying up a little too late, eating stuff they don’t get at home and having 100 percent of mom's and dad's attention. So instead of restricting what the kids eat, order something yummy for yourself. You’re on holiday. Lord knows you deserve it!
6. If You Can't Travel in the Style You're Comfortable, Don't Travel
Some families love a good camping trip. Others need a four-star resort with every amenity you can imagine. When traveling with kids, or traveling in general, it’s important to be honest about what you actually need to be happy. Travel can be stressful so if you’re a “need my space” kind of gal, maybe don’t put your whole family of five in one room. It’s better to stay home where you’re at home, then travel for the sake of the story. Especially when the story starts with, “The worst vacation ever!”
7. You Don't Have to Be Together Every Waking Minute
You really want to go to the gym or take an hour to finish that book you started a year ago. Do it! Sure, it’s a family vacation but you’re part of the family. So let the hubs watch the kiddos for an hour or two while you hit the spa. Or better yet, get that nap you’ve been trying for since the year before you had kids.
8. Travel Within Your Budget
Traveling with a family is expensive no matter how you slice it. Extra expenses always come up like the $30 bagel or the $18 lollipop the kid insists on at DisneyWorld. With that in mind, book a trip you can actually afford. Because if you’re stressed about cash the whole time, you won’t enjoy it.
9. Don't Complain
You can whine at home. Vacations are for silly family fun and strange and new adventures. So check your complaints at the gate and lighten up. It is a vacation, after all!
10. Be Flexible
The key to a fun family vacation is flexibility, from all parties involved. The kids have to expect that the four-hour car ride may end up being closer to eight hours, and mom and dad have to be prepared for the flight to be delayed and that the 3-year-old is going to want to eat. So be prepared for all possibilities, and be open to them. Your kids will laugh, remembering the whole family wearing their same clothes for three days straight long after you remember that the airline losing your luggage was anything but funny.
- Enjoy! Oh, and bring sunscreen. Nothing kills a vacation quicker than blistery skin and peeling noses.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)