All posts by Roy Hales

Environment

How The Climate Is Changing Germany’s Lakes

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We arrived at the Bavarian village of Iffeldorf the morning after the first snow, in late November, 2015. Dr. Uta Raeder, Co-Director of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) facility, greeted us in the parking lot. We huddled close, straining to catch her words before the wind, or traffic noises took, them away. She and her colleagues has been considering keeping us indoors. Instead they led us toward the boathouse, to see how they are monitoring how the climate is changing Germany’s lakes.

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Finances, Tourism

The Ethics of Ecotourism

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By Roy L Hales

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Having served in the Arctic with the Coast Guard driven zodiacs at fast speed, Mike Moore seemed like the perfect choice to guide people in the Antarctic – only he was troubled by the emissions he would create flying to and back from his job. That was one of many challenges we discussed in the Ethics of Ecotourism.

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Animals, Rivers & Oceans

Cortes Streamkeepers in Basil & Hanson Creeks: What happened to the salmon?

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Six to eight hundred adult Chum Salmon used to come up Hansen’s Creek. Now there are 30 in a good year and as few as 3 in poor ones. Though we were talking about Cortes Island, this is a common phenomenon along the West Coast of British Columbia. What happened to the salmon?

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Transportation

Vancouver Challenging Portland As North America’s #1 Biking City

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By Roy L Hales

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Portland has long been been North America’s #1 bike-friendly city. According to the Portland Bureau of Transportation, 7.2% of “commuters go by bike.” That figure is taken from the 2014 census, which also shows the closest U.S. competitors as Minneapolis (4.6%), San Francisco (4.4%) and Seattle (3.7%). Now a new report shows Vancouver challenging Portland as North America’s #1 biking city.

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Animals

Where Are Germany’s Bears, Wolves And Eagles?

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As the written version of this interview was published six years ago, I did a quick Google Search to see if the information is still relevant. The results: 

One of my wife’s fondest memories of Germany is the well maintained trails going through idyllic forests. She was visiting relatives during the late 1960’s and early 70’s. My impressions are both much later, and connected to the development of renewables. After returning home in 2015, I asked Andreas König, Head of Wildlife Biology and Wildlife Management at the Technical University of Munich, ‘Where are Germany’s bears, wolves and eagles?’

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