Whole Travel Blog

The Obama administration released a report last week that outlines anticipated temperature, rainfall, sea level and other environmental changes for the rest of the century. Not only does the report cover the usual agricultural and food production problems, it discusses heat-related illnesses and deaths, weather patterns, wildfires, and flooding. What is currently predicted as a 100-year storm will likely occur every 10 years, significantly overcoming our engineering safety designs. One section reads:

“Escalating exposures to catastrophic weather events, coupled with private insurers’ withdrawal from various markets, are placing the federal government at increased financial risk as insurer of last resort.”

Every 10 years instead of every 100??

With all the political noise-making recently about global climate change, let’s hope the world gets a plan in place to help mitigate these risks and potential impacts. You can download the entire report here.

I know we promised summer in winter. As it turns out if you visit the southernmost reaches of the Patagonia you can experience all four seasons in the course of an hour. The Whole Travel team experienced this as they visited the Perito Moreno Glacier, temperatures swung by thirty degrees with intermittent wind and rain. The glacier highlights the importance of sustainable travel. It is located on the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the world’s largest reserve of freshwater. Perito Moreno is notable because it is one of only three glaciers in the area that are not retreating.

Perito Moreno Glacier

Greenpeace came out with its second edition Energy [R]evolution Scenario outlining exactly what needs to be done in order to avoid a “catastrophic climate change.”

The approach is three-pronged, calling for:

1. electrical efficiency
2. structural changes
3. energy efficient changes

Find out specifics here.