The Inn at Valley Farms / Photo by Inn at Valley Farms

I started off by tagging along on a farm tour at Walpole Valley Farm in Walpole, New Hampshire. Farmer Chris Caserta showed off his pastured poultry and livestock operation on 100 acres. The farm is gorgeous, set in a valley with a huge old classic red barn, which actually doesn’t get much use because the animals spend their days and nights out on the pasture. After the farm tour, Chris’ sister and innkeeper Jackie Caserta showed me the elegant 3-bedroom Inn at Valley Farms and plied me with fresh-baked cookies. Jackie also rents two 3-bedroom cottages and a 3-bedroom farmhouse. Children are welcome in the cottages and farmhouse; the inn rooms accommodate guests 12 and up. Inn guests enjoy a farm-fresh, candlelight breakfast. Cottage and farmhouse guests are supplied with kitchen pantry basics and are welcome to gather veggies from Jackie’s lush, no-till garden. Rates are $175-220 for two.

I visited Shearer Hill Farm in Wilmington, VT next, a comfy, six-bedroom B&B and farm with a small herd of grass-fed beef cattle and maple sugaring in the spring. Patti and Bill Pusey moved to Vermont from Long Island 40 years ago. They have now raised seven children in the farmhouse they worked for years to restore, and their B&B is in its 20th year. Every morning for breakfast, Patti and Bill serve apples baked with their own maple syrup and topped with vanilla ice cream. Rates are $85/night for single and $115/night for double occupancy. Children are welcome.

Kenburn Orchards B&B, Shelburne, MA

Kenburn Orchards B&B in Shelburne, MA, offers three lovely rooms, decorated with art from local craftspeople, in a restored colonial farmhouse that has been in owner Susan Flaccus’ family since 1924. Susan’s husband Larry wanted to be a farmer in his youth; he and Susan have made a second career out of farming Christmas trees and berries on their scenic 150-acre farm. Guests shouldn’t miss a walk through the farm’s abandoned apple orchard to spot birds, beavers, and coyotes. Susan and Larry cook up a big breakfast that includes homemade breads and muffins topped with their own fruit preserves. What’s not from Kenburn Orchards comes from nearby farms. Rates are $139-169 for one or two.

Currier Brook Farm in Wentworth, NH is a diverse, 20-acre farm with one B&B room and plenty of space for camping along the Baker River. Carol Friedrich and her daughter Amy raise organic vegetables, free-range laying hens, Icelandic sheep, and heritage pigs, mostly for their own use, and they are interested in building and sharing their set of sustainable living skills. The Friedrichs welcome interns and work-traders in addition to B&B and camping guests. A rail-trail for hiking and skiing goes right through the farm.

Continue reading this on Michelle Nowak’s blog, Farm Stays USA.

Nearly 8000 officers were deployed to disperse the protesters, who gathered at both Seoul railway station and Seoul City Hall Plaza in separate events.

Police put the Plaza attendance estimate at 20,000 – whereas event organisers had the figure closer to 40,000.

It has been reported that the bulk of the protests have been peaceful, and almost “festive”.

However, a small group of activists clashed with officers while pushing toward the city centre, which lead to police use of pepper spray.

It is expected that more protests will be held in the lead up to the main summit, which will be held on the 11th – 12th November.

Is there a risk?

Protest organisers say that as the summit nears, protests will remain peaceful as long as police do not use excessive force.

Continue reading any existing risks of travelling to Seoul and a detailed map of areas to avoid on World Nomads Safety Hub.

Murray, a primary author of the Tourism 2023 report, described how “there were a lot of environmental campaigns that were going on, but not enough work being done in the solutions space.” The Forum for the Future works with industries to develop scenarios to help understand the kind of futures they want, and how to get there. She faced initial resistance. “The tourism industry is short term focussed, they couldn’t see that it [tourism futures planning] was all about protecting their product.” That resistance eventually wore down, and mainstream tourism industry partners started coming on board to participate in the industry-wide futures planning process.

Constructing scenarios

Why think about tourism in 2023? “In 2008, 2023 was 15 years into the future, just far enough to not feel like science fiction and be ignored but further than the 3-5 year time span that people are generally able to think about.” The report took 18 months to develop and was put together by a diverse group of futurists and sustainability experts including historians, transportation planners, sustainable accounting professionals, and environmental consultants working with industry partners. “The four scenarios have been constructed to be plausible. They are not meant to predict the most likely outcomes for 2023 nor represent favourable or unfavourable futures. Instead, they offer a set of possible futures and provide a challenge to the industry, each with their own risks and opportunities. They are tools that industry bodies can use to assess current strategies and come up with new ones that will be fit for a range of futures. ” The two axes of scenario construction were the two major uncertainties of the future–will the economy, politics, technology and energy costs enable or inhibit travel and whether the sensitivity of consumers to the environmental impacts of their travel make it more attractive or less attractive.

Scenario 1: Boom and Burst

We really enjoyed the use of fictional “postcards sent back home” to give a flavor of life for British tourists under each scenario. For example:

“Dear Mum, Sorry to send you another postcard this year, but this trip really has been eye-opening. You were right, the supermarket did pick a great itinerary for me, but Manila is not how it looked in the video brochure–it’s a lot more crowded. Still, I got my teeth done more cheaply than I could have in the UK and now I have tried remote working I see why you think a second home abroad might be fun! See you next week in Brazil! – Love, David”

• All is well in the world but it’s not clear for how long. Technological fixes like the use of algae-based fuels for planes and carbon scrubbers that clean the air as we fly have allowed travel to continue and grow.
• The spread of broadband has allowed UK citizens to work from anywhere so binge flying is common and many have second homes.
• The high prices of oil have made low carbon travel alternatives an economic necessity, so all modes of travel are seeing growth. Kazakhstan transit railway opened to link China to Iran and the Caspian sea. Russia has begun work on the world’s longest tunnel that will connect to Alaska and accommodate a high speed train line, gas pipelines and fiber optic cables.
• This travel boom has led to overcrowded destinations and upped the demand for more land to be opened up to the industry. There is now a paved road to Mt. Everest’s base camp complete with vending machines.

Continue reading this article and scenarios 2-4 on the Year of No Flying.

I woke up to a quite and still morning. The only sounds I could hear was the ceiling fan above me. There was a beautiful thunderstorm storm last night and the smell of summer rains still lingered in the air. You haven’t smelt rain until you smell it on rich African soil this is a fact.

After a full English breakfast, the strongest cup of coffee I could find, and armed with two 1 liter bottles of mineral water I feel recharged after yesterday’s heat wave and ready to take on Lowveld and all its splendors again. Next location: Ant & Elephant Chalets on the R536 road to Sabie.

Ant & Elephant, R536 Hazyview, Mpumalanga, South Africa

6km from Hazyview on the R536 to Sabie, Ant & Elephant is perched on a steep rise up a dirt farm road littered with a blanket of lovely Jacaranda flowers. It’s the time of year now, where everything is in flower. Bad news for allergy sufferers, great news for bird and botanical enthusiasts!

Renowned locally for its good food, Ant & Elephant offers freestanding self-catering chalets in Hazyview and single room en suite rooms, all of which include a bed & breakfast service. They have 20 free standing units, 17 self-catering and 3 en suite rooms.

With the convenience of the restaurant, one never has to travel far in search of a good meal however, should you be willing to get out adventure awaits all around you. This is after all ‘Adventure Junkie’ country!

The establishment is situated on a large farm property and guests are welcome to roam the area to their hearts content. There is a small dam near by and on the other side of the farm one can enjoy the thrill and splendour of a natural spring.  In this climate you may want to take your bathing suite along with you!

Each unit is very private and fully equipped with everything you need, from microwave and fridge to Dstv Television and cutlery. The main appeal here is that Ant & Elephant is a comfortable and relaxed affordable accommodation in Hazyview whilst visiting this extraordinary part of the country. Owners Simone and Warren are two very hassle-free and friendly people who will make sure that you have everything you need.

As well connected locals they can also suggest some great activities in and around the Hazyview area and will arrange any tours you wish to encounter with the greatest of pleasure.

Ant & Elephant has been open for 12 years and has earned itself a good reputation amongst regular visitors to the area in both local and international capacity, which goes to show that comfort, familiarity and affordability is a huge draw card!

After soaking up Ant & Elephant and a nice cold refreshing Coke it was time to move onto the next destination and by now the humidity had build back up with a vengeance. It’s definitely something you get used to as your body acclimatises and thankfully in most of these establishments they have the luxury of air-conditioning, fans and swimming pools!

Our next stop was Laughing Waters just down the R536 Road back towards Hazeyview.

Laughing Waters, R536 Hazeyview, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Laughing Waters is as picturesque and attractive as it sounds. Turning down yet another dirt road off the main road to Sabie, you drive through orchids of citrus fragrant lemon trees. The smell is refreshing and combined with the smell of cool afternoon rain in the distance, a delightful sensual experience.

The Sabie River runs right through the property and to get to the Homestead, one has to cross it. Here one also has access to a river trail where owner and nature lover, Brian, often takes guests on guided bush walks and birding safaris. The life in this valley is vibrant, from crocodiles and hippos (which aught to be cautioned against and when encountered deserve the greatest amount of respect), to birds and mongooses, mearecats and monkeys.

The Sabie River

Laughing Waters is situated on the edge of the valley and is presented in true African Colonial, farmhouse style with rolling green lawns, exquisitely manicured flowerbeds and large tall shady indigenous trees.

This, I can honestly say, is a real home away from home sort of establishment. Essentially a bed & breakfast, dinner can be arranged on request, although Laughing Waters is a short drive from a multitude of fantastic restaurants and local pubs that serve delightful pub dinners.

Brain and his wife, Zoe, are two of the nicest people, both South African citizens but originally form Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), they are a very kind hearted, open and hospitable couple and also very knowledgeable on the history of the area, its cultures and the wildlife.

Brain shared with me the meaning of the word ‘Sabie’. It comes from the Swazi word ‘Isaba’ which means, ‘be careful’.  This is because there are cultrate deposits up river that cause the rocks down stream to be very slippery. There you have it, some useless, but very interesting information.

With over 200 different species of birds in their garden alone, Laughing Waters is a nature enthusiast haven. It is a very quiet, off the main track, accessible and conveniently situated Country House. Any tours you may wish to park take in can be arranged on request and should you require it, packed breakfasts can also be prepared.

There are 5 rooms all en suite, all are spacious and cool and fitted with a bath and or a shower as well as ceiling fans and tea and coffee facilities. With stone tiled floors  and large windows with high ceilings, the rooms are cool and the air flows easy which is an added bonus in this area, especially during this hot and humid time of year! There are 2 double rooms, 2 twin rooms and 1 twin or double room with a single sleeper available.

After the grand tour of the garden and this fantastic homely country lodge I re-quenched my thirst with a lovely refreshing bottle of Laughing Waters still water. It was time to move on to the next SME and I did not really feel like I wanted to go. I bid my host Brian goodbye and felt as though I had really connected with this interesting and easy-going character.

Travel Industry – booming business because of you?
There are millions of people worldwide who travel every year, with different goals, different destinations and different budgets: People who are backpacking, those who go on business trips, enjoy a safari or a health treatment holiday, go camping, visit family or friends or participate in language studies. Without all these travelers, the travel industry, which is an important source of income and jobs, wouldn’t exist.

Some facts
In 2009, the total revenues from international tourism in 80 countries worldwide amounted to over 1 billion US dollars. In fact, tourism exports account for as much as 30 per cent of the world’s exports of commercial services. Globally, as an export category, tourism ranks fourth after fuels, chemicals and automotive products. For many developing countries, it is one of the main sources for foreign exchange income and the number one export category, creating much needed employment and opportunities for development (source: UN World Tourist Organisation Tourism).

Push the industry, push yourself
Clearly, tourism goes a lot further than buying souvenirs. It’s a big business, that focuses on profit and export. How does a business make profit? By getting us, consumers, to spend, whether it’s on food, clothes, entertainment or travel. That is why I believe that consumers’ – travelers’ – behaviour can influence the industry.  If we ask for fair and green options and we are willing to spend our money on this, businesses can’t deny it. They simply need us.

Continue reading this article on Travel Jockey.

Paris, fashion central / Flickr photo by Melissa Segal

This city breathes fashion. But this isn’t always good for your wallet or the society, certainly not when you think of the poor labour conditions for the workers who make most of these clothes. Fortunately, there are more sustainable options for people who like shopping but don’t want to have a bad impact. Shopping for ideas and inspiration for example, this cost you nothing! Paris also has some nice second-hand shops to offer.

Retro & Vintage: History repeats itself

The funny thing is that fashion nowadays is mainly copied from the previous decades. Vintage clothing and retro style that are hip these days, are often a copy of pieces from the 60s, 70s and 80s. For example: the hairstyle that Madonna was wearing in her video clip ‘Like a virgin’ (1983) is now a big hit for young people. Since history repeats itself in fashion terms you’ll find a mass of fashion inspiration at second-hand stores and flea markets.

What is fashion?

Is it haute couture a la Jean Paul Gautierre, a watch designed by Rolex or a fancy dress in H&M? Every designer believes he or she contributes to fashion. As a consumer, you can follow this trend. It’s easy, just buy what they sell. But – in my opinion – this lacks creativity. Why should you follow their trend? Why don’t you pioneer your own fashion! Don’t copy the fashion, be the fashion!

Continue reading this article @ Travel jockey

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As the kilometres whizzed by caller after caller expressed their pride, as South Africans, to have proven the doubters wrong by staging one of the most spectacular sporting events ever.  The tournament had been an unabashed success: the third highest attendance of any World Cup, marked by a carnival atmosphere throughout (despite the early elimination of the host country’s team), and barely a security incident to speak of. Hundreds of thousands of international visitors had left the country wowed.

World Cup South Africa Fans / Photo by babasteve

A transformed nation

It had been no small achievement for South Africa to pull off. For so many people to watch the matches, the nation had constructed seven glistening new state-of-the-art stadiums, each of distinctly African architecture. Several cities, Cape Town and Johannesburg among them, had also launched vastly improved mass rapid transit systems to ferry spectators out to each venue. To allow smooth passage between the nine host cities, road networks and airports had been greatly upgraded.

Violent crime, so central to the country’s international reputation, had been reduced by 60 per cent during the tournament to make South Africa one of the safest host nations in living memory. With crime down, host cities could show off their redeveloped waterfront districts and entertainment areas and all and sundry could confidently walk along the streets well into the night. For the few crimes that did occur, increased police deployments and 56 dedicated World Cup courts provided swift and decisive justice. Why, asked one caller, did these achievements have to end now that the tournament was over? The question is a particularly pertinent one: Why could South Africans not continue to do for themselves what they had done so well for the massive influx of international visitors?

An epic road trip

My partner Dave and I were two of the most enthusiastic among this influx of ‘visitors’ (South Africa’s term for international tourists). During the 31 days of the tournament, we drove around 8000 kilometres to watch eleven of the 64 matches played, visiting eight of the ten stadiums in the process and passing through every single South African province. Our epic odyssey saw us cross paths with other visitors from every continent on earth, as well as South Africans from all walks of life. And it had all taken place amidst a stunning diversity of landscapes and wildlife, ensuring that the long journey was never for a moment dull.

The South African welcome

Quite apart from the spectacular stadiums, the clockwork organisation and the amazing games, it was the genuine warmth and welcome from all South Africans, regardless of race, ethnic group and economic background, that made attending the tournament such a remarkable experience. Everywhere we went, once people discovered we were ‘visitors’, they would instantly initiate conversations with us. More than once, while waiting for our car to be refilled, we would be spontaneously approached by another young black petrol station attendant who just wanted to chat about football. We also met numerous older wealthier white South Africans, many of whom were more interested in the upcoming rugby season and the match against the New Zealand All Blacks. While doing a coastal hike in between matches, a lovely couple asked about how we were enjoying our time in South Africa, where we were going; about our background and interests and recommended a lovely place for lunch. No one seemed to take notice of us being an inter-racial couple (I am a Chinese who grew up in New Zealand and Dave is an Australian of Scottish descent).

Racial and social divisions still exist

And yet, as wonderful a host as each South African was, even the most casual visitor could not miss the social and economic divisions that are everywhere apparent. The democratic elections that swept Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress to power may have taken place sixteen years prior, but the change of political system could not erase Apartheid’s legacy overnight.

Many of the towns we visited remained visibly divided into different suburbs that were effectively two different worlds. Poorer, more dilapidated streets and suburbs made up a world inhabited by black South Africans, while just across the way others lived in better kept, visibly more affluent world. Beyond this geographic separation, different groups seemed to keep to themselves even where day-to-day life brought them into close proximity. People of different races may now sit in the same cafes and restaurants, but we rarely saw them sitting around the same table.

The divisions on view were not simply between black and white, or between the various other “colours” represented within the population of the rainbow nation. With the stark inequalities between the nation’s rich and poor, the haves and have-nots of each Apartheid-era grouping also had their separate worlds. In Johannesburg, Durban and Mthatha, we encountered a black middle class whose lifestyles are far removed from those living in rural townships. We also saw a vignette of social tensions between different white people, in an exchange at a fan park between fellow South Africans supporters of the Dutch team. When the one fan failed to understand a sentence in Afrikaans from the other and answered “I speak English,” the other angrily retorted, “Then you’re not a real Dutch fan”.

The contrast between the attitudes of South Africans to ‘visitors’ with their guardedness between each other poses a second pertinent question: If South Africans could extend such universal goodwill to visitors of all races and ethnic groups from around the world, why could this sense of trust and togetherness not be always be extended to each other?

World Cup legacy

In trumpeting the success of the World Cup, the South African government has focused on the concrete economic benefits: masses of new jobs in the construction and hospitality industries generated in preparation for the influx of visitors, a noticeable bump in gross domestic product (GDP) from the money spent in-country by visitors, and shiny newly built infrastructure. The infrastructure apart, however, these tangible benefits are inescapably short-term. Employment, for instance, is expected to decrease in the coming year now that there are no more stadiums to build, while the GDP bump is likely to be just that, a one-off anomaly. If these were to be the only benefits of hosting the World Cup and receiving so many visitors, then South Africans might rightly question the cost. But what we have seen during our approximately 8000 kilometre journey across the country suggests a more significant legacy from the tournament, albeit one that is less tangible: South Africans have shown to the rest of the world that their nation is capable of making its streets safe, of providing quality and secure public transport and more importantly, overcoming racial and social barriers in its day-to-day personal interactions. Besides creating a sense of national pride, this achievement can also become a catalyst for the population to realize new possibilities both of what the country, collectively, can deliver and more importantly, the public services and respect that every person deserves.

Inside shot of the World Cup stadium / Flickr Photo by Jason Wojciechowski

Some of the improvements made during the World Cup have already been continued. The World Cup courts, for instance, have continued operations, in order to assist the regular courts to handle the logjam of cases. At a personal level, there is also plenty of cause for optimism. During the World Cup, the “fan fests” established in parks, beaches and other public spaces in the various host cities were sites where social and economic divisions were left at the gate. Tens of thousands crammed into each of these fests on South Africa match days to will their team to victory; the fests were again packed in the later stages of the tournament as South Africans enthusiastically responded to appeals to adopt a new team. Thrown together with football to break the ice, a friendly atmosphere prevailed. More flamboyantly dressed fans happily posed for photos with people of all backgrounds, while people mingled, danced together, and compared notes on how the match would pan out. It was also in the fan parks that we saw our first inter-racial couple, and saw teenage friends of different races sitting together. This new togetherness did not escape South African commentators, as papers during the tournament were filled with column after column wondering how long and whether it could persist.

If just some of these opportunities for change are seized, then the lasting legacy of the World Cup will be that in proving to visitors what they could achieve, South Africans have themselves re-imagined what their nation could and should be.

The subway may not be the best forum to open a dialogue, but the bearded nay-sayer had made an impression on me.  If everybody else in the city was joyful with the news, what was this guy talking about?  Who was making these promises? How are they false?  I decided to entertain the bearded nay-sayer’s position and look into the expectations surrounding this year’s most recent mega-event, the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa.  Do mega-events really keep their promises?

Promise #1:  “Huge economic benefits!”

Economists talk in numbers about the impact of past mega-events in past host regions and make sunny forecasts about the total effect on job creation, increased GDP, direct foreign investment, etc.  The actual data for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is still rolling in, but estimates had promised between and $7.6 billion and $21.3 billion of direct economic benefits from the event.  Between 159,000 and 415,000 jobs were estimated to have been created or sustained. An estimated $40 billion was spent on infrastructure.  No wonder hosting mega-events is often projected to be a great economic windfall.  In this case, speculators had even called the World Cup bid a “turning point” for South Africa.

Long Street, Cape Town, teeming with people / Flickr photo by flowcomm

Who actually benefits?

As the skeptic, my response is that economists and their estimates can’t even agree and their numbers are hollow. They don’t tell you, for example, what investment in other projects could have done. South Africa is a country with extreme economic disparity between the rich and the poor, among other urgent social problems.  Yet a hefty amount of World Cup investment is going towards stadium infrastructure.  Tony Roshan Samara, who has published research on Cape Town politics, comments on the new stadium with a price tag of $600 million. “In a city where you are struggling to provide housing, education, drug counseling services, in a city that is dealing with a horrible epidemic of methamphetamines, to spend that much money on building a stadium, it is a question of the allocation of resources – whether it is a smart allocation of resources … when you have a city struggling with all these social and development issues.”

Nor do the economic estimates indicate who benefits. As the bearded nay-sayer and other skeptics are apt to point out, it is often mega-private interests that gain the most from the mega-investments of mega-events. Media conglomerates and corporate sponsors are the likely bedfellows of FIFA, and they all come out on top.  Rian Malan, South African reporter for the Telegraph, explains. “South Africa winds up with 10 new stadiums, some smart new infrastructure and £450 million in tourist cash. FIFA walks off with about £2 billion in tax-free profits [from sponsorship and broadcast and licensing deals] – 50 per cent more than it made at the last World Cup in Germany.”

Promise #2: “Good for tourism!”

Maybe the entire economic picture is messy, but the benefits for the tourism industry are clear, say the mega-event advocates.  Hosting a mega-event is a marketing boon for a destination, its big chance to project an attractive image when the entire world is watching. “I think it is an opportunity to dispel some of the myths about South Africa and about Africa in general,” says James Stewart, American economist and Africa expert.  In fact, destination marketing research has dedicated serious attention to the relationship between mega-events and destination image. A study on Seoul, South Korea found that foreigners from three different countries had a more positive image of the country after the 2002 World Cup than before, suggesting that a mega-event can change the image of a country in a short time period.  In South Africa, destination marketers want to harness the World Cup as a way to “brand” South Africa in a strong and positive way.

Can the good tourism image last?

But, says the skeptic, all that glitters is not gold.  The shiny image is a makeover that can only conceal so much from tourism’s eye for so long.  Behind the scenes of the event, egregious displacement temporarily made cities in South Africa more presentable. In Cape Town, homeless people were moved from the downtown area around the stadium into razor wire encircled encampments outside the city. Workers’ rights journalist Michelle Chen spoke to Isaac Newton, a homeless South African who had been arrested six times for loitering. “Police harassment is increasing,” he says. “They want to make a good impression for the foreigners coming. We are like insects to them – like flies.” Such harsh realities will eventually reflect back into the image of South Africa as a destination as the World Cup make-up wears off.

Further, a momentary spotlight does not necessarily translate into continuous tourism growth.  Granted, this year’s World Cup in the Rainbow Nation promised to attract up to half a million visitors from all over the world, but this represents a wave and not necessarily a rising tide. The wave was smaller than expected.  Again the numbers disagree here depending on the source, but border counts show that absolute tourist arrivals were around 200,000 – less than half the 450,000 that had been predicted.

World Cup 2010 Game / Flickr Photo by Jason Wojciechowski

Promise #3: “Green and carbon neutral!”

Another weak argument in favor of hosting a mega-event is that the environmental impacts can be neutralized somehow. A study entitled “Feasibility study for a carbon neutral 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa,” predicted that the event would generate 2.75 million tons of carbon dioxide, which could be offset at the cost of between $5.4m and $9m, and that by publicizing a carbon offset program, they could even raise awareness about climate change.  Also, other “green” measures would be taken, such as waterless urinals in the new stadium.

Biggest footprint yet

I’m about ready to make a sign and start ranting on the subway myself about this one.  The carbon emissions from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa were eight times higher than they were in Germany in 2006 without even including the emissions from international flights to the location.  Why such a difference?  The main reasons cited are worse energy efficiency in South Africa and the geography of the location.  South African cities are very far apart, and the 64 matches were spread out between nine different cities.  Also, South Africa is geographically remote from attendee places of origin. Long-haul flights into the country represented 67.4% of the emissions total. Perhaps carbon footprint is one thing FIFA should consider a little more carefully when awarding the bid.

Carbon emissions is a global problem, so researchers and reporters paid attention.  But the skeptic can only wonder about the local environmental impacts of the mega-event on the host region of South Africa.  What happens environmentally when an influx of sports spectators descend upon a place for a few weeks?  They consume tons of water and power, then they generate tons of waste and sewage.  Preparedness involves a little more than the new stadium’s waterless urinals.

Promise #4: “Fun and patriotic!”

So, it turns out that the impacts of a mega-event on the overall economy, on tourism in particular, and on the environment are debatable. But, reply the yay-sayers, at least one thing is certain.  Hosting something like the World Cup can be a source of great national pride and unification for the host region’s residents.

People had fun and felt proud.

This skeptic agrees.  Ever since humans have been playing sports, we have wanted to stage competitions at the broadest level and largest scale possible. To be chosen as the host of such a competition is indeed an honor and a reason to get excited.  As I saw that day in London, the winning of the 2012 Olympic bid created a collective buzz that the bearded nay-sayer and his sign couldn’t kill. In the case of this year’s World Cup, South African reporter Rian Malan says it best: “I found myself caught up in the primordial business of waving flags, stirring national anthems, and watching our beautiful stadiums glowing like jewels in the African darkness on my television … such things are almost invaluable.”

The angel on our shoulder has been replaced by a sandal-wearing environmental protestor, who whispers in our ear every time we decide it’s a chilly day and we’d rather drive to the local shop. The imp at our other ear somehow seems more sympathetic to the needs of modern life.

The carbon footprint

It was inevitable then that the South African department of environmental affairs and tourism (along with the local Norwegian embassy) should release a report on the carbon footprint of the 2010 world cup. The party pooping assessment estimated that a staggering 2.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions would be produced – a notable shortfall from the carbon neutrality that the authorities in charge of the event had aimed for.  If the numbers mean nothing to you,  the figure is allegedly roughly equivalent  to the production of 20 cheeseburgers for every man, woman and child in the UK – I work this out as 1200 million burgers. See? Staggering.

Packed World Cup stadium / Flickr Photo by Jason Wojciechowski

The conclusion, of course, should be taken with a generous serving of salt. However it’s also inevitable that in practise, the report will have a minimal impact on the behaviour of the majority of world cup supporters, who, while flying to Durban’s King Shaka International Airport, (newly-built for the occasion,) will quite understandably wonder how their own personal holiday activity could possibly have an effect on the environment. Meanwhile, about 1200 million burger wrappers will float ominously around Cape Town’s Green Point stadium.

The regional effects

Prophecies of global warming doom aside, it would be churlish not to consider the environmental impact that such an event could have on South Africa on a regional scale. When we picture the Rainbow Nation, all 1.27 million sq. km of it, we envisage the natural: acres of burning savannah and Bushveld, a haven for charismatic predator and graceful prey, diverse cultures, modern-wonder-of-the-world Table Mountain, and penguins dipping and diving near the former prison cells of Robben Island. South Africa enjoys the third-highest level of biodiversity in the world, and generously, it has brought its wild side to tourists, courtesy of game drives, and adventure sports ranging from bird-watching to diving with sharks. It’s likely that with such abounding opportunities, many travellers this summer will at some point during their stay swap their vuvuzelas for their videophones.

However the country is also home to 2,000 plant species on the endangered list, not to mention about 20% of its mammals being under threat, including the Black Rhinoceros and African Elephant – some impressive creatures that could do without the waste, pollution, and, especially pertinent to the area, the unsustainable use of water associated with large influxes of people. For the well-informed visitor, ecotourism provides a pleasing balance of memorable experience and a clean conscience. This ‘responsible’ tourism ostensibly exists for visitors to enjoy pristine areas of natural beauty, with a low environmental impact, and designs on providing education, funds for conservation and local empowerment. South Africa itself boasts a well-maintained network of protected areas and shrewd conservation practices. Yet scratch the surface of ecotourism, and the hidden costs are revealed: the displacement of local communities for the creation of parks, disputes over land-use, the creation of amenities for the unwitting do-gooder, and the channelling of money away from other long-term conservation strategies – and let’s not even go into the carbon produced from the often-lengthy journeys required to see such exotic locations. The little protestor on the shoulder is a-whispering again.

South African wildlife acclimatisation

And it’s not just the economy that can suffer, but the tooth-and-clawed natives are also affected by such an invasion of tourists. Just as footballers learn to acclimatise to the audiences of thousands around them, and grow begrudgingly accustomed to the snapping of the paparazzi even when immersed in more mundane daily chores, South Africa’s wildlife is all too much at risk of acclimatising to their human spectators, with arguable potential for human/animal conflict, and unpredictable change in animal behaviour brought about by disruption of feeding and nesting. In Kenya, it’s been noted that cheetahs have been driven off their reserves by tourists, increasing the risk of inbreeding, and endangering the species even more than they are already. (They are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN red list of threatened species, with a decreasing population.)

Does ecotourism ameliorate or exacerbate concerns?

Well, its intentions are honourable and it can increase environmental awareness, and if wisely-managed, it can still be one of the most conscientious ways of seeing animals in their natural habitat. Besides, South Africa’s wildlife-encountering opportunities reveal a heart of far greater darkness. A tabloid newspaper recently revealed that a number of game lodges are aiming to tempt world cup fans with packages allowing them to shoot animals in an activity known as ‘canned hunting’’, in which the animals – notably the big cats – are bred, released, and pursued. At over £15,000 a pop, the sport is strictly for the wealthy (and opportunistic), and it’s a fair bet that the average footy fan wouldn’t miss a game to indulge.

With such a range of environmental threats to South Africa being increased this summer, it’s gratifying to see measures being put in place.  A partnership between the Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Environment Programme, (UNEP), and the South African Department of Environmental Affairs, DEA has brought about an initiative comprising an array of projects seeking to minimise the event’s environmental impact. Across six of the nine host cities, the programme aims to reduce energy consumption through solar panels on public street lights, traffic lights and billboards, and is carrying out a ‘Green Passport’ programme, distributing a booklet containing information on responsible tourism to 100, 000 spectators. At 32 pages each, it’s hard not to wince at the irony of a vision of 100,000 booklets being discarded by the roadside, and the plans to allow visitors to be able to assess their own carbon footprints has doubtful potential, (Hey kids! Who’s game for some number-crunching fun?,) but then nobody ever claimed that environmental education was a speedy process.

Long Street in Cape Town, South Africa / Flickr Photo by Anne Froehlich

Nor is it a process which can be easily achieved on a large scale. The environment is closely linked with the economy, and often dependent on it, and it’s indubitable that the world cup is sure to boost opportunities for guesthouse owners, restaurants, transport companies, local attractions and cultural activity. A healthy respect for a country’s environment can begin with a healthy respect for the country itself. If well-managed, South Africa’s tourism can perform wonders for conservation and green living. Audits and assessments will encourage good practise, conscientious consumers can encourage the running of sustainable businesses, and (in our wildest dreams), generated wealth could be invested back into promoting conservation measures and new environmental initiatives. Tourism itself needn’t be a case of simply standing back to see a country with a pair of binoculars. South Africa has countless opportunities to actually participate in hands on rural development initiatives, conservation expeditions and perhaps most importantly, education. These are invaluable ways of redressing the environmental and sociological balance that can be knocked during holiday seasons.

The environmental consequences remain unwritten

South Africa stands canned and cornered like one of its magnificent lions, staring curiously down the barrel of a hunter’s rifle. Whether it’s shot or let go remains to be seen, and the decision lies with not just the masses descending for the football, but on its own people, government, and the hordes of tourists that wish to see this stunning country in the future. With the enormous investment channelled into venues and amenities for the year’s big event, South Africa will have to work hard to continue to make use of its new and improved infrastructure, public transit systems and energy resources in the long-term – even years after football fans have skipped, or trudged, their ways home.

And while British visitors perform an autopsy on Rooney’s performance, and Capello’s curious methods, perhaps we should also use the consequences of mass tourism observed at the event as an example to study for the approaching London Olympics 2014. South Africa should at least provide us with some food for thought – and hopefully fewer than 1200 million cheeseburgers worth.