10 Endangered Sites, and How to Go Lightly
By MARGARET ROTH
By Margaret Roth
Special to The Washington Post
MELTING GLACIERS. Eroding monuments. Vanishing beaches. Starving polar bears. There seems to be no escape from global warming horror stories; they are, after all, global. However, you can still get away and do your bit to stem the tide of climate change. Here are 10 sites around the world that are endangered, with information on how to see them without causing further damage.
What Mount Kilimanjaro
Where Eastern Tanzania, about an hour’s drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport near Moshi.
The threat The snows Hemingway famously wrote about on Africa’s highest peak could become more famous for their disappearance by 2020, according to the park’s management. Scientists disagree on the cause; some say it’s a lack of snowfall and the evaporation of ice, not global warming. Either way, Kilimanjaro – like Asia’s 29,028- foot Mount Everest and its melting glaciers – has become a poster mountain for activists.
When to go Conditions on Kilimanjaro are clearest and warmest from mid-December to February, drier and colder from July to mid- September. Rain prevails the rest of the time.
How to see it The 19,336-foot peak is protected by rules about using its hiking routes and campsites. East African Adventure
(www.eastafricanadventure.
com) goes further, asking clients for a $15 surcharge, which it matches. A company named Climate Change spends the money on ecological projects that partly offset the carbon emissions generated by long-distance visits to Kilimanjaro.
Info Tanzania Tourist Board, www.tanzaniatouristboard. com. Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, www.tanzaniaparks.com/kili.htm.
What Scott’s Hut
Where Ross Island, Antarctica.
The threat British adventurer Robert F. Scott’s hut, one of a handful of buildings that remain from when the continent was being explored, is in imminent danger of collapse, according to the World Monuments Fund. The cause: “unprecedented snow and ice buildup” attributed to climate change.
When to go February and early March, the continent’s late summer, when tourism slacks off and the hut is easiest to reach.
How to see it The worldwide membership of Colorado’s Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (www.iaato.org) has pledged to conduct environmentally sound tours.
Info Antarctic Heritage Trust, 011-44-1291-690305, www.ukaht.org. World Monuments Fund, (646) 424-9594, www.wmf.org.
What Leh Old Town
Where The Ladakh region, in the far northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The threat The 200-odd stone, mud and timber buildings of this intact medieval town, some dating to the 15th century, are already fragile and increasingly vulnerable to heavy rains and runoff from the Himalayas’ melting glaciers.
When to go The road from Srinagar is generally open from early June till November, but from June through August, Leh can be crowded with tourists.
How to see it Conserve water: The tourist demand for flush toilets and regular showers is a strain on Leh’s resources. Australia-based Intrepid Travel (www.intrepidtravel.com) has two 19- day treks in June 2008 currently at $2,115 per person double, promising “responsible and sustainable travel.”
Info Tibet Heritage Fund, www.tibetheritagefund.org. and India Ministry of Tourism, www.incredibleindia.org.
What Maldives
Where Indian Ocean.
The threat The 1,190 islands of the Maldives are, for the most part, no more than 39 inches above mean sea level. A rise in sea level – up to a quarter-inch a year, government scientists estimate between now and 2100 – spells disaster. At this rate, the Maldives could be uninhabitable in 100 years, displacing 369,000 and taking a prime beach and scuba-diving destination off the map.
When to go January to April, the driest months.
How to see it The government asks that you go easy on natural vegetation. Don’t handle coral growth or marine life. Practice approved fishing methods (no spear guns, for instance). And don’t litter, as this can harm the reefs that buffer the ocean’s impact.
Info Maldives Tourism Promotion
Board, 011-960-332-3228, www.visitmaldives.com.
What Great Barrier Reef
Where Australia, stretching more than 1,425 miles along the northeastern coast from Queensland to just north of Bundaberg.
The threat Increasingly frequent bleaching episodes, in which corals turn white and may die, due to rising sea temperatures. A full 50 percent of the world’s coral reefs are believed to be threatened.
When to go April through November, to avoid high humidity.
How to see it The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park maintains a list of environmentally friendly “high standard” sailing, dive and snorkeling businesses. Also, if you see bleaching on the reef, submit a BleachWatch form available on the park’s Web site to support monitoring efforts.
Info Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park Authority, 011-
61-74750-0775, www.gbrmpa. gov.au; click on Tourism & Recreation.
What Tower of London
Where North bank of the Thames, a short walk from the Tower Hill underground station.
The threat With predictions for heavier rainfall and higher humidity over the next quarter-century, the tower complex, begun in 1078 by William the Conqueror, could be eroded by rising water levels in the Thames estuary and possible storm surges caused by North Sea low-pressure systems, which could also leave nasty mold and fungi.
When to go Early on a weekday; the tower opens at 10 a.m. Sunday and Monday, 9 a.m. other days.
How to see it Besides sticking to the prescribed routes through the tower, watch your backpack. A spokeswoman for Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that operates the tower, says, “There is a real rucksack effect,” in which people turning around have scraped repeatedly against the nearly 1,000-year-old walls.
Info Historic Royal Palaces, www.hrp.org.uk. Visit Britain, (800) 462-2748, www.visitbritain.com.
What Arctic polar bears
Where Cape Churchill, Manitoba, on Hudson Bay, a window on North America’s polar bear population below the Arctic Circle.
The threat Dwindling ice floes mean less hunting territory for the world’s biggest terrestrial carnivore. The winter ice is now less far-reaching and is forming later and breaking up earlier. The Hudson Bay polar bear population has fallen 17 percent in the past decade, and if present climate trends continue, the polar bear could be extinct by the end of the century, the World Wildlife Fund says.
When to go October and November, the most likely time to see the bears.
How to see them Choose from any number of outfitters. For example, the nonprofit Churchill Northern Studies Centre (www.churchill science.ca), which puts its revenue into research and education, offers one tour in October (three days, $1,150, not including airfare) and two in November (five days, $2,100); visitors travel mostly by tundra buggy, dog sled and on foot.
Info World Wildlife Fund,
(202) 293-4800, www.world wildlife.org/polarbears. Travel Manitoba, (800) 665-0040, www.travelmanitoba.com.
What Glacier National Park
Where Northwestern Montana, 25 miles from Kalispell.
The threat The park’s closely studied glaciers have shrunk to the point that, based on the rise in global temperatures to date, all glaciers in the million-acre park are predicted to disappear as soon as 2030.
When to go June and September, the shoulder seasons when roads and facilities are open but traffic is lighter.
How to see it Take the free shuttle bus along the 50-mile Going- to-the-Sun Road to reduce automotive pollution. To see other sights, use the shuttles run by Glacier Park Inc. (www.glacierparkinc.com) or tour the park by boat (Glacier Park Boat Co., www.glacier parkboats.com) or on horseback (Swan Mountain Outfitters, swanmountainoutfitters. com).
Info Glacier National Park, (406) 888-7800, www.nps.gov/glac.
What The Outer Banks
Where Northeastern North Carolina.
The threat With the sea level on the rise, the 130-mile-long chain of barrier islands is in danger of breaking up into smaller parts if a hurricane with the power of Katrina should hit, says East Carolina University geologist Stephen Culver and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, which recently distributed a film claiming that the seas could rise as much as 43 inches by 2100. Less dire predictions are for a 2-foot increase. Either way, the islands are vulnerable.
When to go Mid-August to late September; it’s cheaper and still warm after Labor Day.
How to see it Go off-season, when less demand means less traffic – and less pollution. Once there, bike more and drive less. Pay attention to local rules designed to protect the sand dunes.
Info Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, (877) 629-4386, www.outerbanks.org.
What Chan Chan Archaeological Zone
Where Northern Peru, a few miles from the coastal city of Trujillo.
The threat The heavy rains, flooding and winds generated by El Nino in 1998 caused significant erosion in the sprawling complex of palace compounds, built mostly of adobe. While Chan Chan, capital of the vast regional Chimu kingdom (700-1400), has been under emergency protection, changes in precipitation and drought cycles, humidity and water-table levels pose a potential threat to the conservation of other archaeological remains.
When to go May to October, the dry season.
How to see it Stick to the main paths among the many rectangular palace compounds, or ciudadelas, within Chan Chan.
Info Commission for the Promotion of Peru, www.peru. info.
Sources World Monuments Fund, UNESCO, National Park Service, East Carolina University, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
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