Category: Travel

  • UN Agency Approves Controversial Deep-Sea Mining Tests – EcoWatch – Robert Richardson

    A UN agency has granted permission for a Canadian-based company to test out deep-sea mining. The Metals Company (TMC) announced on September 7 that the International Seabed Authority (ISA) had given its subsidiary Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (NORI) the go-ahead to gather 3,600 tonnes of polymetallic nodules from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, beginning later this month. The announcement stunned opponents of deep-sea mining, who have long called for a moratorium on the controversial practice. “This is a troubling development which brings us even closer to the launch of the commercial deep sea mining industry,” Greenpeace USA project lead on deep sea mining Arlo Hemphill said in a statement emailed to EcoWatch. “It is a threat to the ocean, home to over 90% of life on earth, and one of our greatest allies in the fight against climate change.”Deep-sea mining is the term for removing mineral deposits from the ocean floor below 200 meters (approximately 656 feet), according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Proponents of the practice see the deep-sea bed as a potential source of important metals like copper, nickel, aluminum, manganese, zinc, lithium and cobalt that are used in cellphones but also renewable energy technology like wind turbines, electric vehicle batteries and solar panels. However, scientists and environmentalists are concerned about the irreparable damage that mining the seabed could do to deep-sea ecosystems that are rich in unique biodiversity but still poorly understood. Just last year, the overwhelming majority of governments, nonprofit organizations and civil society groups at the world congress of the IUCN voted in favor of placing a moratorium on the practice until the environmental impacts can be fully researched and understood. Despite this, TMC announced that the ISA had reviewed its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan (EMMP) and said it could move forward with a test in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Pacific Ocean. This is a swath of seafloor west of Mexico and southeast of Hawaii with an area of one million square miles, according to Quartz.

    Source: UN Agency Approves Controversial Deep-Sea Mining Tests – EcoWatch – Robert Richardson

  • 16 Sensational US Gulf Coast Sunset Spots • US Gulf Coast Travel

    Spectacular US Gulf Coast sunsets can be viewed from thousands of spots along the coastline between Key West Florida and South Padre Texas. We have selected sixteen of our favorite places to watch sunsets along the US Gulf Coast.For all of these destinations, seeing a sunset from the water is a common option. Look for sunset dolphin cruises, sunset sails, or other boat trips to experience spectacular Gulf Coast sunsets.Fun Places to See Florida Gulf Coast SunsetsKey West Sunset SpotsThe nightly sunset celebration is one of the most fun things to do in Key West. Street performers entertain hundreds of people in and around Mallory Square. The two nearest islands visible from Mallory Square are Sunset Key and Wisteria Key and they add a nice element  to sunset photos.

    Source: 16 Sensational US Gulf Coast Sunset Spots • US Gulf Coast Travel

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  • Vienna’s Albertina Museum

    Though it may not figure prominently into the average whirlwind Eurail trip across the continent, Vienna’s role in the development of European culture as we know it can hardly be overstated. Granted, the names of none of its cultural institutions come mind as readily as those of the Prado, the Uffizi Gallery, or the Louvre. But as museums go, Vienna more than holds its own, both inside and outside the neighborhood aptly named the Museumsquartier — and not just in the physical world, but online as well. Recently, the Albertina Museum in Vienna put into the public domain 150,000 of its digitized works, all of which you can browse on its web site.

    Source: Vienna’s Albertina Museum Puts 150,000 Digitized Artworks Into the Public Domain: Klimt, Munch, Dürer, and More | Open Culture

  • Restaurant Wine Guides Worldwide

    RG Richardson restaurant interactive guides have extensive restaurant (barbecue, buffet, bistro, cafeteria, fast food, take out, fine dining, pub, wine, ethnic restaurants etc.) searches.Wine Guide included in new and updated guides.Sit in the coffee shop and start searching away on their WiFi and start using our interactive city search guides with multiple languages!Dozens of links to open the doors to the best, the coolest, the weirdest, the most inspiring culinary experiences a city can have.Interactive restaurant guides are exactly what we want to have at your fingertips when in a city. Never out of date and constantly updated!Tapas at the bar in Barcelona, perfect roast goose in Hong Kong, dinner in a vineyard outside Melbourne, and brunch on a terrace in São Paulo. — when we travel now, we travel to eat.Restaurants and bars are an opportunity to slip into daily life and experience a city’s unique rhythm.Due to Covid see what’s open first before you go or better still order take out!

    Source: Restaurant Wine Guides Worldwide

  • Robert G Richardson-portal (1K+)

    Alex Thomson backs ‘rookie’ Canada ocean racing campaign 8/23/20226:02 AMYachting WorldHelen FretterWeb site viewAlex Thomson is supporting newcomer Scott Shawyer and Canada Ocean Racing in his goal to reach the 2028 Vendée GlobeWhen solo ocean racing skipper Alex Thomson announced that he was stepping aside from competitive sailing after the 2020 Vendée Globe, he didn’t give many clues as to what he was going to do next. However, he was clear that one thing he did want to do was back another skipper in the IMOCA class.Today Thomson has named the skipper that he’s working with – but, surprisingly, they’re not British.Canadian Scott Shawyer has launched a brand new offshore sailing campaign, Canada Ocean Racing, with support from Alex Thomson.Shawyer is bidding to become the first Canadian sailor to complete the Vendée Globe non-stop solo around the world race. Under Thomson’s tutelage, he will be aiming for the 2028 race, with a key focus on gaining miles on the water and solo experience between now and then.Shawyer is a successful businessman, and for over 25 years has been president and CEO of a technology company that provides engineering services and solutions – hinting at the necessary problem solving skills which he’ll need to make it as a solo sailor. He is also a lifelong amateur sailor, although his experience prior to working with Thomson was limited to racing dinghies and keelboats and cruising catamarans.

    Source: Robert G Richardson-portal (1K+)

  • These Restaurants Are The Oldest In The World

    There had to be a beginning for the custom of eating meals away from one’s own house and having someone else prepare the food. There are a few remarkable eateries that have somehow endured the test of time in an era where restaurants appear to come and go with the seasons. The world’s oldest restaurants have a certain allure and, in so doing, have followed in the footsteps of a few of history’s greatest artists and thinkers. It is even better when that aura of mystery is accompanied by some of the world’s top cuisine. The following list delves into the history of eating out by examining the world’s ten oldest restaurants.

    Source: These Restaurants Are The Oldest In The World

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  • Robert G Richardson-portal (1K+) – Robert Richardson

    ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.This story was co-published with The Lever.An elderly, ultra-secretive Chicago businessman has given the largest known donation to a political advocacy group in U.S. history — worth $1.6 billion — and the recipient is one of the prime architects of conservatives’ efforts to reshape the American judicial system, including the Supreme Court.Through a series of opaque transactions over the past two years, Barre Seid, a 90-year-old manufacturing magnate, gave the massive sum to a nonprofit run by Leonard Leo, who co-chairs the conservative legal group the Federalist Society.The donation was first reported by The New York Times on Monday. The Lever and ProPublica confirmed the information from documents received independently by the news organizations.

    Source: Robert G Richardson-portal (1K+) – Robert Richardson

  • Robert G Richardson-portal (1K+)

    Most of us acquire our beliefs using a combination of research and social networks. Those social networks can provide false information. (Shutterstock)Most people think they acquire their beliefs using a high standard of objectivity.But recent arguments between people about issues like trans rights, vaccinations or Roe v. Wade point to a different reality.Consider the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. There is plenty of evidence to show that widely accessible abortions lead to safer outcomes for children and people who can become pregnant. Moreover, data suggests abortion bans are ineffective, harmful and dangerous. A commitment to life, then, should favour comprehensive health care for those who can become pregnant — including abortions. It seems like there is a disconnect: People are not having fact-informed arguments.

    Source: Robert G Richardson-portal (1K+)

  • José Andrés Has Five Spots Opening at the New Conrad in Downtown LA – Robb Report

    José Andrés is one of the most prolific chefs working today. On top of his philanthropic ventures, he’s got a new restaurant on the way in DC—where he’s already ubiquitous—and he’s made a big expansion into Chicago. Now, he’s getting ready to give Los Angeles another go.The chef is opening not one, not two, but five new spots at the soon-to-open Conrad Los Angeles hotel. That includes two restaurants, two bars and a pool deck, where you’ll be able to really take advantage of the city’s spectacular views and weather.

    Source: José Andrés Has Five Spots Opening at the New Conrad in Downtown LA – Robb Report

  • OAS pension payments have permanently risen for the first time since 1973. Here’s why retirees should defer them – The Globe and Mail

    The Canadian government has just made good on its 2021 budget promise. Starting last week, it permanently increased Old Age Security payments by 10 per cent for seniors age 75 and older, marking the first permanent increase to the OAS pension since 1973. Retiring Canadians can maximize this boost by delaying uptake of their OAS benefits, either by working longer or by using their savings to fund the delay.Why will the 10-per-cent boost help?Baby boomers – a quarter of Canada’s population – are moving into a retirement that will look vastly different from that of their parents, especially at older ages.With increasing longevity and fewer adult children to support them as they get older, more seniors will have to pay for care services as they age, either out of pocket or from the public purse. Strengthening retirement income security for the oldest demographic is a step in the right direction.

    Source: OAS pension payments have permanently risen for the first time since 1973. Here’s why retirees should defer them – The Globe and Mail