Category: Travel

British Columbia’s only confirmed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal may be on its way to becoming a “financial albatross”, according to a new analysis released Wednesday, even as a developer continues to tout a second LNG project in Howe Sound, just north of Vancouver.The LNG Canada megaproject was approved with lavish provincial subsidies in 2018, producing a massive emissions gap in the province’s climate plan. Now under construction, it’s the intended terminus for the Coastal GasLink pipeline that has become a trigger for militarized raids on unceded Indigenous land and a railway blockade in the weeks leading up to COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.Now, a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) says the first phase of LNG Canada “could be the last liquefied natural gas project built in British Columbia” given changing market conditions, project delays, rising costs, and policy shifts.“Over the last three years, market shifts and policy changes have tested LNG Canada’s long-term economic viability,” said lead author Omar Mawji, IEEFA’s energy finance Canada analyst. “This project could become a financial albatross for its sponsor investors, and it stands as a warning to other natural gas producers” involved with natural gas fracking projects in the Montney Basin in northeastern B.C.That isn’t a good look for Phase 2 of the LNG Canada venture, or for other LNG projects that B.C. Premier John Horgan and his Liberal Party predecessor, Christy Clark, have been desperately promoting for years.“If the project sponsors assessed the energy landscape today instead of 2018, they would likely have been far more cautious in deciding whether to move forward with Phase 1,” Mawji said in an IEEFA release. “The conditions do not bode well for other LNG projects in Canada.”IEEFA released its analysis just a day after Woodfibre LNG announced it had signed a C$2.5-billion deal to build a terminal on Howe Sound, the Squamish Chief reports. The contractor, Houston-based McDermott International, recently emerged from bankruptcy protection in the United States after “facing enormous cost overruns at construction projects for two LNG plants,” the Houston Chronicle recounted. Woodfibre said it chose McDermott based on its experience with low-emission facilities—a feature the company is touting based on its access to electricity from large hydro dams in B.C.“One of the things they bring to the table is a philosophy of low-emissions LNG construction, and that’s our philosophy as well,” said Woodfibre spokesperson Rebecca Scott. “So when you’re working with the engineers who are going to design the facility, you want to make sure you’re aligned on what you want it to be like.”

Source: LNG Canada On Track to Become ‘Financial Albatross’, Analysts Warn – The Energy Mix

My holiday reading list this year includes two terrific science fiction stories. One takes place nearly 12 light-years away from our sun, and the other is set right here in the United States—but both made me think about how people can use technology to respond to challenges. I’ve also included a pair of non-fiction books about cutting-edge science and a novel that made me look at one of history’s most famous figures in a new light.I read a lot of great books this year—including John Doerr’s latest about climate change—but these were some of my favorites.A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence, by Jeff Hawkins. Few subjects have captured the imaginations of science fiction writers like artificial intelligence. If you’re interested in learning more about what it might take to create a true AI, this book offers a fascinating theory. Hawkins may be best known as the co-inventor of the PalmPilot, but he’s spent decades thinking about the connections between neuroscience and machine learning, and there’s no better introduction to his thinking than this book.The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race, by Walter Isaacson. The CRISPR gene editing system is one of the coolest and perhaps most consequential scientific breakthroughs of the last decade. I’m familiar with it because of my work at the foundation—we’re funding a number of projects that use the technology—but I still learned a lot from this comprehensive and accessible book about its discovery by Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues. Isaacson does a good job highlighting the most important ethical questions around gene editing.Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro. I love a good robot story, and Ishiguro’s novel about an “artificial friend” to a sick young girl is no exception. Although it takes place in a dystopian future, the robots aren’t a force for evil. Instead, they serve as companions to keep people company. This book made me think about what life with super intelligent robots might look like—and whether we’ll treat these kinds of machines as pieces of technology or as something more.Hamnet, by Maggie O’Farrell. If you’re a Shakespeare fan, you’ll love this moving novel about how his personal life might’ve influenced the writing of one of his most famous plays. O’Farrell has built her story on two facts we know to be true about “The Bard”: his son Hamnet died at the age of 11, and a couple years later, Shakespeare wrote a tragedy called Hamlet. I especially enjoyed reading about his wife, Anne, who is imagined here as an almost supernatural figure.Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir. Like most people, I was first introduced to Weir’s writing through The Martian. His latest novel is a wild tale about a high school science teacher who wakes up in a different star system with no memory of how he got there. The rest of the story is all about how he uses science and engineering to save the day. It’s a fun read, and I finished the whole thing in one weekend.

Source: 5 books I loved reading this year | Bill Gates

Aromatic herbs appeal to many of our senses, and are both decorative and practical. They can enhance any garden with their fragrant, colorful, flavorsome and textural foliage and flowers.Alongside their visual and culinary appeal, the fragrance of scented herbs can have an impact on our emotional wellbeing, too. For instance, lavender is believed to help relieve stress and promote relaxation, while uplifting, fresh mint is used to improve focus. Versatile plants, there are aromatic herbs for most growing conditions and so there are many ways to include them in your garden ideas – whether that is among ornamental plants in beds and borders, planted in a dedicated herb garden, lining pathways or filling containers.

Source: Aromatic herbs: 10 scented herbs to include in your garden | Homes & Gardens

With the Swiss Alps, the Aletsch Glacier, and stunning meadows, hiking in Switzerland is a buffet of possibilities. Wherever you go in Switzerland, you will hear the mountains calling. Skyscraping peaks surround you, coated by snow and ancient glaciers. All paths lead to spellbinding alpine lakes that reflect intimidating summits above.Home to almost 40,000 miles of carefully planned trails, enough to circumnavigate the world, Switzerland knows how to put a smile on a hiker’s face. Have your choice of high mountain treks or the rolling hills that make you feel tiny. To inspire and get your trip planning started here are our favorite hikes in Switzerland.

Source: The 12 Best Hikes in Switzerland | The Planet D

Eric Clapton spent much of his early career being revered and routinely labelled as a rock music saviour. It was a label that may well have been justified considering, at the time, he was a pivotal guitar player of his generation. While Clapton’s legacy could be in ruins because of his controversial opinions away from the stage, there’s no denying his impact on the development of contemporary music is a significant one. However, there was one man who always, in Clapton’s own mind, had him beat – the late, great Duane Allman.With that in mind, we’re taking a look more closely at Allman’s integral contribution to the Derek & The Dominoes song from 1970. Clapton’s band, yet another supergroup of sorts, may well have been comprised of some outstanding musicians such as Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon but it still needed Duane Allman to take the song to the next level. ‘Layla’ has gone down in history as one of Eric Clapton’s finest efforts but the truth is, without Allman, the song was nothing.“I’m very proud of it. I love to hear it. It’s almost like it’s not me,” said Eric Clapton when recalling the iconic song written about his unrequited love for Patti Boyd. “It’s like I’m listening to someone that I really like. Derek and The Dominos was a band I really liked — and it’s almost like I wasn’t in that band. It’s just a band that I’m a fan of. Sometimes, my own music can be like that. When it’s served its purpose to being good music, I don’t associate myself with it any more. It’s like someone else. It’s easy to do those songs then.” It may also help that at the heart of the song lays the searing talent of Allman.

Source: Duane Allman’s isolated guitar on Eric Clapton song ‘Layla’

An aircraft developed by Rolls-Royce to smash the speed record for an all-electric plane looks to have done just that, within three years of the being announced. The Spirit of Innovation took to the skies at a UK Ministry of Defence testing site last week were it reached a maximum speed of 623 km/h (387.4 mph), which Rolls-Royce says not only makes it the fastest electric aircraft, but the world’s fastest electric vehicle of any kind.

Source: Rolls-Royce’s electric plane hits 387 mph to lay claim as world’s fastest

Last winter, ski resorts in the U.S. were quick to embrace COVID-friendly adjustments—food trucks, pop-up outdoor dining and seating, reservation requirements for both mountain access and (often severely limited) indoor dining—contributing to a semblance of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal year. There’s just as much exciting news this year, as well as the long-awaited return of aprés ski. If you’re planning a ski vacation this year, here’s what you need to know about the most highly anticipated openings at resorts around the country.All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Source: The Season’s Most Exciting U.S. Ski News, from Resort Openings to Aprés Ski Fun | Condé Nast Traveler

When a man is tired of London he is tired of life. So said Samuel Johnson in 1777 and as a Londoner, I firmly believe that these words still hold true today – although of course, I would like to change man to person. I think that my hometown is the most amazing and fascinating city in the world and I can’t imagine getting bored with London.To help convince you that I am correct here are 67 fascinating facts about London!

Source: 67 Fascinating Facts About London I Boutique Adventurer

HONOLULU (AP) — A proposed rule for Hawaii Tourism Authority board members would have them resign before publicly opposing a board action.The tourism authority’s new code of conduct is part of an effort to reorganize after facing legislative scrutiny and community pushback, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

Source: Proposed Rule for Hawaii Tourism Board Members Criticized | Hawaii News | US News