Peter Rudiak-Gould is an American student studying for an anthropology doctorate at Oxford University in climate change and its effect on the Marshall Islands. He recently published his first book titled
Surviving Paradise describing his year on a remote atoll in the Marshall Island teaching English.
This interview discusses Peter's attitude to global warming, especially focussed on how the Marshall Islands are handling this global issue.
Travel Wonders: The population of Marshall Islands appear to have little fear of global warming yet their islands are clearly slowly "drowning". Is this consistent with the way they lead their lives or their faith or what? Peter Rudiak-Gould: Thankfully, there is more Marshallese interest in the threat now than two years ago. Still, when I was recently in the Marshall Islands and asked general questions about life or about the future, people didn’t usually spontaneously bring up climate change, even though they were familiar with it. It’s probably #10 on people’s list of worries. There are probably several reasons for this. One is that, while people can see some signs of local environmental change (erosion, for instance), these changes are not yet extremely obvious, and they are not affecting people in a big way - by and large, life goes on as it did before. Another is that, when people hear about the problem, there seems to be nothing they can do about it, so there is no point in thinking about it. Another is that some people are skeptical of the threat because they don’t trust scientists - some people say that the country won't be flooded because God promised Noah that he wouldn't flood the earth again. So many of the reasons that Marshallese people don't think about climate change as much as we might hope are the same reasons that Westerners don't think about it as much as we would hope. There might also be a certain amount of fatalism in the country, due to millenia of living in a precarious environment and more recent experiences like nuclear testing. Luckily, there’s a new awareness raising strategy in the Marshall Islands which puts attention on more manageable, present impacts of climate change rather than the possibility of future inundation, and this strategy seems to be succeeding in getting people more engaged with the problem.
TW: With their limited resources, did you speak with Marshall Islanders that you felt were taking positive steps towards reducing the threat of global warming? Peter: I was just in the country again, from May to September, and there is much more engagement and action than there was in 2003-2004 or 2007 when I was there before. Like in the First World, the man on the street isn't doing very much to prepare for climate change (which is completely understandable!), but there is a sizeable and growing community of activists. First and foremost are the leaders of Women United Together Marshall Islands, which is a women's advocacy organization. They have been organizing workshops to educate women around the country about the threat of climate change. This has made a huge difference. The Ministry of Education, an environmental NGO, and a Catholic church have also helped to raise people's awareness. Interestingly enough, one of the responses that is being advocated is to reduce one's own carbon emissions, even though the Marshall Islands has such a small carbon footprint, both as a nation and per capita. It is a kind of self-blame - these organizations are taking attention away from the culpability of the big polluting nations, and putting attention on the small contribution that Marshall Islanders add to the threat. In some ways this is blaming the victim, and exaggerating Marshall Islanders' power to solve the problem, but it may be succeeding in helping people engage with the problem - and every little bit of emissions reduction helps. The Marshallese government hasn't been as proactive as other low-lying island nations, such as the Maldives which has pledged to go carbon neutral in ten years, held a government meeting underwater to get media attention, and looked into the possibility of buying land overseas in case the islands are flooded. But the grassroots efforts in the Marshall Islands are taking off in a serious way.
TW: How big an issue do you personally believe the threat of global warming is? Peter: I think the seriousness of the threat is about halfway between the two extremes that we often hear. The two extremes I'm talking about are the idea that global warming is a hoax (what the denialists like to say) and that global warming is an apocalypse that will destroy humanity and much of life on earth (what the alarmists like to say). Halfway between those two viewpoints equals: a big problem. Although low-lying island countries like the Marshall Islands seem to be the worst off, I think that other, poorer countries are in a more dire situation. The worst case scenario in the Marshall Islands--total uninhabitability and mass exodus--is very bad indeed, but not as bad as what some other countries might face. If worst comes to worst in the Marshall Islands, some country would surely allow the 60,000 inhabitants to immigrate. But in various African countries with much larger populations, many of the people would have to stay despite massive crop failures and starvation. So, in summary, climate change won't destroy the world, but it will make it harder for people to live on it, and it could kill millions of people in the Third World. We don't need sensationalistic proclamations of ecological Armageddon in order to care about the problem or appreciate its seriousness.
TW: What personal changes (if any) have you made since the experience of seeing parts of Ujae Island lying underwater in the way you lead your life in Oxford? Peter: I can’t hold myself up as an example of what to do right. I conserve energy in small ways, I don’t eat very much meat, and I carbon offset my research-related flights. That’s not much, though. But I hope that by studying how people in vulnerable countries react to the idea and reality of global warming, I will be able to help people design more effective awareness and adaptation programs. I do believe that we can make a difference in global warming, but the best thing we can do is not to repent for our carbon sins but to pressure government to sign a climate change treaty that will actually tackle the problem. The ozone hole wasn’t solved by guilt-tripping people about using air conditioners and hairsprays, but by governments passing laws against CFCs and industry finding suitable alternatives to them. The same could be true of climate change, although it's a much harder problem to solve. I do admire people who voluntarily stop flying, for instance, but I worry that the emphasis on guilt and fear has turned many people off to the climate change movement. If people associate environmentalism with feeling bad about themselves, that's going to hurt the movement.
TW: How big do you see the threat and do you think the world's leaders are setting us on an appropriate course for recovery? Peter: The threat is big, and so far the response has not been terribly impressive. But that's not a reason for despair. We have to realize what a huge endeavor it is to get every country in the world to sign a climate change treaty. And it does need to be every country in the world, because both the causes and the consequences of climate change are global, not respecting any national border. An environmental issue like smog is much easier to solve because the pollution doesn't travel very far, so it's mostly the same people who create the problem who also suffer from it. That means that there is more incentive for people to solve the problem, and it can be tackled on a local or national level, rather than a global one. You don't need everyone in the world to agree to stop the problem, only a certain subset of people. But with climate change, every country in the world needs to sign on. That's an incredibly ambitious goal to set, and it's not surprising that it's taken a few decades. Fingers crossed for Copenhagen. If an agreement is made, it will be a wonderful precedent for international cooperation, and a good sign that we're starting to realize that we're all living on the same planet. Taking the long view, the fact that we're even anywhere close to such an agreement is amazing.
TW: What role do you believe that well-off western nations (Europe, USA, Canada, Australia,...) should be playing in protecting low lying islands such as the Marshall Islands with the threat of global warming? Peter: First and foremost, they should be trying to prevent the threat. But this might fail, and even if it succeeds there is a certain amount of warming locked into the system from the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere, so the Marshall Islands will have to deal with certain impacts no matter what. So First World nations are obligated to help low-lying islands adapt. This can involve both traditional and non-traditional methods. Traditional methods of securing shorelines are great, but at a certain point they might not be enough. At that point, seawalls might be the only option, and these low-lying countries couldn’t afford these themselves. A richer country would have to help, and would be obligated to do so. In a worst case scenario, if people in low-lying countries have to evacuate, the rich countries should allow them to immigrate. Someone argued that rich countries should allow "climate change refugees" to immigrate in proportion to the amount of greenhouse gases they emit (and therefore their share of causing the problem), which seems reasonable to me.
TW: As individual travellers, what do you believe are important steps that we can take to reduce the effect of climate change? Peter: Do you think the travel industry doing its fair share facing this global issue? The most significant link between traveling and climate change is, of course, the carbon emissions caused by flying. My feeling on this one is that there are two things that you can do that make sense. One is to cut back on flying, or stop flying altogether. The other is to fly and carbon offset those flights with a reputable carbon offsetting organization. I've heard a lot of people say that only the first of these options is ethical. They say that carbon offsetting is unethical because you are paying to eliminate the sin of flying, and you shouldn't be able to pay money to earn moral credit. Or they say that carbon offsetting makes climate change seem like an easy problem to solve, so people will just carbon offset and not get involved with actually solving the problem. I appreciate these arguments but don't really agree with them. If you are carbon offsetting with a reputable company (like Climate Care -
www.jpmorganclimatecare.com), then you really are eliminating an equivalent amount of greenhouse gas emission. Your net effect is zero because it doesn't matter where the emissions are coming from - they all go into one big system. And at the same time, you are creating an incentive for people in various industries to devise ways of reducing carbon emissions and get paid for it. This is a good thing. Carbon offsetting won't solve climate change by itself, but it's better than nothing. What really baffles me is when people decide to fly AND to feel guilty about it, without carbon offsetting. This seems like the worst of all worlds to me: all of the feeling of guilt with none of the action to reduce your impact.
TW: Thank you Peter for your time. Read my
review of Surviving Paradise and
Peter's website for more details of his studies and time on the Marshall Islands.
Unlike Santa Clauses in Australia with their cotton wool facial hair, the jolly red fellows in Santiago's main square of Plaza de Armas grow their own beards. Being the middle of summer, it is hot work for these joyous folks who distribute their Christmas cheer. The poor reindeer look like they have seen better days...
Formed in majority by 22 natural atolls and located in the Indian Ocean, this string of islands could well be one of the new seven wonders of the world. Independent from the United Kingdom since 1965, Maldives boasts of a population of just over 300,000 and one of the worlds best locations for luxury holidays and boasts some of the best beaches in the world.
The Huvafen Fushi Hotel located in the Maldives, is one of it's finest, and is just 24 km from the international airport. Geographically located 300 miles south west of India and Sri Lanka, Maldives is ideal for honeymoons or just to lose yourself in complete relaxation for a few days or weeks.
Once you have arrived on the island your breath will be taken away by the beauty and serenity of this world class hotel. Visitors are welcomed by natives as a gesture of friendship and introduced to a relaxing atmosphere, second to none. Rooms are spacious and open, with direct access to the beach. All rooms are equipped with overhead fans, safe and telephone. A private bar, Espresso machine and 32” plasma television are also included in the amenities. If you prefer to spend your time in seclusion, a DVD player with Bose surround sound are provided for your pleasure.
If you just want to lay back and enjoy the beauty of the islands, you can take a sunset cruise around the uninhabited islands, on a Dhoni while snacks and drinks are being served to you. If you are not quite relaxed enough, how about the spa for a massage and some pampering. The time is now, the place is The Huvafen Fushi Hotel at the Maldives and the goal is Paradise.
Peter Rudiak-Gould is an American student studying for an anthropology doctorate at Oxford University in climate change and its effect on the Marshall Islands. He recently published his first book titled Surviving Paradise describing his year on a remote atoll in the Marshall Island teaching English.
North of the harbour, a short walk around Balls Head and Berry Island (no longer an island) are preserved headlands that offer wonderful views of Sydney Harbour, the famous bridge and the city skyline. Along with the views are a couple of old aboriginal rock engravings (a little worn over time), a quiet park for picnics and some short walking tracks to explore. It is hard to believe that you are only four kilometres from the centre of Sydney.
Only $30 (half that with a hostel or student pass) buys a three month ticket to 11 historic properties around Sydney. Places include an original convict barracks on the city's Hyde Park, the Museum of Sydney on the site of the first Government House or two stunning early 19th century colonial homes. At one of Australia’s oldest houses at Elizabeth Farm, visitors can sit in the chairs, lie on the beds, test the kitchen utensils and touch the various recreated furniture recreated to the time. Susannah Place Museum in the middle of the historic Rocks district in the centre of Sydney features four working class houses next to each other alongside a 1915 shop, selling products of the time.
For a tranquil escape from the Sydney rush, spend an hour wandering the therapeutic gardens, gushing waterfalls, graceful arched bridges, elegant pavilions and peaceful lakes of the Chinese Gardens. Located in Darling Harbour not far from a number of hotels in Sydney and built as a bicentennial gift by the Chinese in 1988, giant weeping trees and richly coloured buildings leave wonderful reflections in the enchanting lakes. Littered with evocatively named features including the Water Pavilion of Lotus Fragrance and Lake of Brightness, finish in the teahouse with a tea or coffee and a slice of calorific cake. 
Many people dream of life on an idyllic palm-fringed island surrounded by azure blue waters. Peter Rudiak-Gould was no exception when he volunteered for the WorldTeach program and was posted to the remote Marshall Islands. Laying roughly halfway between the Philippines and Hawaii, the Marshall Islands are noted as a battleground of World War 2 and where the US conducted their nuclear test program (on the now deserted Bikini Atoll). 
guest post by Vera Marie Badertscher
You can see it from deep within, or drive along the edge. From the approach through Beautiful Valley to the edge of the Canyon of Death (Canyon del Muerte), a drive along the north and south rims of Canyon de Chelly (prounounced de-shay) stores up images to last a lifetime. In my humble opinion, it is the most beautiful drive in Arizona, along the edge of the most beautiful canyon in Arizona.
Unlike grander canyons, de Chelly has an endearing human scale. Drive across the flat, sandy level space of the plateau called Defiance and look down into green pastures and a cottonwood-lined stream and you feel like an intergalactic traveler who has just discovered life in a hostile universe.
Chase the sunset along the edge of the canyon and watch tall spires sketched in shadows separate from the canyon walls and fade into a solid black mass. Stop along the way to see the ancient vertical trail that people living in the canyon still use-nimble as the goats they lead. Look across at White House Ruins (top photo), testimony to ancient occupation. If you are truly blessed, as you gaze down at the rural scene of life in the canyon, you'll see horses running free, splashing through the stream, whirling like spirits blessing the day.
Most people who visit Canyon de Chelly ride trucks through the bottom of the canyon,splashing through the stream, craning their necks up at the curved red walls. Because the canyon is on the Navajo Reservation and people live in the canyon, you cannot just wander in on your own. You can climb aboard the old troop trucks at the historic Thunderbird Lodge near the campgrounds in the Canyon itself. Or you can go to the Park visitor center and hire a Navajo driver to take your own vehicle into the canyon. The Navajo guides will tell you tales--some true--like the one about the mesa where people starved rather than give in to Kit Carson who had been sent to relocate them. They will tell bad jokes, like the one about the tall formation leaning into the chasm. "Martini rock" the guide will say, "One drop will kill you."
Banff, in the beautiful Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada is one of the worlds best places for luxury ski holidays. It has a long snow ski season and some of the world's coldest and driest snow. This makes Banff a reliable place for a ski holiday in a magical place that is one of the largest ski areas in Canada. There are glaciers, high mountain peaks, and valleys where you will spot a variety of wildlife.
When looking for luxury skiing in Banff the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel has such grandeur that it is known as "The Castle in the Rockies". The luxury and individualized service enhances its majestic beauty and comfort. Modeled after a Scottish Baronial castle, it has reigned supreme among hotels for over a century.
Among the twelve restaurants are the five diamond Banffshire Club which offers a truly elegant dining experience with fresh innovative cuisine. Afternoon tea can be soothing as you sit and view the Bow Valley.
You can also go on sleigh rides, a gondola ride, go tobogganing, ice skating, dog sledding, snowboarding, golfing, or take a horse and carriage tour. There is great shopping in the area and within walking distance as well as over 100 restaurants with a selection of international cuisine including Mediterranean, Mexican with a Wild West theme, Italian, Korean, and even an Old Spaghetti Factory, ribs, burgers, and good steaks. There is an active night life with live music and dancing which includes an Irish pub with a variety of beers.
At the start of every month, Travel Wonders highlights a special drink from my travels around the world. Visiting the French Alps in winter, I recall drinking a spicy warm red wine that the French call vin chaud. Since then I learned that it is similar to glühwein in the Germanic nations and called mulled wine in English.
