“We are in the early phase of a climate emergency,” the paper published on November 2 warns. “Such acceleration is dangerous in a climate system that is already far out of equilibrium. Reversing the trend is essential – we must cool the planet — for the sake of preserving shorelines and saving the world’s coastal cities.”

The study published in Oxford Academic predicts a “dangerous” burst of heating will be unleashed, pushing the world to be 1.5°C hotter than it was, on average, in pre-industrial times within the 2020s and 2°C hotter by 2050. Under this scenario, the targets agreed in the Paris Agreement, of not exceeding 1.5°C, seems unreasonable as global heating keeps accelerating. The consequences will be dire, the research paper warns, as the world will become increasingly inhospitable for humankind and greater climate extremes will become the norm.

1. IPCC

“Our principal motivation in this paper is concern that IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate] has underestimated climate sensitivity and understated the threat of large sea level rise,” reads the paper. The IPCC was established in 1988 to provide scientific assessments on the state of knowledge about climate change and almost all nations agreed to the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change with the objective to avert “dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”.

Hansen and his fellow researchers are questioning the IPCC’s assessment in relation to the continuous burning of fossil fuels. They consider that a huge amount of global heating is still expected to be unleashed as, despite repeated warnings, fossils like oil and coal remain in use globally. “We would be damned fools and bad scientists if we didn’t expect an acceleration of global warming,” Hansen said.

We are beginning to suffer the effect of our Faustian bargain. That is why the rate of global warming is accelerating.

Dr. James Edward Hansen

2. Carbon tax and “solar geoengineering”

Hansen and his colleagues are proposing a global carbon tax to offer economic incentives for people, businesses, and governments to reduce their carbon footprint. Carbon taxes are considered an economically efficient way to address climate change as they provide a clear price signal for carbon emissions. But such levy can be politically challenging to implement, as they often face opposition from industries and individuals who may be financially impacted by the increased costs of fossil fuels.

The second solution proposed by Hansen is to artificially cool the planet by spaying sulphur into the atmosphere, a controversial proposal discussed among environmentalists called “solar geoengineering”. “Risks of such intervention must be defined, as well as risks of no intervention; thus, the US National Academy of Sciences recommends research on solar radiation management,” reads the paper.

3. Finding consensus

This decade may be “our last chance to develop the knowledge, technical capability, and political will” to act pragmatically and safeguard global coastal regions from climate catastrophe, the researchers warn. But not all the scientists are carrying such a daunting view as Hansen’s and his colleagues.

Michael Mann, a climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, said that Hansen and his co-authors are “very much out of the mainstream” in projecting an acceleration in global heating, noting that the trend, despite upward, has “continued at a remarkably constant rate for the past few decades”. Mann added that calls for solar geoengineering are misguided and a “very slippery slope”.

Bärbel Hönisch, a paleoclimatologist at Columbia University, said she had “some reservations” about the certainties expressed in Hansen’s research about the state of the Earth’s climate millions of years ago, which helps predict the consequences of warming today. “I’d be a little more reserved, but they may well be correct — it’s a nicely written paper,” she said. “It raises a lot of questions that will trigger a lot of research that will bring our understanding forward.”

A separate study published on November 6 by British and Austrian scientists similarly found that, at our current rate of burning fossil fuels, the world would be committed to passing 1.5 degrees of warming within six years.

However, some other researchers are more aligned with Hansen’s dire warning, remembering his previous predictive warnings about the climate crisis that have largely played out due to decades of inaction to curb the extraction and use of fossil fuels.

“I think Hansen’s pessimism is warranted. He stood up 35 years ago and sounded the alarm – and the world mostly ignored him, and all of us,” said Rob Jackson, a Stanford University scientist and chair of the Global Carbon Project.

L’article Global heating faster than predicted, warns scientist who sounded climate alarm in the 80s est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

1. Restoring mangroves

Mangroves were widespread in Oman 6,000 years ago, but climate change has dictated the extinction of most of its species, with only one kind existing today, the Avicennia Marina. They are found along the coastline stretching from North al Batinah to Dhofar. This area covered by mangroves expands around 1,000 hectares.

Twenty years ago, there wasn’t a single mangrove standing in Al-Sawadi creek, a resort town near Muscat. Today, it’s a forest stretching over 4 kilometers with 88 hectares of hangover cover. The mangrove restoration project has developed gradually, inspired by the late ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said, a renowned conservationist, who died in 2020.

2. Carbon sinks

These particular kinds of tree are highly effective carbon sinks, playing an essential role in sequestering and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. They boast several mechanisms that contribute to their carbon sequestration ability, including photosynthesis, sediment trapping, slow decomposition, and peat formation. Mangrove habitats can remove CO2 from the atmosphere faster than forests and store it in the soil and sediment for longer periods.

Over the past two years, the country has been restoring the coastal forest of these carbon-busting trees. So far, the Gulf nation has planted more than 3.5 million seeds of mangroves. This includes a record 2 million trees this year. 

Mangroves are found in several areas along the Omani coast, including the southern region of Dhofar and other coastal areas in the north and east, such as Muscat, Ras al Hadd, Ras Al Jinz, and the Daymaniyat Islands.

3. Oman Blue Carbon

Through its Environment Authority (EA), the Middle East country, forged a deal with MSA Green Projects last month to launch the Oman Blue Carbon — a project that seeks to cultivate 100 million mangrove trees in the country aiming to produce carbon credits. The initiative aligns with the Sultanate’s National Zero Carbon Strategy 2050, which outlines the country’s ambitions to reach net zero emissions.

Oman’s contract with MSA Green Projects to grow 100 million trees over 4 years would remove 14 million metric tons of CO2. In turn, the country would have the opportunity to earn $150 million in carbon credit benefits.

As part of the agreement, Oman’s government is set to transform 20,000 hectares of coastal land into mangrove habitats. The amount of carbon offset credits produced by the project would be measured against Oman’s baseline emissions — 90 metric tons in 2021.

L’article Oman’s mangrove restoration to capture tons of carbon and generate $150 million in carbon credits est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Blessed with several geothermal resources, France has been using this energy source primarily for direct use in district heating and spas, and there is potential for electricity generation.

To illustrate how central geothermal energy has been in France, the French Geological Survey (BRGM) has published an insightful infographic on some major locations that are currently being heated with geothermal energy, including Radio France, Aéroports de Paris, Rennes and soon the Olympic Games in Paris.

1. Radio France

Radio France, a public service broadcaster in France operating a network of radio stations, has been heated and cooled by deep geothermal energy since the day of its inauguration on 14 December 1963. It was the first building to be heated by geothermal energy in France. The energy to heat and cool the building was channeled from the Albien aquifer.

This heating system has given the French radio company an advantage. According to Jean-Luc Hees, radio journalist, relying on geothermal energy was key to avoid being affected by the economic consequences of the various oil crises that have occurred since the 1970s. “It is partly thanks to this heating system that Radio France has been able to keep its budgets under control,” added Hees.

2. Paris–Orly Airport

Currently, geothermal energy is used to produce 35% of the heating requirements at the Orly Airport, the equivalent to the consumption needs of 5,000 homes. It is used to heat part of the buildings and to supply hot water. By 2024, a total of 50% of the heating required at Orly Airport will be supplied by geothermal energy. The airport also uses the waste heat produced by the waste-energy recovery plant in Rungis. With the addition of heat pumps, the share of geothermal energy will be increased and boost the airport’s energy potential.

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3. Rennes

Geothermal energy is currently used to heat and supply hot water to homes situated above the underground stations in Rennes. The energy generated is produced by the underground itself following a business venture between the city and the construction engineering company Egis.

In 2021, an original system was installed directly in the floor slabs and vertical walls of four Rennes underground stations in order to produce heat. This innovative project is managed by the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM). The entire surface of the stations is now used as a heat exchanger. This system should have the capacity to cover a very large proportion of the heating needs of the buildings above the stations. Ultimately, some 112 homes will benefit from geothermal heating.

4. Olympic Games 2024

Geothermal energy will power the athletes’ village for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Located in St Ouen and St Denis, the surrounding urban development area (ZAC) and the Pleyel Tower will receive 68% of their power from geothermal energy.

The energy will be used for heating and cooling and will be supplied and managed by the Paris Urban Heating Company. The water used will be drawn from three aquifers, in a system combining near-surface geothermal energy and thermo-fridge pumps.

L’article Did you know that geothermal energy has been powering France since the 1960s? est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

1. Zero-emissions briefcase scooter

A promising trend in the transportation industry, the foldable all-electric micro-motorcycle features three wheels and a tiny powertrain initiated to the scooter to get the vehicle up to a maximum speed of 25 km/h. The briefcase scooter, as it has often been referred to due to its appearance, takes inspiration from the firm’s original compact scooter launched in the 1980s, called the Motocompo.

Motocompacto is uniquely Honda — a fun, innovative, and unexpected facet of our larger electrification strategy.

Jane Nakagawa, Vice President of the R&D Business Unit at American Honda Motor Company

2. Novel approach to electric mobility

Honda is pitching the zero-emissions Motocompacto as an “easy and fun-to-ride mobility solution that significantly reduces carbon footprint while offering great convenience”. The aims to be an ideal option to get around cityscapes or college campuses and for use as a first or last-kilometer vehicle, ditching trips with rental cars, Uber and even long traffic queues.

The electric vehicle addresses the current realities of urban mobility, allowing users a simple and enjoyable alternative form of transportation that significantly decreases their carbon footprint while delivering tremendous convenience, Honda said.

The Motocompacto e-scooter also offers integrated storage for the charging cable, a digital speedometer, a carry handle, and even a connected smartphone app to adjust settings. The company said its engineers in Ohio and California created and developed Motocompacto as an entirely novel approach to personal electric mobility and the feat has earned Honda 32 patents.

The new electric device folds into its compact, light, and stackable carrying case, making it easy to move in a vehicle, take public transportation, or store in confined spaces. However, the unfolding process can be a bit daunting at first, said Julian Chokkattu, a reporter from Wired who tried the Motocompo in the streets of New York.

“I watched as a spokesperson began pulling out latches, whipping out the wheels, lifting the handlebar, and doing a bunch of tiny maneuvers to fully convert the Motocompacto into riding mode. They did it in less than 30 seconds — Ziraldo did it even faster — but on my first attempt, I got confused and had to ask for help,” wrote Chokkattu. But that wasn’t a hindrance for him as he assured that “after a few times you’ll quickly get the hang of it.”

3. Safety, durability & security

The design of the Motocompacto was developed with safety, durability, and security in mind, according to the team. “It uses a robust heat-treated aluminum frame and wheels, bright LED headlight and taillight, side reflectors, and a welded steel lock loop on the kickstand that is compatible with most bike locks,” said Nick Ziraldo, project lead and design engineering unit leader at Honda Development and Manufacturing of America.

4. Honda’s path to net-zero by 2050

The launch of Motocompacto coincides with the introduction of the company’s first fully-electric SUVs, the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX, both coming to market in early 2024. Toward its global goal to achieve carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050, Honda will introduce 30 new EVs globally by 2030 with a global sales volume of 2 million units.

L’article Honda starts selling foldable electric scooters in the US est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Upskirting is the practice of taking non-consensual photographs or video from underneath a person’s clothing, usually to capture images of their underwear or even genitalia. It is illegal in England and Wales, parts of Europe, Asia and some states in the US.

The 8-second clip was shared on social media platform X, prompting an investigation by the carrier after seeing the video.

“We are aware of a co-worker of the airline performing an inappropriate action,” the airline stated, adding that “Aeroméxico, in agreement with the Mexican Aviation Flight Attendants Union Association (ASSA de Mexico), regrets what happened and reiterates that no appropriate conduct will be allowed in its operations.”

In the video, the male flight attendant was seen using his phone to film up a woman’s skirt as she boards a plane. As it seems from the video, he appears to slide his phone camera — which was facing up — across the floor as the passenger walks past him to board the plane.

Reports claim the man was allegedly trying to cover up the shocking act by pretending to look in a drawer on the ground. During the entire time, he kept is head bowed down as he went through the contents of the drawer, which appeared to contain mini alcohol bottles, while sliding his phone to film up the woman’s skirt without looking at her.

The video was filmed by another passenger, in line, waiting to board. The person who recorded the clip sent it to a journalist, claiming the woman in the video was not the first person being targeted on the flight, but she was the first one captured on video.

The journalist reacted online: “It happened in #Aeromexico, women must be free from being sexually harassed. The person who filmed the footage shared it with me with the message: ‘Ximena, good morning! I am very sorry to bother you, I wanted to send you this information, it just happened at this moment.”

L’article Aeroméxico investigates flight attendant upskirting boarding woman est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Association (ECTAA) urged the European Commission to “explore alternative solutions” in view of reforming the Package Travel Directive (PTD), saying the current proposal could limit pre-payments to package organizers, ultimately impacting travelers’ rights.

On October 23^rd, ECTAA wrote to the Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean and Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders requesting an urgent meeting.

Some of the concerns expressed in writing note that the current PTD review proposals, expected to be issued on November 29, include an “intention to introduce a limitation on pre-payments” when a review of EU Regulation 261 on air passenger rights “will lack corresponding measures” on pre-payments to airlines.

ECTAA says such measures are “unnecessary” as the current law already provides significant safeguards for travelers in case package organizers go bankrupt. “To make things worse, there are considerations to narrow the scope of the PTD by excluding loose combinations sold by airlines via third party traders”, ECTAA states referring to car rental companies or accommodation platforms.

This potential loophole, ECTAA says, would favor larger airlines that could offer unprotected combinations and disrupt fair competition to the disadvantage of smaller intermediaries.

The core idea of the evaluation was how to make the directive even more “effective”, Commissioner Reynders said during a video message played at the German Travel Association (DRV) Congress in Berlin, on October 13.

“The Commission is planning a tightening in terms of consumer protection,” said Dirk Inger, DRV’s General Manager.

DRV’s President Norbert Fiebig fears that a “regulation that has worked well for years” could be damaged by new requirements.  More than that — the already existing “move away from package tours” due to the decline in tour operator bookings as a result of price increases could be further fuelled, Fiebig fears.

The new travel law has been in force in Germany since July 2018, based on the new version of the EU PTD of 2015.

Once the Commission’s draft is available, a final version will have to be agreed between the European Council and the European Parliament. However, the final Directive is not likely to be adopted until 2025, possibly not until 2026.

L’article EU travel agents’ industry at odds with new EU package travel directive est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The news of the partnership between SpaceX and ESA was first reported on by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), however, the agreement requires final approval from the European Commission and other EU member states before taking effect. Earlier this summer, Politico reported that the Commission was looking abroad for a launcher for the Galileo satellites.

The European Commission, along with EU member states, must still give final approval for the deal. That is likely to happen before the end of the year [2023].

Wall Street Journal

SpaceX plans two Falcon 9 launches, each with two Galileo satellites on board, ESA’s director of navigation Javier Benedicto told the WSJ. The ESA’s Galileo constellation provides navigation services around the world.

The upcoming missions will mark the first time that SpaceX launches EU satellites carrying classified equipment, the WSJ noted, and the first time in 15 years that Galileo spacecraft will launch from a non-European territory. “That [carrying classified information] has prompted the US and the EU to start talks on an agreement to protect classified information in the satellites,” the WSJ clarified.

As the US and China accelerate space exploration, Europe is struggling to achieve its ambitions in the space sector, especially after ending cooperation with Russia in February 2022. All Galileo satellites orbiting Earth were launched aboard Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket, retired recently, or the Russian Soyuz.

Galileo is Europe’s equivalent of the US’ Global Positioning System (GPS), China’s Beidou or Russia’s GLONASS — an orbiting network that allows users to know exactly where they are and helps them figure out where they’re going in real time.

In the most recent delay for the Ariane 6 rocket, the ESA rescheduled a long-duration firing test to November 23 from October 3, after finding a problem with hydraulic equipment. The Paris-based agency aims to use the Ariane 6 to launch Galileo satellites in the future.

Galileo became operational in 2016 and currently consist of 23 operational satellites. As the upcoming launches reveal, Europe aims to continue expanding the constellation.

L’article SpaceX to help Europe launch navigation satellites in 2024 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) said Cruise had provided false or misleading information about the performance of its autonomous technology, which had recently started carrying passengers in San Francisco, an AP report said.

The GM-owned company is also facing scrutiny from federal authorities, who are investigating reports of possible dangers to pedestrians and passengers from its driverless cars. At stake was an incident in which a human driver struck a pedestrian, throwing her in front of a Cruise vehicle. The robotaxi stopped, but then restarted to pull over to a safe zone. When the car started moving again, it dragged the woman for 6 meters at a top speed of 11 kilometers per hour.

Earlier to the DMV suspension, Cruise also decided to halve its driving fleet in San Francisco after the California DMV ordered it to limit its fleet by a maximum of 50 by day and 150 by night. The automotive company said it had decided to “proactively pause driverless operations across all fleets” in order “to examine our processes, systems, and tools and reflect on how we can better operate in a way that will earn public trust.”

“The most important thing for us right now is to take steps to rebuild public trust,” said Cruise spokesman Aaron McLear cited by Bloomberg. “Part of this involves taking a hard look inwards and at how we do work at Cruise, even if it means doing things that are uncomfortable or difficult. We think it’s the right thing to do during a period when we need to be extra vigilant when it comes to risk, relentlessly focused on safety, and taking steps to rebuild public trust.”

Cruise has invested around $1.4 billion of the $1.7 billion in cash on hand this year. With the ongoing crisis, this means GM will have to put new money in to keep it going within three quarters, Bloomberg said. The worst for Cruise, perhaps, is not getting its license back and to risk seeing its rival, Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo the only self-driving taxi business in California.

L’article General Motor’s Cruise suspends driverless cars due to safety concerns est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The mission will take off from Spaceport America in New Mexico, a state-owned launch facility that hosts Virgin Galactic’s planes for a long time. VSS Unity and its crew will be brought to altitude by SpaceShipTwo’s carrier aircraft, the double-cockpit-designed VMS Eve.

1. Alan Stern

Alan Stern is a planetary scientist working as principal investigator of NASA’s New Horizons mission, which flew by Pluto in 2015, and is currently exploring the Kuiper Belt, the ring of icy bodies beyond Neptune.

Stern’s work with NASA spans dozens of missions over more than two decades, and he currently serves as associate vice president of the Space Science Division at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). Stern’s seat is sponsored by SwRI and is part of NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, which aims to advance spaceflight technologies through suborbital research aboard commercial missions.

2. Kellie Gerardi

Kellie Gerardi is a missions operations lead at Palantir Technologies, a payload specialist at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) and an author and space/STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) communicator.

Her research aboard Galactic 05 will continue investigations she has performed during parabolic flights on Earth, which create the experience of weightlessness for passengers for about 30 seconds at a time. Gerardi’s flight is sponsored by the IIAS, and, like Stern’s, the experiments she will perform are largely focused on collecting biometric data.

3. Colin Bennet

Colin Bennett is Galactic 05’s astronaut instructor and has been responsible for training the crew for the flight ahead. He is Virgin Galactic’s Astronaut 003, and flew with Virgin founder Richard Branson on VSS Unity’s final test flight in July 2021. In one of his many roles at Virgin Galactic over the last 15 years, Bennett also served as astronaut instructor for Galactic 01, another research flight.

4. VSS Unity Pilots

Inside VSS Unity’s cockpit will be Commander Mike “Sooch” Masucci and Pilot Kelly Latimer. Both pilots boast long flight resumes.

Masucci served as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force before joining Virgin Galactic. He sat at the helm of VSS Unity during the Galactic 01 mission and was one two VMS Eve pilots on Galactic 02.

Latimer worked at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center for many years and logged thousands of hours as a research pilot. After joining Virgin Galactic, Latimer piloted the Cosmic Girl carrier plane during Virgin Orbit’s first successful satellite launch in 2021.

5. VMS Eve Pilots

Manning the dual cockpits of the VMS Eve carrier aircraft for Galactic 05 will be Commander Jameel Janjua and Pilot Andy Edgell.

Janjua got his start at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned a masters degree in aeronautics and astronautics. He then joined the Canadian Air Force and worked his way up to the rank of major while gaining extensive experience as a test pilot before his retirement from service. Now, Janjua is gaining extensive experience as a pilot for VMS Eve. Including Galactic 05, Janjua has piloted Eve for four of Virgin’s five commercial missions.

Andy Edgell has been an experimental test pilot since 1999, and served in the British Royal Air Force flying F-35s and Harriers, according to Virgin Galactic’s website. Edgell joined Virgin Galactic this year, and this will be his first time in the cockpit during one of the company’s commercial flights.

L’article Virgin Galactic to fly tourists to space again est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Russian tourists have had increasingly few options for travel, given Moscow’s war on Ukraine, the impact of sanctions, travel restrictions, and a weakening ruble. The period of temporary stay for Russian tourists to 90 days, from the original 30 days, will last until 20 April 2024.

Nithee Seeprae, the deputy governor for Marketing Communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand said the decision to expand Russian tourist visas was based on high demand: “Most of them prefer to stay longer. So, to make it easy for everyone, we expanded the visa.”

Thailand has already seen nearly one million tourists from Russia this year and tourism officials hope that the extension of visa free status will help boost the number coming to the idyllical Southeast Asian country during peak season from November to March.

“The rate for ruble, things are more expensive, like the flight tickets. They don’t have a lot of choices for destinations when traveling because Europe closed [for Russian tourists]. They have some trouble with Visa and Mastercard, but now they can use UnionPay, a Chinese system, and a lot of customers pay by cash,” Igor Shchedrov, general manager at Svoi Travel, a Thailand-based travel agency, told Voice Of America (VOA).

Olga Polyakova, a Russian tourist from Moscow, was recently in Phuket and acknowledged that travel has become more expensive: “Now there’s not a good rate for the ruble, and now really traveling to foreign countries is more expensive than before, but traveling is an important part of my life.”

Russian tourists ranked fifth in the number of international visitors entering Thailand between 1 January and 1 October 2023, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, with 994,431 people.

Despite sanctions, the Kremlin has continued doing business with Thailand. The Southeast Asian nation chose to abstain from a UN vote condemning Russia last year for its military intervention in Ukraine.

L’article Russian tourists to get visa-free entry to Thailand as of 1 November est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.