Category: Travel

A single phrase in a recorded address to the United Nations General Assembly sent waves through the international climate policy community this week as President Xi Jinping pledged China will stop building and funding coal-fired power plants in other countries.Xi’s statement that “China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad” had some analysts expressing suspicions or anxious for details. But the announcement was still “profoundly important,” coming from the country that is the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas and coal, accounting for more than half of global coal and steel production, said Tim Buckley, Director of Energy Finance Studies, Australia/South Asia at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.“When China moves, the world changes, dramatically,” he added. “And when the Chinese President speaks, China acts.”

Source: China to End International Coal Financing after ‘Profoundly Important’ UN Statement – The Energy Mix

A single phrase in a recorded address to the United Nations General Assembly sent waves through the international climate policy community this week as President Xi Jinping pledged China will stop building and funding coal-fired power plants in other countries.Xi’s statement that “China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad” had some analysts expressing suspicions or anxious for details. But the announcement was still “profoundly important,” coming from the country that is the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas and coal, accounting for more than half of global coal and steel production, said Tim Buckley, Director of Energy Finance Studies, Australia/South Asia at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.“When China moves, the world changes, dramatically,” he added. “And when the Chinese President speaks, China acts.”

Source: China to End International Coal Financing after ‘Profoundly Important’ UN Statement – The Energy Mix

Ashort bureaucratic note from a brutally degraded microstate in the South Pacific to a little-known institution in the Caribbean is about to change the world. Few people are aware of its potential consequences, but the impacts are certain to be far-reaching. The only question is whether that change will be to the detriment of the global environment or the benefit of international governance.In late June, the island republic of Nauru informed the International Seabed Authority (ISA) based in Kingston, Jamaica of its intention to start mining the seabed in two years’ time via a subsidiary of a Canadian firm, The Metals Company (TMC, until recently known as DeepGreen). Innocuous as it sounds, this note was a starting gun for a resource race on the planet’s last vast frontier: the abyssal plains that stretch between continental shelves deep below the oceans.In the three months since it was fired, the sound of that shot has reverberated through government offices, conservation movements and scientific academies, and is now starting to reach a wider public, who are asking how the fate of the greatest of global commons can be decided by a sponsorship deal between a tiny island and a multinational mining corporation.The risks are enormous. Oversight is almost impossible. Regulators admit humanity knows more about deep space than the deep ocean. The technology is unproven. Scientists are not even sure what lives in those profound ecosystems. State governments have yet to agree on a rulebook on how deep oceans can be exploited. No national ballot has ever included a vote on excavating the seabed. Conservationists, including David Attenborough and Chris Packham, argue it is reckless to go ahead with so much uncertainty and such potential devastation ahead.

Source: Race to the bottom: the disastrous blindfolded rush to mine the deep sea | Deep-sea mining | The Guardian

The KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor is an ongoing research project tracking the public’s attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations. Using a combination of surveys and qualitative research, this project tracks the dynamic nature of public opinion as vaccine development and distribution unfold, including vaccine confidence and acceptance, information needs, trusted messengers and messages, as well as the public’s experiences with vaccination.Key FindingsThe latest Vaccine Monitor finds the share of adults who say they have either received a COVID-19 vaccine (67%) or say they will get vaccinated as soon as they can (3%) is relatively unchanged from June. The poll, conducted July 15-27th, may not capture any recent uptick in vaccinations after the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), citing the increased risk of the Delta variant to both unvaccinated and vaccinated people.Three in ten adults remain unvaccinated including one in ten who say they want to “wait and see” how the vaccine works for other people before getting vaccinated and 3% who say they will do so “only if required” (down from 6% in June). An additional 14% say they will “definitely not” get a vaccine, a share that has held relatively steady since December. One-fourth of unvaccinated adults (8% of all adults) say they are likely to get a vaccine before the end of 2021, including nearly half (45%) of those who say they want to “wait and see.”Unvaccinated adults, especially those who say they will “definitely not” get a vaccine, are much less worried about the coronavirus, the Delta variant, and have less confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines compared to those who are vaccinated. Three-fourths of unvaccinated adults, including nine in ten of those who say they will “definitely not” get the vaccine, say they are “not worried” about getting seriously sick from the virus, less than half say they are worried about the Delta variant worsening the pandemic, more than half (including 75% of “definitely not”) say getting vaccinated is a bigger risk to their health than getting infected with coronavirus, and a quarter (just one in ten of “definitely not”) say the vaccines are effective at keeping vaccinated people from dying from COVID-19 or getting seriously ill.The increase in COVID-19 cases and news of the Delta variant spreading in the U.S. has made some people say they are more likely to wear a mask in public or avoid large gatherings, though this is mainly driven by vaccinated adults. Majorities of vaccinated adults say news of the variants has made them more likely to wear a mask in public (62%) or avoid large gatherings (61%), while fewer unvaccinated adults say the same (37% and 40%, respectively). However, one in five unvaccinated adults (22%) say news of variants has made them more likely to get vaccinated for COVID-19. This includes one-third (34%) of those who want to “wait and see,” but few (2%) of those who say they will “definitely not” get a vaccine say the news made them more likely to get vaccinated.The public is divided on whether the federal government should recommend employers require vaccines among their employees. Half (51%) say the federal government should recommend employers require their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine unless they have a medical exception while a similar share (45%) say the federal government should not recommend this. Views towards this issue are sharply divided by both vaccination status and party identification, with 68% of vaccinated adults and 75% of Democrats saying the federal government should issue this recommendation, while eight in ten (81%) unvaccinated adults and 67% of Republicans say the federal government should not do this.Prior to the CDC issuing the newest guidance encouraging all adults, regardless of vaccine status, to wear masks indoors if they are in an area with higher transmission levels of coronavirus, half of adults said they wore a protective mask at least “most of the time” at an indoor setting like a grocery store, while less than half report wear a mask at least “most of the time” on public transit (44%), at work (42%), outdoors in crowded places (41%), or outdoors with household members or friends (18%). Across most places asked about, vaccinated adults were more likely to report wearing a mask at least “most of the time” than unvaccinated adults. Majorities of Republicans saying they “never” wear a mask outdoors in crowded places, outdoors with friends and household members, at work, or in a grocery store. Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely to report wearing a mask in all of these locations, except when outdoors with household members and friends.

Source: KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: July 2021 | KFF

Having completed the final phase of its extensive 14-month transformation, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore has become the country’s first “Garden-in-a-Hotel” and is now ready to welcome guests with new wellness concepts, offerings and experiences.If you’re looking for new spots to recharge, then the refreshed PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay is a breath of fresh air indeed. And with the hotel’s generous 25-hour flexible check-in and out, you can take the time to unwind at your own pace.A green sanctuary for the wearyThe 21-storey-tall skylit atrium is South-east Asia’s largest, exuding a sense of urban grandeur synonymous with late architectural legend John Portman.

Source: Get the most out of your staycation at Singapore’s first garden-in-a-hotel , Travel News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.Of the 10 Canadian resorts, six were located in the western provinces of Alberta and British Columbia; on the country’s eastern side, Quebec is home to three of the top resorts. Many properties were repeat winners, including No. 6 Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, which one reader called “a bucket-list destination because it delivers something magical, no matter the season.”Another returning favorite? No. 3 Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland. Just getting to this “island within an island,” as one reader called it, is an adventure that many guests are more than up for. “The perfect destination for reconnecting to nature and self,” said one voter. “Though remote, it provides all of the creature comforts that anyone could want or need,” said another.In British Columbia, the No. 2 Wickaninnish Inn is a perennial favorite for its indulgent spa services as well as the amazing views of the Pacific Ocean from the guest rooms. “We watched storms roll in and enjoyed every minute of our stay,” recalled one visitor.But it was a boutique property in Quebec that captured this year’s top spot. Read on to find out why Manoir Ho

vey won over voters and was named No. 1 among the best resorts in Canada.

Source: Resort Hotels in Canada: World’s Best 2021 | Travel + Leisure

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.Of the 10 Canadian resorts, six were located in the western provinces of Alberta and British Columbia; on the country’s eastern side, Quebec is home to three of the top resorts. Many properties were repeat winners, including No. 6 Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, which one reader called “a bucket-list destination because it delivers something magical, no matter the season.”Another returning favorite? No. 3 Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland. Just getting to this “island within an island,” as one reader called it, is an adventure that many guests are more than up for. “The perfect destination for reconnecting to nature and self,” said one voter. “Though remote, it provides all of the creature comforts that anyone could want or need,” said another.In British Columbia, the No. 2 Wickaninnish Inn is a perennial favorite for its indulgent spa services as well as the amazing views of the Pacific Ocean from the guest rooms. “We watched storms roll in and enjoyed every minute of our stay,” recalled one visitor.But it was a boutique property in Quebec that captured this year’s top spot. Read on to find out why Manoir Ho

vey won over voters and was named No. 1 among the best resorts in Canada.

Source: Resort Hotels in Canada: World’s Best 2021 | Travel + Leisure