The concept of ecotourism is frequently misunderstood despite its rising popularity across the globe, which results in an outcropping of businesses and companies that claim to be “eco-friendly” or “environmentally correct” when they are, in fact, nothing of the sort. Being eco-friendly can be difficult; it’s much easier to cut corners while benefitting from the …
Tag: best practices
Jun 06
People Comprehension Part II
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about the importance of teaching children people comprehension skills so people can better understand each other, despite differing opinions. Personally, I think this should be part of the curriculum in elementary and middle schools, since equipping children with these skills can enable them to become more open-minded …
Jun 03
Hello, Hola, Bonjour, Ciao
The Importance of Learning Languages in Schools Languages are some of the most important cultural and social building blocks of humanity. They can be barriers when people cannot understand one another or they can be connectors that bring people together. As countries become more globalized, knowing a second language has become almost essential for young …
Jun 01
California Dreaming with an Eco-friendly Twist
In a few days my family and I leave for a 6 day trip to San Francisco and Napa, and so I thought now would be an appropriate time for a practical guide on how to ‘green’ your next vacation. This isn’t a complete guide, of course, but simply a sort of framework to give …
May 31
Arab Education – Long Road Ahead
Many of the posts I’ve written thus far have mentioned the recent uprisings and governmental overhauls taking place in the Middle East. These events are bringing incredible amounts of change to archaic systems and have the potential to completely reshape the Arab world, a source of great excitement to people living in the region. To …
May 30
Avoid Scarcity in Psychiatric Services – Make Medical School Free
As I mentioned in a previous post, the prevalence of neuropsychiatric conditions is skyrocketing around the world. Unfortunately, this rise in incidence has not been accompanied by a rise in amount of mental health care clinicians. Demand for psychiatry is rising faster than for any other specialty, yet medical students are opting for specialties with …
May 25
Curitiba A Model for Economic Development in Brazil
Brazil, with its growing economy and BRIC designation, is considered a country to watch in the global south, but few people know about the star of Brazil: Curitiba. Curitiba, capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná, is southern Brazil’s largest city andeconomy, with a GDP that surpasses US$30 billion and a total population of over …
May 23
The Most Forgotten Aspect of Ecotourism
In my last blog post I wrote about The International Ecotourism Society’s list of 10 energy saving tips for travelers, and today I will cover another aspect of sustainable tourism promoted by TIES: economic impact. It isn’t enough to reduce your carbon footprint while traveling; you must also increase your economic footprint, otherwise it isn’t …
May 23
Spotlight On charity: water
Charity: water is an nonprofit organization that brings clean water to developing areas by building wells and water sanitation projects. In just four years, charity: water hasraised over $20 million, which is clearly an enormous accomplishment. One of the most impressive things about the organization, and one of the major factors in its success thus far, is …