Vacationing in Extreme Weather

Now here's a tourism agency with balls.

The Isle of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides northwest of Scotland, is trying to get people to visit in the wintertime. That's right, visit an island that has nothing between it and the North Pole except a few hundred miles of windy North Atlantic. Where this week's weather forecast calls for fog giving way to three days of rain. Where the high this month was nine degrees.

So why winter in Harris? Well, besides cozy pubs, a unique island culture, and local crafts such as the famous Harris tweed, there is the stunning landscape, made lush by rain and rugged by scouring winds. The topography is so unusual that Stanley Kubrick used it to portray the surface of Jupiter in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts will have plenty to see, such as rare golden eagles, otters, and whales in the unspoilt seas and countryside. Hikers can challenge themselves on the windswept peaks, and history buffs can explore the region's past, which has included Vikings, monks, and hardy crofters. Folklore is alive and well in the Hebrides, replete with Celtic music and traditional tales of ghosts, kelpie, and heroes. The island's very remoteness means that its culture has not been overly affected by tourism.

But why winter? Wouldn't it be better to go in summer and have a chance to actually see the sun? The Winter Harris website disagrees. There are more rooms available in winter, you see, and the rough weather can be an attraction in and of itself. With all the emphasis on extreme travel these days, braving the Arctic winds seems like it fits right in.

Like the website says, "What's the worst case scenario? Listening to an Atlantic storm in front of an open fire." I'd add a pint or two of heather ale or a glass of scotch.

Canadian Arctic Not What It Used To Be

In more depressing news about the state of the Arctic, a 4,500 year-old shelf of ice has broken off from Ellesmere Island. The BBC reported that a nineteen-square-mile section, about three times the size of Manhattan, is now floating around the ocean. It's getting bad on the other islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago too. What people often forget is that not only is this a scary symptom of global warming, but these ice shelves are actually very fragile ecozones that are now in serious danger of disappearing.

I've always been fascinated with Arctic exploration. When I was a kid I loved the stories of explorers such as Hudson and Barents navigating between ice floes and having run-ins with polar bears. I loved looking at maps of the Arctic and wondering about all those islands with the strange names--Ellesmere, Baffin, Devon. I wondered what it would be like to be trekking across their huge expanses of ice. Looks like I'll never know.

Kayaking to the North Pole

What's wrong with this title? Well, you shouldn't be able to kayak to the North Pole, because there's supposed to be a bunch of ice up there! Unfortunately, the polar cap has been shrinking so quickly that star swimmer Lewis Pugh has decided to attempt to kayak to the top of the world to bring awareness to the problem of global warming.

He's got a fascinating blog about his preparations and start of his expedition. I don't know how much he'll be posting from now on, because he just left Svalbard, headed north. Best of luck, Lewis!

Oh, and if you don't "believe" in global warming, get with the program. Its existence is the closest thing to consensus I've seen in the scientific community, expect for maybe evolution. While the rate of global warming and the extent of human culpability are both debatable, it should be common sense that pumping huge amounts of toxins into our air and water supply is a bad idea.

Gas Protests and Food Shortages in Madrid

We are now in the second day of a strike by truck drivers here in Spain protesting over the high price of gas. While I'm all for industrial action, I think this particular strike, in which drivers are refusing to deliver basics such as food, is misdirected. The strikers know the government can't do anything about global energy prices, but they're using it as an excuse to get concessions. Already the Spanish government is offering cash payments for early retirement and emergency credit, but the truckers want a minimum haulage rate so they can be assured a living wage.

Some truckers are staging "go slow" protests around the city, blocking traffic. Lines at gas stations are running for blocks, and when I went to the supermarket today I noticed a definite shortage of some foods. I bought extra, marking the first time in my First World life that I've hoarded food.

This strike will be resolved, but the problem is not about to go away. Eventually we will reach peak oil, if we haven't already, and as consumption increases due to rising population and industrialization, the problem will only get more acute. This won't be the last time in my life I'll be hoarding food. And if you haven't yet, your turn may well be next.