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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
‘From British Raj tours to US theme parks, holidays evolved — there's ‘anti-tourism' now'
Professor Eric G. E. Zuelow Eric G. E. Zuelow is Professor of European and World History at the University of New England . Speaking to Srijana Mitra Das at Times Evoke, he discusses vacations — and coming home: When did people start travelling on holiday instead of staying home? Tourism , in its modern sense, originated in the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe with the 'Grand Tour' — this initially meant mostly young men expected to travel for self-improvement. They were supposed to develop taste, learn languages, see art, make contacts with people abroad, all of which would help prepare them to become future leaders. This was a merger of travel and consumption, going abroad, consuming sites and essentially buying souvenirs — perhaps a little higher-brow than now but still, souvenirs. Hence, people began visiting European cities in France, Italy, etc. Earlier, people voyaged for months since an elite class was travelling. Today, there is a fairly obvious 'tourist season' — shorter trips started when people who actually work began travelling and matched their holidays to the weather. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Woman Discovers Buried Bunker in Her Garden, Then Sees the Reason Crowdy Fan Undo What is the role of nature in such breaks? During the 18th century, people began re-imagining the natural world and what was desirable to look at. Places previously off-limits or thought 'scary', like mountains and beaches, were now reimagined as wonderful. The idea spread of the 'sublime and beautiful', where the 'sublime' quickens your pulse and the 'beautiful', personified by rolling hills and pastures, was soothing. People increasingly imagined that when they went into nature, they were improving their health. After 1750, 'grand tourists' still went to cities but started adding natural places as well. That was also when the idea grew that nature could be 'assisted' in the process of consuming it — it could be made more attractive. Hence, 19th-century designers even tried to make Niagara Falls look 'more natural'. When did travel with children take off? Young people travelled with their families at least from the 19th century — in Britain, working-class family trips to the seaside were most popular. The mass tourism of today developed post-WWII when the idea of the 'family holiday' became dominant. Tourism developers started building 'family attractions' like theme parks, etc. There was more money in the United States, Europe and elsewhere and travel grew more affordable with package tours, airplanes and the automobile. The latter grew very popular in the US and roadside attractions — such as restaurants shaped like cowboy hats — grew for children travelling on holiday during their school breaks. What ecological impacts have occurred? Christopher W. Wells has written ' Car Country ', a book about the environmental history of the automobile in the United States. It explains how the automobile completely recast the landscape — everything grew from the rise of suburbs and motorways and tourism picked up on that. So, destinations and facilities for holiday-makers, like campgrounds, started catering increasingly to the car. All of that had implications for water tables and drainage — and the prolific consumption of lithic landscapes and burning oil-based products. It only damaged the climate, plant species and animal life. Add to that the ironies of huge aviation or flying to 'enjoy nature' which, in fact, contributes to damaging the very ice you'd like to ski on or the corals you'd like to see. Is there a link between tourism and imperialism? Yes. In the 19th century, the British Raj in India used tourism as a way of selling what it imagined as its 'accomplishments', like the introduction of railways, new farming techniques, etc. The government would direct tourists to such sites. Importantly, when colonised people started to resist and push back, they adopted all-India tourism as a means of doing so. Thus, on the one hand, tourism was an exercise in power on the coloniser's part — on the other, it was a tool of resistance for the colonised. The first package tour in India was organised by an English company but almost entirely populated by middle-class Indian tourists. In the early 20th century, Indian guidebook writers also wrote travel books that subtly promoted nationalist ideas. Today, as travellers from Asia and elsewhere take to global tourism, do you see changes? I think we are already seeing a response. Epic numbers of people are flowing into popular tourist destinations — in 2018-2019, places like Barcelona saw an 'over-tourism' or 'anti-tourism' movement begin. Then, Covid intervened and people remembered what it was like to have their cities to themselves. After the pandemic, large numbers started travelling again and many residents felt resentful of visitors, even though their money might be welcome. It seems the 'anti-tourism' feeling is only picking up — governments will have to pay heed as there's been very little attention to making travel more sustainable or providing adequate living space for residents of places like Florence and Venice. How will all this fare with the human tendency of wanting to display, especially in the era of social media? Transport in fact isn't the largest force in tourism — it's 'tourism mediators'. With the Grand Tour, that meant paintings — and a particular kind where there'd be something like the Colosseum and a bunch of little figures, tourists, looking at it. Later, photographs presented the same views. Then, postcards did the same and tourist guidebooks appeared which told you what to see, how to see it, how to feel about it and what to sketch pre-camera. Now, tourists themselves are increasingly the mediators — when you photograph something and put it on your social media, you are telling people what to see and how to see it. Those photos tend to resemble earlier postcards, sketches and paintings — there's a common aesthetic between them. With phone cameras that keep improving, humans will continue vacationing, mediating that experience for others, and encouraging them to travel.
The Star
6 days ago
- Science
- The Star
Curbing animal flatulence with seaweed, to help the planet
It is barely visible, and needs no irrigation or fertilisers: lying off the coast of Australia is a vast seaweed crop destined to curb livestock's climate-altering flatulence and belches. The underwater farm stretches across 1,800 hectares in the Tasman Sea, about 10 minutes off the portside town of Triabunna in the island state of Tasmania. Beneath the waves are forests of asparagopsis, a native red seaweed abundant in Tasmanian coastal waters which is rich in the organic compound bromoform. More than 40 studies have shown that the seaweed can lower methane emissions from livestock when added to fodder or grain, said Fran Cowley, researcher at Australia's University of New England. SeaForest's headquarters in Triabunna, Tasmania. According to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), emissions from ruminants and manure management practices account for more than 32% of the world's methane emissions related to human activity. 'When we look at gold-standard measurement of methane inhibition, asparagopsis is able to achieve almost complete suppression of methane suppression – so, 95%,' said Cowley, professor of livestock production and a leading researcher into ruminants. While far less abundant in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, methane is about 80 times more potent over a 20-year timescale at warming the planet. But its lifespan is shorter, making it an important lever in attempts to limit global warming. Elsom at the company's headquarters. Juicy meat Cowley led one of the longest experiments into asparagopsis, held over 200 days in bovine feed lots in the eastern state of Queensland. Results published in August 2024 showed emissions from the animals were halved over that period when compared to animals that received no supplements. The outcome indicated an improvement from a previous study, one of the most advanced in the field at the time, in which emissions from a Japanese herd were reduced by 28%. The bromoform within the seaweed affects the digestive system and curbs the animals' burps and farts without impacting their health or the quality of the resulting food products, Cowley said. Bromoform is a concern because at high levels it has been considered to be carcinogenic in rats, and potentially humans, she said. But researchers found it was degraded in the stomachs of grazing animals. 'So there is no accumulation of bromoform in the meat or in the milk because it's only coming in at a relatively low dose to start with,' Cowley said. 'All the studies that have been done on meat have shown absolutely no accumulation of bromoform, or any impact on the taste, or the tenderness, or the juiciness of meat.' Studies had shown that any damage to the animals' rumen – a chamber in the stomach that breaks down plants – was no worse than in those fed a grain-based feedlot diet, she said. SeaForest's headquarters in Triabunna, Tasmania. 'Enabling force' In Triabunna, Sea Forest's marine farm produces feed supplements from the seaweed: oils, pellets and 'lick blocks' – a solid form that animals can lick to consume. Sea Forest founder and chief executive Sam Elsom turned to seaweed farming in 2019, after about 15 years in the textile industry. The company wants to be the 'enabling force' to make agricultural products sustainable without extra costs to farmers and consumers, said. The seaweed is grown partly in the open sea and partly in filtered seawater ponds on land, which are easier to replicate elsewhere in the world and allow growers to control light, nutrients and the availability of carbon. Sea Forest is already working with Tasmanian dairy company Ashgrove and Australian burger chain Grill'd, and had signed an agreement last year with British supermarket chain Morrisons, Elsom said. It also held 'encouraging' talks with some French dairy producers and was in the process of registering its seaweed products with the European Food Safety Authority, he said. A SeaForest employee observing an algae sample under a microscope. One of the big challenges was cost to farmers, who need financial incentives and support to make the effort to lower livestock methane emissions worthwhile, Elsom said. The ocean provides an 'amazing natural resource' for food security, he said. 'About 71% of the Earth's surface is surrounded by the ocean, and seaweed require zero inputs: No irrigation, no fertiliser, no pesticides. 'So, it can grow up to 30 times faster than land-based plants. It's very exciting.' – /AFP
Perth Now
17-06-2025
- Perth Now
'Crime talk' and fear fuel punitive views in the bush
Rural Australians have much tougher views on crime and punishment than people in the cities, likely due to fear, local "crime talk" and mistrust of the justice system. As many regional towns grapple with youth crime, a study by Australian academics has confirmed that rural people have "significantly" more punitive attitudes. Criminologists from Griffith University and the University of New England surveyed 520 people across Australia in March 2022, asking for responses to a series of statements like, "courts are too soft on offenders". The average Australian held somewhat punitive views, but rural residents' attitudes were much tougher, according to the results published in the Journal of Rural Studies on Tuesday. Metropolitan people's views were linked to an offender's individual actions, while rural residents were likely influenced by perceptions around rising crime rates and responses to lawlessness. While total crime is greater in urban areas, crime rates are usually higher in the bush, leading to a feeling of being "closer" to crime in rural areas, the study said. "This can contribute to an exaggerated sense of threat from crime as the community processes crime events more collectively," said the study's authors. Low confidence in the criminal justice system was also generally linked to tougher views on crime. Rural communities tend to have lower trust in police and the courts, possibly due to poorer access to services, staff shortages and infrequent court sittings. "These feelings of neglect, lack of accessibility and low confidence more broadly, can lead to increased punitive sentiments as a solution to 'controlling' the crime problem." People in small communities can also come to have shared social views on crime through greater proximity to both victims and perpetrators and exposure to "crime talk", the study said. All states and territories have introduced crime crackdowns after spates of violence and lawlessness in regional areas. NSW Police launched an operation in Dubbo, in the state's central west, in March to crackdown on violence in young offenders, after also introducing "post and boast" laws to penalise people who air their crimes online. Similar laws were announced by the Victorian government on Tuesday, the last jurisdiction to do so. The study findings could be valuable for criminal justice policymakers, the researchers said. "Crime in rural communities continues to be a focal point of community and political attention," the study said. "While policy efforts to prevent and control crime have long been urban-centric policymakers should consider the spatial dimensions and, indeed, uniqueness of crime and criminal justice in rural areas when addressing public perceptions, law and order demands, and strategies to mitigate crime problems."
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
UNE professor suspended for violating live animal research protocols
Jun. 12—A shark and fish researcher at the University of New England has been suspended from research and teaching for "serious and continuous non-compliance" with protocols related to the study of live vertebrate animals. A university spokesperson declined to name the researcher, citing a personnel issue, but said they are no longer employed at UNE. The violations are outlined in a report authored by Karen L. Houseknecht, the university's vice president for research, which followed an investigation by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the group charged with reviewing all activities involved vertebrate animals at the university, and an attending veterinarian. According to the report, the college's research compliance office received complaints in September and October of last year about research projects conducted by this professor. One involved tracking seasonal movements for two fishes in the Saco River system, and another that involved tagging sharks to monitor movement in the Gulf of Maine. According to the report, the animals impacted by those projects include eight to 10 pollack, seven Atlantic sturgeon and seven white sharks, all of which were captured and released. Through its investigation, the committee said it found "serious and continuous non-compliance" with protocols for these projects, including research on vertebrate animals without approval, failure to adhere to school protocols, activity beyond the approved end-date of the project and participation by people that were not appropriately qualified or trained. As a result, the committee voted to stop all research involving that professor, and suspend them from all research and teaching activities related to live vertebrates for a year, which began in December 2024. The students in the lab were to be assigned to new faculty advisors and given additional live animal training, including through a meeting with the veterinarian, according to the report. The investigation also concluded a need for institutional changes around research at UNE, including adding gatekeeping mechanisms like documentation for boat trips and teaching activities that involve live vertebrates, not allowing students to serve as the primary investigator on research projects and requiring new training for everyone in the department. "Considering the scope of the events outlined in this report and the potential repercussions of noncompliance, all faculty and professional staff in the School of Marine and Environmental Sciences and the (Marine Science Center), regardless of role with respect to vertebrate animals, will be required to take basic training in the care and use of live vertebrate animals and the role of the (committee) in order to improve the knowledge base and compliance culture in the (Marine Science Center) and associated programs," it reads. The report said a policy will be developed that outlines the appropriate use of UNE boats for "research/teaching activities vs. use for recreational fishing." Sarah Delage, associate vice president of communications at UNE, said the university took quick action in response to the investigation's findings. "Like any highly regulated industry, there are strict protocols in place around research," she wrote in an email. "As the report states, the university discovered a failure to follow established protocols. The university takes research integrity very seriously and took immediate and decisive action in compliance with all regulations." Delage said all involved students have "received full support from UNE to complete their work and are on track for on-time graduation" and said comprehensive training in research protocols has been delivered to everyone in the university's marine research community. The animal rights watchdog group Stop Animal Exploitation NOW! has been calling on UNE to fire the "rogue" researcher and anyone else connected to the violations, arguing "no respectable institution of higher learning should have faculty who seriously violate federal regulations on staff." The group filed an administrative complaint with the school and in it suggested any data generated by the research would be unpublishable because of the compliance violations. The university declined to answer specific questions about how the research will be affected or how common research integrity investigations are. Copy the Story Link
IOL News
29-05-2025
- Science
- IOL News
Seaweed fed to cattle stops them farting methane
The seaweed asparagopsis that is being fed to animals in an attempt to reduce their methane emissions. It is barely visible, and needs no irrigation or fertilisers: lying off the coast of Australia is a vast seaweed crop destined to curb livestock's climate-altering flatulence and belches. The underwater farm stretches across 1 800 hectares in the Tasman Sea about 10 minutes off the portside town of Triabunna in the island state of Tasmania. Beneath the waves are forests of asparagopsis, a native red seaweed abundant in Tasmanian coastal waters that is rich in the organic compound bromoform. More than 40 studies have shown that the seaweed can lower methane emissions from livestock when added to fodder or grain, said Fran Cowley, a researcher at Australia's University of New England. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, emissions from ruminants and manure management practices account for more than 32 percent of the world's methane emissions related to human activity. "When we look at gold-standard measurement of methane inhibition, asparagopsis is able to achieve almost complete suppression of methane suppression - so, 95 percent," said Cowley, a professor of livestock production and a leading researcher into ruminants. While far less abundant in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, methane is about 80 times more potent over a 20-year timescale at warming the planet. But its lifespan is shorter, making it an important lever in attempts to limit global warming. Cowley led one of the longest experiments into asparagopsis, held over 200 days in bovine feed lots in the eastern state of Queensland. Results published in August 2024 showed that emissions from the animals were halved over that period when compared to animals that received no supplements. The outcome indicated an improvement from a previous study, one of the most advanced in the field at the time, in which emissions from a Japanese herd were reduced by 28 percent. The bromoform within the seaweed affects the digestive system and curbs the animals' burps and farts without impacting their health or the quality of the resulting food products, Cowley said Bromoform is a concern because at high levels it has been considered to be carcinogenic in rats, and potentially humans, she said. But researchers found it was degraded in the stomachs of grazing animals." So there is no accumulation of bromoform in the meat or in the milk because it's only coming in at a relatively low dose to start with," Cowley said. "All the studies that have been done on meat have shown absolutely no accumulation of bromoform, or any impact on the taste, or the tenderness, or the juiciness of meat." Studies had shown that any damage to the animals' rumen - a chamber in the stomach that breaks down plants - was no worse than in those fed a grain-based feedlot diet, she said. Sea Forest's marine farm produces feed supplements from the seaweed: oils, pellets and "lick blocks" - a solid form that animals can lick to consume. Founder and chief executive Sam Elsom turned to seaweed farming in 2019, after about 15 years in the textile industry. The company wants to be the "enabling force" to make agricultural products sustainable without extra costs to farmers and consumers, he said. The seaweed is grown partly in the open sea and partly in filtered seawater ponds on land, which are easier to replicate elsewhere in the world and allow growers to control light, nutrients and the availability of carbon. Sea Forest is already working with Tasmanian dairy company Ashgrove and Australian burger chain Grill'd, and signed an agreement last year with British supermarket chain Morrisons, Elsom said. It has also held "encouraging" talks with some French dairy producers and is in the process of registering its seaweed products with the European Food Safety Authority, he said. One of the big challenges was the cost to farmers, who need financial incentives and support to make the effort to lower livestock methane emissions worthwhile, Elsom said. | AFP
