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There is a lot of emphasis in today's society being given to environmental concerns: recycling, species preservation etc and yet our consumption of natural resources doesn't appear to be slowing and in a lot of cases we are being encouraged to consume more: BOGOF's are a prime example of retailers trying to persuade us to buy more than we actually need.
"The measure of social status, of social acceptance, of prestige, is now to be found in our consumptive patterns. The very meaning and significance of our lives today expressed in consumptive terms."
(Lebow, V. 1955). Price Competition in 1955. Journal of Retailing. XXXI"In the past 30 years, we have consumed 30% of Earth’s natural resources. The worst part is that only a few of these resources, such as the forests, can even be replenished by mankind. To give some indication of the severity of this crisis, we now have only 20% of old growth forest remaining and 75% of fisheries are producing at or above capacity."
Useful site: The Story of Stuff.
There are few places left on the planet that have been undiscovered or left unspoilt and of those few, there is much debate as to whether we should leave them be, preserve them, explore them or even exploit them. There are potential benefits to medicine, consumable resources and even tourism in these areas.
Visited 9/9/11 @09.02am
World's Last Unspoilt Places. MSN Travel (Amelines, C. 2011)
Vale Do Javari, Brazil
(AP, 2011) Recent sighting of an un-contacted group in the Brazilian Amazon
The Vale do Javari is a densely forested valley, home to at least seven separate tribes that have had no contact with the outside world. Around 67 uncontacted tribes are scattered through the Brazilian Amazon, according to Funai (Brazil's Indian Protection Agency). However, illegal logging, hunting and drug trafficking threaten them all. Contact may eventually be forced as a result - though it would surely expose them to new diseases and rapid cultural change.
“A group of people that run around with spears and wear leaves for 55,000 years are definitely backwards. These people need to learn the art of progress.”
K AA (ProudPakistani) 8/15/2011 5:13 PM
“Bliss.....They don't have to deal with the corruption and all the issues of the modern world. Bills, unemployment, crime, lies.
These people have a good life. What you don't know you don't miss.
They are at one with nature and themselves. They have everything they need to live and be happy. Fresh organic Food, water, a place to call home and none of the western diseases.”
“Bliss.....They don't have to deal with the corruption and all the issues of the modern world. Bills, unemployment, crime, lies.
These people have a good life. What you don't know you don't miss.
They are at one with nature and themselves. They have everything they need to live and be happy. Fresh organic Food, water, a place to call home and none of the western diseases.”
Jan -1 (janet607) 8/17/2011 2:47 PM
“I think you're over-romanticising a bit Jan-1. These people, E.g New Guinea, die in droves from malaria and other diseases which are easily cured/prevented by modern medicines. They live from one day to the next, working from the moment they wake just to survive. Disabilities that happen from illness and from accidents will be either untreated or badly treated. Many die from simple injuries. Also I think you'll find, corruption of a sort is alive in most societies as is crime, especially rape and theft. Anyone who can communicate can lie and these places will be no different. At the end of the day you can't really stop progress or should we keep out of their ''domain'' like we should with polar bears and sharks? I don't really think they have a good life but what Nita Patel says is also true to a degree. Look at the American Indians and Australian aborigines, bad examples of progress. I'm probably being optimistic to say we have learned from those mistakes. “
“I think you're over-romanticising a bit Jan-1. These people, E.g New Guinea, die in droves from malaria and other diseases which are easily cured/prevented by modern medicines. They live from one day to the next, working from the moment they wake just to survive. Disabilities that happen from illness and from accidents will be either untreated or badly treated. Many die from simple injuries. Also I think you'll find, corruption of a sort is alive in most societies as is crime, especially rape and theft. Anyone who can communicate can lie and these places will be no different. At the end of the day you can't really stop progress or should we keep out of their ''domain'' like we should with polar bears and sharks? I don't really think they have a good life but what Nita Patel says is also true to a degree. Look at the American Indians and Australian aborigines, bad examples of progress. I'm probably being optimistic to say we have learned from those mistakes. “
pet wriht Tue 1:10 AM (6/9/2011)
Tibetan Plateau
(Su, K. 2011) Snow-capped peaks of the Tibetan plateau
According to research by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre in 2009, the least-accessible place on land is on the Tibetan plateau. From here, it's a mere three-week trip on foot over rough terrain and up to altitudes over 5,000m, and another day in a car to the nearest city. Still, that doesn't seem to bother the hardy nomads and their livestock who stray across the plateau, largely untroubled by modern civilisation.
West Papua, Indonesian New Guinea
(Haglund, J. 2011) Indigenous father and son in West Papua
Vast chunks of the island of New Guinea's all-but-impenetrable forests and rugged terrain still keep adventurers, scientists and anthropologists at bay. The tribal peoples' rights group Survival International reports that West Papua alone is home to around 44 uncontacted tribes, whose isolation has helped them evade outsiders. And it's thought that many unknown animal species hide out in its interior too.
The Seychelles
(Hopkins, R. 2011) Half of the Seychelles is safeguarded as a national park
Fifty percent of this island nation's land is safeguarded as a national park, reserve or protected area. And that's not even touching on the marine parks, or internationally protected World Heritage Sites. If unspoilt = conserved, the Seychelles win hands down. As a result, the islands boast hundreds of miles of pristine beaches, unique wildlife and a trickle of visitors compared to rivals.
North Sentinel Island
(AP, 2011) tribal man on North Sentinel Island aims his bow and arrow at a coastguard helicopter
Often referred to as the world's most-isolated tribe, the Sentinelese are thought to have lived on their remote Indian Ocean island for as long as 55,000 years. Their worldview - to kill any outsider who ventures close enough - is hardly inviting. And it's thought they have been thus isolated, their culture evolving without outside influences, for thousands of years. They're likely to remain so, too. The Indian government has abandoned all attempts to contact the islanders.
Greenland Icecap
(LP, 2011) Glacial valley on the pristine Greenland icecap
No settlers. Few visitors. The world's biggest national park, North-east Greenland, is also the last great wilderness of the northern hemisphere. With an area of 972,000km2, it's bigger than most countries. Polar bears, musk ox, whales and icebergs populate its fjord-lined coast, and the interior is filled with frozen tundra and vast glaciers. There's a reason the park is so unspoilt, however: it's about as accessible as the royal box at Ascot.
Madre de Dios region, Peru
(Hemis, 2011) Indigenous woman from Palmareal village on the Madre Dios river
Tibetan Plateau
(Su, K. 2011) Snow-capped peaks of the Tibetan plateau
According to research by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre in 2009, the least-accessible place on land is on the Tibetan plateau. From here, it's a mere three-week trip on foot over rough terrain and up to altitudes over 5,000m, and another day in a car to the nearest city. Still, that doesn't seem to bother the hardy nomads and their livestock who stray across the plateau, largely untroubled by modern civilisation.
West Papua, Indonesian New Guinea
(Haglund, J. 2011) Indigenous father and son in West Papua
Vast chunks of the island of New Guinea's all-but-impenetrable forests and rugged terrain still keep adventurers, scientists and anthropologists at bay. The tribal peoples' rights group Survival International reports that West Papua alone is home to around 44 uncontacted tribes, whose isolation has helped them evade outsiders. And it's thought that many unknown animal species hide out in its interior too.
The Seychelles
(Hopkins, R. 2011) Half of the Seychelles is safeguarded as a national park
Fifty percent of this island nation's land is safeguarded as a national park, reserve or protected area. And that's not even touching on the marine parks, or internationally protected World Heritage Sites. If unspoilt = conserved, the Seychelles win hands down. As a result, the islands boast hundreds of miles of pristine beaches, unique wildlife and a trickle of visitors compared to rivals.
North Sentinel Island
(AP, 2011) tribal man on North Sentinel Island aims his bow and arrow at a coastguard helicopter
Often referred to as the world's most-isolated tribe, the Sentinelese are thought to have lived on their remote Indian Ocean island for as long as 55,000 years. Their worldview - to kill any outsider who ventures close enough - is hardly inviting. And it's thought they have been thus isolated, their culture evolving without outside influences, for thousands of years. They're likely to remain so, too. The Indian government has abandoned all attempts to contact the islanders.
Greenland Icecap
(LP, 2011) Glacial valley on the pristine Greenland icecap
No settlers. Few visitors. The world's biggest national park, North-east Greenland, is also the last great wilderness of the northern hemisphere. With an area of 972,000km2, it's bigger than most countries. Polar bears, musk ox, whales and icebergs populate its fjord-lined coast, and the interior is filled with frozen tundra and vast glaciers. There's a reason the park is so unspoilt, however: it's about as accessible as the royal box at Ascot.
Madre de Dios region, Peru
(Hemis, 2011) Indigenous woman from Palmareal village on the Madre Dios river
Mind the poison-tipped arrows! Brazil isn't the only country to shelter isolated forest tribes that have avoided all contact with outsiders. The virgin rainforest's of west Peru, particularly the Madre de Dios region, are also home to around 15 elusive groups, according to Survival International. However, their as-yet unspoilt homelands are under threat from illegal logging and government-sanctioned oil exploration.
Cape Grim, Tasmania
(Dixon, G. 2011) Coastal scene near Cape Grim, one of the least polluted places in the world
Arguably, nowhere on the Earth's surface is 100% unspoilt by human hands. Pollution has a way of going global; in Britain, for instance, we regularly breathe in tiny particles of coal dust from China and swim in low-level radioactive waters from Japan. But where can you find the least-polluted air and water? According to the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, that place is Tasmania's remote Cape Grim, which enjoys sea air that hasn't touch land in weeks. Even the rainwater is pure enough to be bottled and sold worldwide.
Antarctica
(Tipling, D. 2011) An emperor penguin egg in Antarctica
The only continent to have no permanent population, Antarctica is about as untouched as is possible to be on this crowded planet. Given that it's about 96% ice, and officially the coldest place on Earth, it's hardly welcoming. But it certainly is unspoilt and unpolluted, with some of the freshest air anywhere, astonishingly rich marine life, stunning icebergs, glaciers and only the occasional scientist or military interloper.
The Sea
(Getty, 2011) A deep sea submersible, used to explore the largely unknown ocean bed
71% of the planet's surface - the seabed - of which the human race has explored virtually nil. In fact, we've mapped Mars in greater detail than we have the ocean floor.
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Charlotte Amelines (2011) article has identified a top ten of unspoilt places, but this article may well attract people and cause people to visit them. How much longer will they remain unspoilt?
Companies such as Audley Travel (2011) specialise in arranging holidays to remote places again proving that we have a fascination with going to places few others have seen.
"Audley can offer travel to remote destinations right across the world, from salt lakes in Bolivia to an off the beaten track visit to head hunter tribes in Papua New Guinea." (Audley Travel, 2011)
(Whyte & Mackay, 2011)
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Charlotte Amelines (2011) article has identified a top ten of unspoilt places, but this article may well attract people and cause people to visit them. How much longer will they remain unspoilt?
Companies such as Audley Travel (2011) specialise in arranging holidays to remote places again proving that we have a fascination with going to places few others have seen.
"Audley can offer travel to remote destinations right across the world, from salt lakes in Bolivia to an off the beaten track visit to head hunter tribes in Papua New Guinea." (Audley Travel, 2011)
(Dorling Kindersley, 2010) | (Avery,2010) |
(Nelson, 2009) | (Fawcett, 2010) |
 London's Hidden Walks: Volume 1 - Explore London (Miller, 2011) |
The above books have all been published in the last couple of years and show that there is a fascination with exploration today, not just with new explorers but with those from the past as well.
"Push Paper" (Zollars, 2011) is an exploration of a topic as opposed to an expedition. By this definition all learning could be defined as exploration.
"Push Paper" (Zollars, 2011) is an exploration of a topic as opposed to an expedition. By this definition all learning could be defined as exploration.
In 2007 10 bottles of a whisky selected by Shackleton himself for his 1907 Antarctic Expedition were discovered during conservation work on his expedition hut (The Whisky Exchange, 2011). In 2011 one of these was thawed and carefully analysed. As a result, a recreation of the whisky was made and a limited release was made for sale.
"The emails haven't stopped (you have all told your whisky retailers to email info@whyteandmackay.com if they want to stock it haven't you?), the phones haven't stopped ringing, the press keep being interested - this is one whisky that everyone wants to know about. The interest in the replica Shackleton whisky, the Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt Replica, just keeps growing." Whyte & Mackay's Master Blender Richard Patterson (2011)
"Preserved in ice for 100 years, the whisky Shackleton used to keep out the cold" Mail online article (Gillman, 2007)
"Whyte & Mackay Challenges City Explorers to Find Shackleton Whisky
Bottles hidden across UK & Ireland can only be found via smartphone app Repudo
Whisky giant Whyte & Mackay is challenging social media explorers in the UK and Ireland to find 10 bottles of its award-winning Shackleton replica whisky." (Whyte & Mackay, 2011)
The discovery of Shackleton's whisky seems to have caused a stir across many forms of media, from the newspaper and TV broadcasts of the find, the sites selling the replica bottles, Whyte and McKay's blog pages, the national competition on smart phones and various social network sites that are following the whiskey and its press. (E.g. EnduringSpirit)
Exploration can take many forms whether to find undiscovered places, new species or a medicinal cure. Anything that is unknown or does not conform to the norm could be called Alien.
When we say Alien species we immediately think of creatures from outer space, but as Owen Adams says in his article "Freaks of Nature":
"You don't need a spaceship to see alien creatures: species that look as if they come from another planet - or another time - can be found on this very planet. Of course, part of the reason they look so odd is that they are unfamiliar, hailing from the Earth's remotest reaches: often isolated islands or other cut-off regions with unique ecosystems. These are places estranged from the rest of the planet, where a different kind of ecological harmony has reigned for millions of years."
 (Batchelor, B. 2007) A young Aye-Aye at Bristol Zoo. This, the world's largest nocturnal primate, also locates its prey - grubs inside trees - by a strange, hi-tech-sounding technique. Using echolocation, it taps tree trunks with its elongated, twig-like middle-finger and picks up any echoes with its pointy, over sized ears. |  (Gordon, F.L. 2007) Dragon's Blood tree on Dixam Plateau. This surreal tree hasn't changed in appearance in 30 million years. It owes its name to its bright red resin, which is collected by cutting the trunk and is traditionally used in everything from cosmetics and dyes to incense and pottery. The tree's upwards-pointing vertical leaves collect water and funnel it down to roots. |
 (Catania, K. 2011) The star-nosed mole The hamster-sized star-nosed mole (Condylura Cristata), endemic to North America, is almost blind, The snout, made up of 11 pairs of pink, fleshy tentacles, contains 25,000 tiny sensory receptors, known as Eimer's organs, that let it feel its way and find its prey just by smelling and touching. It may not look like it but this grotesque-looking little creature (try to imagine it blown up in size a thousand times) is also the fastest-eating mammal on Earth. It finds its food - molluscs, worms and insects - and ingests it all in one-fifth of a second. |  (Favila, A. 2011) A Philippine tarsier Found in dense forests and scrub land throughout the islands of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, the tarsier sleeps in bushes during the day but spends its night leaping up into the air trying to catch insects, small birds and bats. Unusually, the tarsier catches most of its prey in mid-air and is the sole primate to eat only live prey and no plants. It is also one of the smallest primates, at five inches long (excluding the tail, which is twice as long as the body). One tarsier eyeball is the size of its entire brain. |
 (Manewal, E. 2011) Proboscis monkey The bigger and more pendulous the nose of the male proboscis (or long-nosed monkey), the greater its appeal to the female of the species. Found in the mangrove forests and swamps of Borneo, the monkey has partially webbed feet to help it to swim. It is also an adept treetop-leaper. |  (Chan, G. 2011) Titan arum plant in full bloom The misshapen giant penis, to translate the species' botanical name, is one of two enormous plants known as corpse flowers (Amorphophallus titanum) for the smell of rotting mammal flesh they give off to attract meat-eating insects. The other, Rafflesia arnoldii, is also native to the Sumatra rainforests. |
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Visited 9/9/11 @09.17am
Aardvark (Ocean/Corbis), Armadillo (Rolf Nussbaumer Photography/Alamy), Binturong (Dhritiman Mukherjee/Photolibrary),
Echidna (Loïc André/Bios/Photolibrary), Fossa (Chris Hellier/Corbis), Giant Anteater (Andy Rouse/Corbis),
Manatee (Wayne Lynch/All Canada Photos/Photolibrary), Maned Three-Toed Sloth (Norbert Wu/Science Faction/Corbis),
Pangolin (Gilles Nicolet/Bios/Photolibrary)
