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Iceland’s volcanoes can affect our climate says earth science expert
Elfi Seitz
Dr Claus Rink, an internationally acknowledged doctor of earth science,
was guest speaker at a recent gathering organized by the Rotary Club
Eastern Seaboard and held at the Pattaya Marriott Resort and Spa, where
he discussed the effects that Iceland’s volcanoes have on the world’s
climate.
.jpg) Dr.
Rink captivates the audience with his lecture.
With a slide show and a short film, Dr Rink displayed the volcano
activities in detail and revealed another side to that beautiful island
– the dangerous side.
Increased volcanic activity has been detected over the last 20 to 30
years, he explained. Iceland’s inhabitants are very nature-based and
many of them believe in natural spirits, fairies and elves. They presume
the volcanic activity is nothing but Mother Earth fighting against the
exploitation and unworthy treatment by mankind.
As a scientist, Dr Rink said, he wouldn’t believe in this, but as a
human being he would indeed.
.jpg) Dr.
Claus Rink at work in Iceland.
According to Dr Rink, there are various kinds of volcanic activities.
Volcanoes are born when magma with a temperature of over a thousand
degrees thrusts through the earth’s crust. They can adapt different
structures. In Hawaii for instance, hot lava slowly runs down the
mountain, whereas in Iceland most volcanoes consist of gases. In cases
of sudden eruptions, they catapult ash particles known as aerosol as
high as 50 kilometers into the atmosphere. It takes nature up to 30
years to decompose it.
.jpg) The
Icelandic calm and beauty, just like in a dream.
Since aerosol hinders actinism, it can influence our climate enormously.
This also means that if these ash particles were not there, our climate
would be even hotter. Don’t think though that this is the reason for
Mother Earth to increase her volcanic activities even more, said Dr
Rink, because there is also a big negative side to it.
“Let’s take earth’s ozone layer or instance. If this layer becomes
thinner, people speak of it as an ozone hole. Theory says that aerosol
not only affects actinism but also deteriorates the ozone layer. It’s a
vicious circle.”
Dr Rink stated that of all sheep in Chile, 70 per cent are already blind
apparently due to the ozone hole. For the future, he is concerned about
people not being able to go outside anymore without wearing a protective
overall. Australia and New Zealand have already introduced “burn hours”.
Over a period of six hours every day, people are allowed onto the
streets only with long-sleeved shirts, long pants and with hats that
also protect their neck. Gruesome prospects for humanity!
But there is also good news. Iceland’s people are also very smart,
taking advantage of Mother Earth’s heat from numerous hot springs. They
heat their homes and generate power with it.
It is Iceland’s president, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, in particular, who
wants “to make Iceland a role model for the possibilities of how to
preserve nature.”
Dr Rink explained about how he has tried to talk Germany into buying
Iceland-generated electricity. Unfortunately, his proposal was rejected
with the argument that Germany’s major power generating enterprise
wouldn’t be able to compete with such low electricity fees. Profiteering
is a main reason for the lack of environmental protection, he said.
Thailand also has hot springs, especially in the North. Dr Rink has
already established contact with some associated facilities to set
things in motion.
Claus Rink received lots of applause for his interesting and lively
lecture. After his return from Iceland, where he lives most of the year,
he will deliver another talk on a similar topic.
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This restless volcano is
about to erupt.
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Rotarians and guests pose
for a photo at the end of a most fascinating evening.
First Person - Fit for a king
THAI’s first-class lounge: enjoy a relaxing massage
or hold meetings in complete privacy.
Mark Bode
Travelling first class is incomplete without a visit to Thai Airways
International’s first-class lounge.
After inspecting THAI’s first-class lounge at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport I
have decided the lifestyle of the rich and famous suits me fine. Going economy
after a taste of it will be painful.
THAI has spared no expense to make sure its top-tier passengers are looked after
in a manner they have become accustomed to.
For passengers departing from Bangkok, the pampering begins at check-in.
As expected, there were no long queues. After THAI’s staff greeted me at Gate 1,
I took a seat and let them take care of everything.
If you have a last-minute meeting or emails to fire off, there are six small
meeting rooms and a business centre in the check-in area. The rest of the
airport was a hive of activity, but I felt totally removed.
The huge first-class lounge, which has a standalone spa that would not be out of
place at most luxury hotels, is an unusual rectangle shape. I had to pass
through the business-class lounge to get to it and it was a long walk. But once
I was there, a plethora of facilities ensured I would be fully occupied while
waiting for my flight.
An a la carte restaurant that seats 30 and a variety of F&B options are ready to
serve hungry travellers and there are five semi-private rooms each seating six
with a large flat screen TV to relax in.
There was no cable TV while I was there as Airports of Thailand, which runs the
airport, had not installed it at press time. But there was an entertainment room
where travellers could watch movies or listen to music.
Those who want some shut eye can make use of the four slumber rooms. Three of
the rooms have a small bed and TV, and the fourth has a massage chair.
Thailand is famous for its traditional massage, and THAI has brought this into
its first-class lounge by offering 30-minute foot, neck and shoulder, and oil
massages.
The oil massage suites have showers and Jacuzzi facilities for guests to wash
off after treatment. Six rooms have been built for neck and shoulder massages,
and eight for foot massages.
Finally, ensuring the glamorous jet set will not have a thing to complain about,
the restrooms of THAI’s first-class lounge have saunas and steam rooms, while a
spa lounge features a yoga room and a small fitness centre with cardiovascular
machines and weights.(TTG)
Bohemian paradise ‘Down-Under’
For those seeking something different in Australia,
Byron Bay dares to be different and unconventional
Raini Hamdi
Byron Bay, on the north coast of New South Wales, is a great place for those who
love Australia and want something else other than the rock, the reef and the
opera house.
It can be done either as a standalone destination or as an add-on to Sydney, the
Gold Coast or Brisbane. From Sydney, it is just an hour’s flight away on
carriers Virgin Blue and Jetstar. From the Gold Coast, it is a mere 40 minutes’
drive, and from Brisbane two hours’ drive.
 Byron
Bay in New South Wales is located on one of Australia’s most spectacular
coastlines. (Photo courtesy www.byronbay.com)
Tourism New South Wales literature describes Byron Bay as “the home of coastal
chic”. On a visit there recently, I would dare to differ - for me, Noosa in
Queensland hits the note as coastal chic. Byron Bay defies a standard,
conforming description, which is where its strength lies. It is eclectic.
Writers, artists and sculptors have always been drawn to it, making it one of
Australia’s arts centres. The Aborigines there have long believed in the healing
powers of its rainforests, and Byron Bay is home to countless spas and healing
centres offering every possible treatment - massage, yoga, alchemy, bodywork,
clairvoyance, osteopathy, naturopathic and homoeopathic consultations,
acupuncture, tantra getaways, you name it, Byron Bay has it.
At the same time, it is a surfer’s paradise, with a relaxed, easy-going beach
culture - ideal for picking up that surfing lesson long put on the backburner.
Surf schools such as Kool Katz ensure clients can ride the wave when they
complete the course.
The locals are friendlier, more relaxed and seem healthier, more high-spirited
and sportier than big-city snobs. With such a climate (at the time of visit, it
was sunny and breezy) and great walking tracks, no wonder. The Byron Bay
Lighthouse track is a must; it lives up to its reputation as one of Australia’s
best coastal tracks. It is not difficult to catch sights of dolphins dancing in
the ocean.
The shopping streets, be they near the Main Beach or in Bangalow, reflect the
bohemian spirit of Byron Bay. Galleries, spas, home wares, organic food stores,
antique shops, bikini and beachwear outlets, hat stores, funky cafés, juice bars
and fashion jewellery shops co-exist happily. There is no logical pattern or a
clear design, which is what makes these shopping streets interesting. And there
are some good buys.
Visitors will eat well and gourmands will be happily surprised to find a string
of excellent restaurants. My favourites are The Restaurant at The Byron, Dish
restaurant & Raw Bar, and Satiate, which boasts a Tetsuya-trained chef.
A catalyst for Tourism New South Wales to promote Byron Bay to the international
market was the opening of the five-star rainforest resort, The Byron at Byron
Resort & Spa in December 2004, which added 92 apartment-style rooms.
By Byron Bay’s standards, that is huge.
Until then, the accommodation only ranged from bed-and-breakfast to luxurious
beach houses, and one can count the number of rooms by using all 10 fingers.
That is because the locals guard their coast protectively and baulk at anything
they deem a spoiler of their precious environment.
Club Med tried to build a resort there but it met with all sorts of objections.
On the other hand, locals treat The Byron with some kind of affinity and
respect, judging from my exchange with local cab drivers.
To them, The Byron is the resort Mr. Jerry Harvey (the Harvey in Harvey Norman,
the Australian retailer) built. More significantly, Mr. Harvey built on only 10
per cent of the 18-hectare land he bought, and spent A$1 million (US$776,000) to
rehabilitate the rainforest there.
The Byron at Byron is keen on welcoming international guests. It has been
marketed to western markets and is now turning its attention to Asian markets.
General manager, Ms Lyn Parche, said: “Asians historically love the Gold Coast.
Moving them to Byron Bay is going to be a challenge, but that said, they love
the rainforest, the walk along the beach, the interesting shopping here - they
don’t need more malls, they have fantastic ones back home.”(eTN)
Free entry for tourists
to HK racecourses
Overseas visitors can enjoy free admission to public stands
at the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s racecourses in Happy Valley and Shat Tin.
The promotion is valid from May 1 until the end of the current horse-racing
season on July 2, 2007.
Tourists only need to show their travel documents at the time of admission to
enjoy free entry. They will also receive a complimentary racecourse tour (at Sha
Tin Racecourse only), a ‘fortune bag’ with various discount offers and a
commemorative horse design-pen. In addition, tourists get free admission to the
Hong Kong Racing Museum at Happy Valley from Tuesday to Sunday. (TTG)
Thai hoteliers in low
spirits over new bill
Thailand’s proposed alcohol consumption-control bill may hurt the country’s
tourism industry due to its restrictions over the sales and advertisements
of alcoholic beverages, the Thai Hotels Association (THA) says.
THA president, Mr. Chanin Donavanik, was quoted in The Nation as saying:
“The law would clobber the tourism industry, especially hotels, restaurants
and bars. Almost 4,000 hotels have huge investments at stake.”
THA is in the process of pleading for hotels and resorts to be exempt from
the terms of the bill, which has already been approved by the Cabinet. The
bill, aimed at tightening control over the consumption of alcoholic
beverages by Thai youth nationwide, is waiting for endorsement by the
National Legislative Assembly.
Under the bill, sales of alcoholic beverages are not allowed on premises
that are located within 200m of schools and temples. Neither are
advertisements for alcoholic beverages allowed at all times and places.
Sales of alcoholic beverages to youth aged below 20 are prohibited.
According to THA, several hotels in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Ayuthaya are
near schools or temples. THA said around 30 per cent of hotel revenues were
from the sales of all types of beverages. (TTG)
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