BF Newsroom
Well-known member
A couple start the first leg of their world trip in an attempt to see a record number of birds in a year.
More from BBC News...
More from BBC News...
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Birdwatchers' world record bid (BBC News) (1 Viewer)
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thenorthernmonkey
CBWPS Stithians
your not wrong there twite although i must comment i dont what would take the most balls on my behalf- selling the house and packing up work or stepping on a plane for the first time ever. i think it may be the plane
Twite
Well-known member
thenorthernmonkey
CBWPS Stithians
thats a bloody good idea. only problem is- i've spent the last 17 years working in a shipyard carrying out ship repair so it'd be a sort of busmans holiday. i've always said if a ship sinks there's lifeboats, liferafts etc. if a plane goes down your dead.
lostinjapan
Well-known member
Good luck to them both.
I look forward to the TV doc that will hopefull follow their trip.
Likewise wish I had their courage..oh and a house to sell!
I look forward to the TV doc that will hopefull follow their trip.
Likewise wish I had their courage..oh and a house to sell!
dantheman
Bah humbug
Can't think that they are actually putting EVERYTHING into this. Unless they plan to come back and lead a very low key frugal existence as volunteer wardens or live with relatives. If they plan to come back . . . .
Vectis Birder
Itchy feet
Good for them. They've got a website up, too: Biggest Twitch
Twite
Well-known member
Thanks for the link, I've bookmarked it and will look in regularly. It should be very interesting.
Twite.
Harold Stiver
Well-known member
I remember talking to Iain Campbell, who is involved in running Tandayapa Lodge, about his plans for a Big Twitch. He talked about the possibility of 6000 species, a seriously deranged goal.
He and Nick Athanas eventually did a Little Twitch, a month long endeavor and counted more than 1600 species. You can read about it here.
He and Nick Athanas eventually did a Little Twitch, a month long endeavor and counted more than 1600 species. You can read about it here.
James_Owen
Well-known member
I must be a terrible cynic, the first thought to strike me after reading this was they're going to produce one mother of a carbon footprint on this trip.
Vectis Birder
Itchy feet
Would it be any worse than staying at home, running a house (with heating, lighting, etc), transport to and from work and so on?
Also it's in a good cause, they are raising money for Mindo Cloudforest Foundation
Mind you they have managed to blag themselves gear from Swarovski and Country Innovation. Not bad.
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James_Owen
Well-known member
It's all a bit Live8 though, isn't it? People can spend all kinds of money on themselves, doing all kinds of environmental damage, having the time of their lives, in the name of charity and 'awareness', and it's all good. Well no, it isn't, the criticisms are fair.
This pair's carbon emissions are going to be enormous, just exactly the opposite of what conservationists should be aspiring to. I mean, is it any wonder that the conservation page on their website speaks only of habitat preservation, with no mention of greenhouse emissions? Very blatantly it's that Al Gore message, do as I say, not as I do. Because this year it's them, next year who else will be inspired to follow the dream, and when does that end?
Come on, let's be honest and smell the greenwash, it's still wet.
Twite
Well-known member
I'm probably going to be put down for this... and I'm not trying be funny, but any flights they are planning to take will go ahead whether they are on them or not.
Twite.
James_Owen
Well-known member
Well... the same goes for everybody who flies down to the Med for their holidays. All those individuals choosing to fly creates the demand for more flights. It's trite but really, in terms of aviation's influence on climate change, we're part of the solution or part of the problem, and the choice is our own.
I just really cannot understand how a charity effort in aid of conservation could possibly have as large an environmental impact as this sort of journey surely must. It baffles me. Short of building a coal fired power station in your garden, world travel is about the worst, i.e. least environmentally sustainable, thing you can do - even if you believe in flimflam like carbon offsetting.
rob stoff
Well-known member
Johnny1
Well-known member
Have they really sold up everything? I mean are they going to live in a tent when they've finished traveling around the world? Maybe they should have just sold their house and given all the proceeds to the charity cutting out the middleman and all that traveling and the time saved could be used working for the enviroment.
Good luck to them, people should be free to do whatever they like with their well deserved free time. Providing its legal of course.
Perhaps Governments should be mandating substantial green taxes on flights and transport, and ensuring all the money goes back into preserving the planet. Would be fairer and more effective than the few people who care overwhelmed with guilt everytime they step into a car, and criticising others with "bigger carbon footprints" than themselves.
This couple in question appear to have done more for promoting birds than many on here, even before they have raised the money for the charity.
Perhaps Governments should be mandating substantial green taxes on flights and transport, and ensuring all the money goes back into preserving the planet. Would be fairer and more effective than the few people who care overwhelmed with guilt everytime they step into a car, and criticising others with "bigger carbon footprints" than themselves.
This couple in question appear to have done more for promoting birds than many on here, even before they have raised the money for the charity.
Edward woodwood
Member
it's very Sting, Bono and Live Aid but the less about that the better
these two folks have the best intentions and should just do it for the sheer fun of doing it - and I hope they enjoy every minute of it.
btw: CO2 from shipping is twice that of aircraft http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7052037.stm
and aviation's contribution could grow to 5% (yes that's a whole 5%) of the total CO2 emissions by 2050
these two folks have the best intentions and should just do it for the sheer fun of doing it - and I hope they enjoy every minute of it.
btw: CO2 from shipping is twice that of aircraft http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7052037.stm
and aviation's contribution could grow to 5% (yes that's a whole 5%) of the total CO2 emissions by 2050
dantheman
Bah humbug
I tried looking up figures on the internet to find out the 'damage' flying to my parents in s france a few months ago. Was really difficult to find any meaningful actual figures in terms of CO2 released.
In the end did find what seemed a reliable site which indicated that one person flying to s france wasn't much different than 1 person driving. Also long haul flights used 6* more carbon per km than short haul. (I think because they fly that bit faster to reduce the journey times= have to use a lot more fuel to go just that bit faster in rarefied atmosphere.)
Can't believe shipping uses more carbon every time, depends on what the journey length etc is You can make the figures tell the story you want them to!
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