Matador Network's Blog, page 687
March 15, 2021
Places open to vaccinated tourists
Just when we got used to COVID-19 testing requirements for travel, the vaccine rollout is changing countries’ entry protocols. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, and vaccines become more widely available, more countries are swapping out negative test results for vaccination cards. Instead of producing a negative test result to gain entry or avoid quarantine, travelers are increasingly being allowed to show proof of vaccination in countries around the world. This regularly updated list shows which countries are welcoming vaccinated travelers.
Belize
Photo: Simon Dannhauer/Shutterstock
Instead of providing a negative COVD-19 test, travelers to Belize must now only present a vaccination record card, proving that they received full inoculation at least two weeks before their arrival to Belize. They must also download the Belize Health App and input the required health information within 72 hours of arriving in Belize. Travelers who haven’t yet received their vaccines must still show a negative COVID-19 test to enter, taken within 96 hours of travel. A rapid antigen test, taken within 48 hours of travel, is also acceptable. Failing to produce a test will result in a mandated test upon arrival at the airport at a cost of $50 per person. Airport testing is also available for travelers who need a test to return to home countries that require it. A list of approved testing sites is available on the Belize Tourism Board website.
IcelandPhoto: Maridav/Shutterstock
For those previously eligible to enter Iceland with a negative COVID-19 test, proof of vaccination will now be accepted. Travelers entering Iceland with proof of full vaccination from an EEA/EFTA country (the 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) will be permitted to skip the border screening and quarantine. Right now, only the Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines are acceptable, as Johnson & Johnson has not yet been authorized in Europe. Further details are available online.
Estonia
Photo: kavalenkava/Shutterstock
Estonia’s 10-day self-isolation period is no longer mandatory for those who have received a COVID-19 vaccination and no more than six months have passed since its completion. Those who have recovered from COVID-19 no more than six months ago will also be allowed to skip quarantine. For more information, visit the official tourist information website.
Georgia
Photo: SJ Travel Photo and Video/Shutterstock
Citizens of all countries traveling by air are allowed to enter Georgia if they show evidence of being fully vaccinated. Travelers who do so will not be required to self-isolate. Otherwise, a negative PCR test will be mandatory to avoid quarantine. For more information, visit the official Travel Georgia website.
Poland
Photo: Maciej Bledowski/Shutterstock
Travelers to Poland will now be allowed to skip the mandatory 10-day quarantine, as long as they can prove that they have been fully vaccinated. Keep in mind that only citizens of countries already permitted to enter with a negative test will be eligible for the vaccine exemption. These countries are subject to change but currently include EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Georgia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Thailand, South Korea, Tunisia, and Australia. 
The post These countries are open to vaccinated tourists appeared first on Matador Network.
Sonoma wine paid apprenticeship
Ever dreamed of pursuing a well-paid career in the wine industry that would have you live in the stunning wine country for free? Murphy-Goode, a California-based wine company, is looking to hire one lucky candidate to live in Healdsburg, Sonoma, rent-free for a year and get paid $10,000 a month to learn the ins and outs of the wine business.
The successful candidate will begin their first 90 days by shadowing the winemaker Dave Ready Jr., learning about every step of the harvest process. After the initial mentoring, there will be an opportunity to specialize in a specific field within the industry and continue building upon a career.
In order to apply, applicants need to record a video introducing themselves in a creative way (humor being an extra bonus) and send it to Murphy-Goode by June 30, 2021. Candidates must be 21 years old or over and authorized to work in the US. Job applications will be judged based on “value, creativity, and design, applicable experience and skill set.”
The new hire is expected to fully embrace all that comes with the role and seamlessly integrate into the company team and be willing to travel around Sonoma. Some of the role’s responsibilities will include generating strong knowledge of vineyards, operations, harvest, and wine in general. Murphy-Goode is also looking for someone who’s passionate about e-commerce and promoting the company through various social channels.
So, if this sounds like the description of the life you’ve always imagined for yourself, read more about the opportunity and how to apply here.
The post Get paid $10,000 a month to work in Sonoma and become a wine expert appeared first on Matador Network.
March 12, 2021
Travelzoo deals March 2021
We hope you love the spaces and stays we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay, and listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.
We all want to get away right now. The good news is that there are some amazing deals on vacations this week, and resorts are more willing to be flexible with dates and even allow you to book now and choose your dates down the line. This means that even if a vacation isn’t feasible right at this moment, you can plan ahead and get a great deal for travel this summer or fall. Travelzoo, which hosts some of the best travel deals anywhere on the internet, is loaded with great deals right now. Here are our three favorites, but be warned — they sell out fast!
Chill in a Riviera Maya all-inclusive resort for three nights, $799 for 2
Photo: Travelzoo
When to travel: Before December 21, 2021
Fully refundable: Yes
The beaches of Mexico’s Riviera Maya sound oh-so-good after a year of being cooped up at home. Now is the time to book, with hot deals flowing that allow you to travel later, when you’re ready. This Travelzoo deal is so rare that it’s bound to sell out fast. It’ll cost $799 for you and a partner to escape for three nights to the luxurious, beachside Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa in Cancun. That’s nearly $500 in savings, plus you rest easy knowing the deal is fully refundable and you can choose your travel dates later.
The hotel is all-inclusive and located north of Cancun and away from the hustle and bustle of the city’s Hotel Zone. Relax in a beachside cabana along the turquoise waters with access to five pools, an outdoor cantina, and because you’re booking through Travelzoo, you’ll receive a free bottle of wine to enjoy in your Deluxe Ocean View room. You can even upgrade to a one-bedroom villa with a kitchenette for just $200 more.
Kids under 12 can stay free and will love the resort’s floating aqua park. You and your partner will love the unlimited food and drinks from menus spanning the globe — the resort’s restaurants prepare Japanese, Greek, Mexican, and other popular cuisines every day. By booking now, you know you’re getting the best deal possible, even if you don’t travel until summer or fall.
Why this deal is unique:
$799 for two people, a nearly $500 savingsAll-inclusive food and drinks, plus a bottle of wine for the roomFive pools, floating aqua park, cabanas, and a hammockSeven nights in a Thailand beach resort for two, $345 megadeal
Photo: Travelzoo
When to travel: May 1-October 31, 2021
Fully refundable: Yes
You read the above headline correctly — this megadeal from Travelzoo let’s you spend an entire week on a Thailand beach, with a partner, for only $345. This is nearly 70 percent off the normal rates and you can choose between two epic locations: the Moracea Resort in Khao Lak for $345 or the Mandarava Resort in Phuket for $469.
No matter which you choose, the waters of the Andaman Sea await, as does daily breakfast for you and your partner and an afternoon cocktail once you return from the beach. You’ll also receive one complimentary Thai set dinner during your stay and a 60-minute massage for each of you.
This deal will sell out fast — so book now and choose your dates once you’ve had time to let the excitement settle in. (Can’t decide which resort to choose? Book a week at both and they’ll toss in a free transfer between the resorts, as well as 30 percent off your airport transfer.)
25 percent off at the Hawaii Hilton Waikoloa Village through 2021
Photo: Travelzoo
When to travel: Through December 20, 2021
Fully refundable: Yes
The Hilton Waikoloa Village is one of the largest beach resorts in Hawaii, and also one of the most popular. It’s easy to see why — at this luxury spot on the Big Island you can snorkel in the on-site lagoon, relax on the shores of Waikoloa Bay, and the resort is right by the Waikoloa Beach Golf Course. Oh, and you can also swim with dolphins here, an experience worth the nightly rate in itself if you ask us.
Travelzoo is offering a deal for a Palace Resort View room between $209 and $240 per night, depending on your dates, which is a 25 percent savings. (Quick travel hack: Join Hilton Honors before booking to save an additional 10 percent.) The rate is for two adults.
The post You have to act fast to snag this incredible Cancún all-inclusive deal ($799 for two people) appeared first on Matador Network.
Films for Women's History Month
Why women-made travel films and documentaries are so crucial to the travel media industry is perhaps so indisputable that the conversation feels somewhat played out. But unfortunately, the number of female producers, directors, and filmmakers pales in comparison to their male counterparts. This disparity and underrepresentation in our industry is not only fundamentally wrong, but it also unavoidably means that story selection and the frame through which these stories are told come from a very narrow perspective.
To work with a limited range of contributors is not only a missed opportunity, but it can be boring. It is essential to diversify the voices of the creators that guide our storytelling in order to provide a fresh perspective and ensure representation. Matador Network is dedicated to elevating the voices of women behind the camera. Our team at Matador Studies, our in-house film production team, includes powerhouse women who lend their voices to our content.
We reached out to our female colleagues, those who have successfully navigated their way into the video media industry, to ask them what their favorite women-made films and documentaries are. Below are those that made the cut.
13th, directed by Ava DuVernay (2016)
“Ava takes a dive into reading between the lines of what the 13th Amendment of the US Constitution says and, even deeper, the open gaps of what it does not say to therefore allow an evolved form of slavery to still be constitutional for over 150 years. She does a beautiful job at assembling current and past laws in place, key historical accounts, and illustrating the ideas of much of what white US American culture says especially about Black people and our prison systems, which keeps specifically white people okay and complacent about our criminal justice system. Ava’s film is boldly truth-seeking and convicting as a white US citizen to keep this topic present in our social circles.”
Jessica Berdeau, Branded Video Editor, Matador Network
The Farewell, directed and written by Lulu Wang (2019)
“First, I love most A24 films as they often take an experimental approach that still manages to strike the balance of remaining engaging to a broad audience. This drama/comedy gives the viewer an intimate look at Asian-American relationships with their more transitional families. This film is important to me because it’s culturally focused and features an Asian cast.”
Kati Hetrick, Associate Creative Director, Matador Network
Knock Down the House, directed, written, and produced by Rachel Lears (2019)
“The movie follows the incredible story about how four female candidates tried to make history in the 2018 midterm elections. I really loved this documentary because I found it shared an important message that for many of us women that a lot of us will fail before we’re able to break the glass ceiling, but that it’s not impossible.”
Alexandra Halky, Supervising Producer, Matador Network
Fed Up, directed and co-written by Stephanie Soechtig (2014)
“[This documentary is] about how the US government knowingly capitalizes and encourages sugar addiction in the standard American diet, and blames the individual for their health issues. Stephanie did especially well at clearing the fog about how our government preys on individuals’ trust to follow their recommended dietary guidelines, rather than recognize the root of many health issues are about regulations and incentives the government gives to corporations. Stephanie’s documentary is a great trailhead to the wide range of the films that cover the toxic relationship between our government and lobbyists which harm the health of individuals and the environment in exchange for power and wealth.”
Jessica Berdeau, Branded Video Editor, Matador Network
Frame by Frame, directed and produced by Alexandra Bimbach and Mo Scarpelli (2015)
“My favorite female-made doc is Frame-by-Frame. Created by a two-woman crew, the film follows the stories of four photojournalists in Afghanistan — a country where photography was made illegal under the Taliban. Watching this film instilled a sense of gratitude for the freedom I have as a photographer and filmmaker to document the world around me. The film was also a reminder that you can make a critically acclaimed piece of work with just a small crew and a small budget.”
Caz Tanner, Manager of Production, Matador Network
What Happened, Miss Simone? directed by Liz Garbus (2015)
“This film is all about the life and legacy of singer Nina Simone. I love this documentary because I knew of Nina Simone’s music, but I wasn’t familiar with her life. She had a difficult life but her music has left a legacy, and I think it’s worth seeing for any music fan out there.”
Alexandra Halky, Supervising Producer, Matador Network
At The Heart of Gold: Inside The USA Gymnastics Scandal, directed by Erin Lee Carr (2019)
“Erin Lee Carr is the powerhouse director behind this film about the sexual assault of the USA gymnastics team by their team doctor. Carr not only tackled a difficult subject with grace and respect for the survivors but did so without allowing it to become about their abuser, creating space for the women’s voices to lead the narrative.”
Doree Simon, Director of Production, Matador Network
Period. End of Sentence. directed by Rayka Zehtabchi (2018)
“Before watching this film, I had no idea just how stigmatized menstruation is in India. Women are taught that their period is dirty. Many men don’t even know what it is! The film follows what one group of women in rural India are doing to change this. They are manufacturing pads, but at the same time, they are educating other women, putting an end to outdated beliefs, and earning an independent living. Zehtabchi captured an eye-opening and inspiring story that needed to be told.”
Jessica Devnani, Video Editor, Matador Network
RBG, directed and produced by Betsy West and Julie Cohen (2018)
“If you need something wholesome and inspirational to cleanse the palate, watch RBG, directed and produced by Betsy West and Julie Cohen. You will be sure to find inspiration in the life and career of the iconic Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”
Sarah Nauer, Manager of Production, Matador Network
Portrait of a Lady on Fire, directed and written by Céline Sciamma (2019)
“To me, this is one of the best foreign-made films to come to the US. It’s a French historical romantic drama that skilfully tackles an affair between a French aristocrat and the artist who was hired to paint her portrait. I love how beautifully the shots have been directed. The lead actresses, Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, did a phenomenal job.”
Kati Hetrick, Associate Creative Director, Matador Network
The post The women of Matador Studios on their favorite films made by women appeared first on Matador Network.
These Amtrak routes are finally returning to their daily schedules
The United States might not be back to normal yet, but Amtrak is restoring normal service for 12 of its long-distance routes. The company restricted its train schedule in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and operations have remained reduced for several months. Thanks to COVID relief funding, daily service will resume again for the following 12 Amtrak long-distance routes.
Resuming May 24:
California Zephyr (Chicago — Omaha — Denver — Salt Lake City — San Francisco) Coast Starlight (Seattle — Portland — Sacramento — Oakland — Los Angeles) Empire Builder (Chicago — St. Paul-Minneapolis — Spokane — Portland/Seattle)Texas Eagle (Chicago — St. Louis — Dallas — San Antonio — Los Angeles)Resuming May 31:
Capitol Limited (Washington DC — Pittsburgh — Cleveland — Chicago)City of New Orleans (Chicago — Memphis — Jackson — New Orleans)Lake Shore Limited (New York/Boston — Albany — Buffalo — Chicago)Southwest Chief (Chicago — Kansas City — Albuquerque — Los Angeles)Resuming June 7:
Crescent (New York — Washington, DC — Atlanta — New Orleans)Palmetto (New York — Washington, DC — Charleston — Savannah)Silver Meteor (New York — Savannah — Jacksonville — Orlando — Miami)Silver Star (New York — Raleigh — Jacksonville — Orlando — Tampa — Miami)Bill Flynn, Amtrak’s CEO, said, “Offering daily long-distance service represents a vital step in our road to recovery. Recognising the immense value of our employees, we’d like to thank Congress for enabling service restoration and helping us recall furloughed employees.”
All destinations and departure/arrival times will resume as normal, the Auto Train will continue to operate daily, and the Cardinal and Sunset Limited trains tri-weekly.
Just because Amtrak’s routes are returning to normal, that doesn’t mean COVID-19 safety measures will be dropped. Amtrak requires all customers and employees to wear a mask while onboard and in station, and limited booking will remain in place to allow for physical distancing.
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QR codes ruin the magic of restaurants. They should be the first to go post-pandemic.
The smartphone tractor beam may well be the downfall of society. Somehow it turns an otherwise normal, productive person into a dumbfounded captive of a five-inch screen, stroking its glass surface until their fingers get sore. And it’s not like we’re learning Cantonese or the dark ancient secrets of the Incas on there. We’re probably just looking at pictures of lasagna.
The tractor beam not only makes us drooling zombies, it also wrecks havoc on social occasions. It’s not exactly new. If you took a look around an office happy hour or bar mitzvah (back when those were common things people did), you’d see anyone not actively engaged in conversation or bad dancing staring head-on into their phones.
Restaurants, however, were often a safe haven from the tractor beam, forcing us all to interact lest we look like we’re on a bad date. That is, until the pandemic hit, and restaurants replaced their handheld menus with scannable QR codes.
Being on your phone at a meal was once bad form unless you felt the burning need to chronicle your beet salad. Now, busting it out is literally the first thing you do after telling the waiter, “No, tap water is fine.” Reading the menu — which was once the grand announcement that you’d arrived at a restaurant that doesn’t offer souvenir action figures — is just another excuse to scroll.
Scroll down for cocktails. Scroll up for appetizers. Swipe right to see our catch of the day. It’s Tinder for entrees, beginning your meal in the last place it should: with your face buried in your phone.
Are we free to put our phones away once we’ve ordered? Sure. Will we? Probably not, because while we were deciding between the black bean soup and the lobster bisque, a notification came in that someone had posted a picture of lasagna. And after that, a text message from someone who you half wanted to talk to. And after that an email. And before you know it, you’re eating dinner in the tractor beam.
As if forcing us out of the real world and back into our phones wasn’t bad enough, QR codes also make looking at menus vastly more complicated. A hand-held menu was like a tableau of culinary wonder, where I could visually compile a meal by darting my eyes between appetizers, entrees, and rum-based cocktails. Maybe at the Cheesecake Factory I’d need to turn some pages, but it was a pretty simple process.
Now, if I want to look at drinks and entrees I’m toggling windows like an addictive sports bettor. Or having to scroll all the way to the top of a menu to remember if I wanted any of the appetizers I’d read about seemingly three hours ago.
QR codes also make a very bold assumption that everyone walking to a restaurant owns a smartphone with unlimited internet access (or at least enough data that scrolling through a bunch of pages and PDFs won’t ruin their monthly data allotment). Sure, unless you’re a toddler or a time traveler from 1860, you probably have one. But someone, at some point, has walked into a restaurant who didn’t. Or, more commonly, spent the whole day scrolling and now has to stay on airplane mode to make sure they have enough juice to call an Uber home.
Do these people not deserve menus? Are they second-class guests who must ask for something that used to be as automatic as a fork? Forcing the poor hostess to scramble around her stand to find one or, worse, call a manager? It’s an unnecessary extra step that can be solved by ditching QR codes forever, and makes restaurants more appealing to those who don’t want their phones at dinner.
Restaurants, which had an extremely tough 2020, would be justified to say using QR codes saves them money on menu printing. And, if the world is going to insist on disposable menus for the foreseeable future, QR codes might also save some trees. But an industry that’s increasingly obsessed with serving its food in single-use containers crossed the excessive-waste bridge a long time ago. And of all the expenses restaurants face, photocopies of menus are down there with ice.
Some might say QR codes are more sanitary than handheld menus, since nobody else has been touching your phone. Except you. Probably while you’re in the bathroom, which is part of the reason why your phone is one of the dirtiest, most germ-filled things you touch all day. And if you look at a menu as something — like your table and silverware — which has been touched by strangers but is easily cleaned, there’s no reason not to use them.
Some people love QR code menus, and for them I suppose they’re a nice option to have. But the restaurant experience is about being anywhere but on your phone, and QR code menus force us onto them immediately. Once the pandemic is over, or at least as over as it’s going to get, QR menus need to go the way of partially-hydrogenated oil and smoking sections, and get out of restaurants forever. Dinner doesn’t need to be another trip into the tractor beam, and menus that don’t involve death scrolls will be a welcomed return to normalcy.
Editor’s note: This is an Op-Ed article. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own.
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New hotel in China slammed for captive polar bear enclosure for guests
A newly opened hotel in China built around a central polar bear enclosure for guests’ viewing pleasure is under fire from conservationists and animal rights activists.
Harbin Polar Land’s main draw is its bedroom windows facing a polar bear pen, so visitors can view the polar bears 24/7. The polar bears live under harsh lights in a small space consisting of fake rocks, two small pools, and a white painted floor.
The world's first polar bear hotel will open on Friday in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. Thirty-three sheets of reinforced glass have been installed in the hotel to allow visitors to have dinner with the bears while watching them nearby. #PolarBear pic.twitter.com/ug4QsBNAlz
— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) March 10, 2021
Jason Baker, PETA Asia vice president, said, “PETA urges patrons to stay away from this hotel and any other establishment that profits from animals’ misery. Polar bears belong in the Arctic, not in zoos or glass boxes in aquariums — and certainly not in hotels. The greedy, exploitative aquarium industry, which is out of place in today’s increasingly aware world, is built on the suffering of intelligent, social beings who are denied everything that’s natural and important to them.”
Polar bears are listed as vulnerable under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List.
Harbin is known for its ice-carving festival and the hotel itself looks like a giant igloo, topped by artificial ice.
The post New hotel in China slammed for captive polar bear enclosure for guests appeared first on Matador Network.
Belize is now welcoming vaccinated travelers without a COVID-19 test
Belize has become the latest country — and the first in the Caribbean — to incorporate vaccinations into its plan for reopening to international tourism. Instead of providing a negative COVD-19 test, travelers to Belize only need to present a vaccination record card, proving that they received full inoculation at least two weeks before their arrival. They must also download the Belize Health App and input the required health information within 72 hours of arrival.
In a statement, the Belize Tourism Board said, “The decision to ease the restriction on travelers who have received the COVID vaccine has been facilitated by the reduction in daily new cases across the country. Belize has been very successful in its efforts to control the transmission of COVID-19 over the past few weeks; presently, there are less than 100 active cases countrywide, and the numbers have been consistently decreasing.”
Travelers who haven’t received their vaccines yet must still show a negative COVID-19 test to enter, taken within 96 hours of travel. A rapid antigen test, taken within 48 hours of travel, is also acceptable. Failure to produce a test will result in a mandated test upon arrival at the airport, at a cost of $50 per person. Airport testing is also available for travelers who need a test to return home . A list of approved testing sites is available on the Belize Tourism Board’s website.
The post Belize is now welcoming vaccinated travelers without a COVID-19 test appeared first on Matador Network.
This high-speed rail map of the US is a dream for the next gen of travelers
Gen Z-ers, are surprisingly passionate about the prospect of a high-speed rail network in the US. Twitter user Cara tweeted a conceptual picture of a US high-speed rail map, with the caption, “I want her so fucking much.” Despite having only 700 followers, her tweet went viral, earning over 186,000 likes and nearly 50,000 retweets.
I want her so fucking much pic.twitter.com/0xMMgW8pz1
— jon from garfield (@thisiscaramore) January 23, 2020
The map isn’t new. It was created by graphic designer Alfred Twu in 2013, and depicts a series of interconnected high-speed rail lines, linking Los Angeles to New York, and Minneapolis to Miami. And considering how viral the map went, it seems that it’s exactly what the next generation of travelers want: a sustainable, fast, and reliable railway network throughout the entire country.
According to Vox, Cara said, “We look at other countries that have good examples of it, and we wonder why our country can’t do that. It seems like a simple solution that we can’t find the reason as to why we’re not doing it.”
While Europe and Asia both have sophisticated high-speed rail infrastructure, similar rail networks are lacking in the US, which mostly relies on regional trains. The Amtrak Acela Express, running from Boston to Washington, DC, is the only US train that comes close.
With the Biden administration currently preparing a $2 trillion green infrastructure overhaul, this map, although not perfectly designed, represents the hope that the US rail network might one day catch up with the rest of the world.
The post This high-speed rail map of the US is a dream for the next gen of travelers appeared first on Matador Network.
A California city becomes the nation’s first to ban new gas stations
This is The Climate Win, the most positive sustainability news around the world every week.
This week, Petaluma, CA, became the first municipality in the United States to ban the construction of new gas stations. The move is the latest push in the city’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2030, and the first announcement to catch national headlines since Petaluma’s City Council adopted a Climate Emergency Framework on January 11.
“We didn’t know we would be the first, and I keep saying that we didn’t do this to be the first,” said Petaluma Mayor Teresa Barret to the Petaluma Argus Courier. “We’re taking one step at a time here, because that’s how change is made. To me, it’s really important we’re not just ticking off boxes. If we want to be carbon neutral by 2030, we have to make these changes.”
Sixteen gas stations are currently active in the city of 60,000 residents. The framework is built around nine focal points designed to include advancing environmental justice for local Native peoples and other disadvantaged communities, providing necessary funding in order to act with “urgency and integrity,” and promoting equity across all of the city’s efforts.
“There is a moral imperative to prioritize climate-related actions and policies that promote social, racial, environmental, economic, disability, and public health justice in communities disparately impacted by climate change,” the report says.
Petaluma is located in Sonoma County, about 40 miles north of San Francisco. The region is known for its wineries and depends on visitors for over $2.2 billion of economic impact per year. The city hopes that preventing the added emissions from construction of new gas stations will ensure cleaner air for visitors and residents, and their action is likely to drive similar bans in other Sonoma County cities including Santa Rosa and Sebastopol.
The ban could also inspire cities across the US to consider similar measures. The group Stand.Earth, which advocates for environmental ethics in cities and corporations, notes that 30 cities around the country have passed or are discussing similar measures. These include Portland, OR, which is banning bulk-storage of fossil fuels, and Baltimore, MD, which in 2017 passed an ordinance to prevent the construction of new oil train facilities.
More climate wins this weekThe Australian government released its first National Plastics Plan to address a growing plastic crisis in the country. The plan takes several firm actions like banning styrofoam containers, banning plastic on beaches, and phasing in plastic filters on washing machines to keep microplastics out of the waterways. It also will put an end to “biodegradable plastics,” a term loosely defined and barely regulated that has become a major source of greenwashing — that is, of hyping a level of sustainability that may be inaccurate.
FedEx said it would convert its entire fleet of delivery vehicles to EVs by 2040 as part of its broader plan to be carbon neutral by that year. To reach the goal, the company plans to invest $2 billion into vehicle electrification, sustainable energy, and carbon sequestration.
In honor of Women’s History Month, Matador is celebrating nine female environmental activists we can thank for protecting the planet. These women, including Wangari Maathai, Artemisa Xakriabá, and Autumn Peltier, have provided a much-needed voice to global and local environmental causes from advocating for clean water to fighting development on tribal and historic lands.
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