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As summer approaches, families all across our country
are making vacation plans. But some people get bored with the same old
trips, whether it’s to the shore or to some exotic tropical island.
Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. Well, Bucko, don’t get all mopey. Perk up your
vacation life with something entirely different, something guaranteed to
cause a buzz back at the office: a cruise! No, not the geezer cruise, with
shuffleboard and the endless buffet. I’m talking about a cruise with
cachet and topical relevancy — a cruise to watch global warming as
it’s happening! Yes, instead of just talking about climate change,
you can literally go look at it, thanks to a boom in something called
“global-warming tourism.”
For example, a company called Betchart Expeditions is
offering a 12-day excursion up the Greenland coast to witness the melting
of the Greenland ice sheet. After traveling some 400 miles north of the
Arctic Circle, you will lay eyes on a brand-new landmark, aptly named
Warming Island. It was totally unknown until it was discovered in 2005,
emerging from beneath the melting ice sheet. Just think — your very
own Hummer may have contributed to the sudden appearance of this unique
chunk of geography! And you can see it in style aboard Betchart’s
50-foot passenger ship. The bare-bones price for a steerage cabin with
shared bath is $5,000, but add a $2,000 upgrade and you get a
“superior” cabin with a private john. Of course, this is a cruise loaded with irony. As a
climate-change expert says, “If enough people expend enough fossil
fuels to visit Warming Island, they will ensure that there will be many
more.” So bon voyage — and don’t forget to buy the T-shirt.
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator,
columnist, and author.
This article appears in May 17-23, 2007.
