magaz i n e
for the earth
richard branson declares war on
global warming
Isabella rossellini Lessons in seduction
LaUREN BUSH Secret Garden
Kathleen Kennedy Born to make things better ÂŁ5
$ 10
ISSN 1747932
04 9 771747 932015
LILY COLE and the wolves
ZAO WOU-KI The nature of art
ECOSEXUAL REVOLUTIon
by Stefanie Iris Weiss
Why we need bees by Summer Rayne Oakes
Boulder, colorado A day in eco -paradise
The Above guide
Art, beauty, travel, food, fashion, cars, books, films...
alfred dunhill ltd.
EditoR's Letter “Beauty will save the world” Fyodor Dostoyevsky
T
he other night, over dinner, I sat across from a particularly unpleasant man who, after I described briefly what Above is about, went into an endless and obnoxious rant about how global warming is an absurdity; pollution, nonsense; the extinction of species, decreed by natural evolution. His cynical power of denial was so strong it nearly became infectious. For a minute there, I doubted my own mission. It was hard to argue with such an obviously contrarian mind, and I imagined the same difficulty would apply to the majority of readers for whom this magazine is intended. That one-sided, highly frustrating conversation reminded me of the days, in the 1980s, when many heterosexuals considered the AIDS virus to be “gay cancer” and therefore allowed themselves to withhold any concern for the disease or its victims. In the face of such obscurantism, I opted for polite silence, but that (lack of) exchange led me to draw some disturbing conclusions. For instance, it became evident to me that some people are impossible to persuade, even when they have irrefutable evidence to hand. The fate of the world doesn’t concern them. Take the members of the US Congress – most likely bowing to pressure from corporate and financial lobbies – who have failed to back strong legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This will sound like a cliché, but to many individuals, corporations and financial institutions, profit is clearly all that matters; the rest of mankind can go take a hike. The wrongs of the BP oil spill will right themselves because the “ocean has seen worse” (well, no, in fact the ocean never has, and, as numerous scientific accounts indicate, ocean ecosystems are undergoing total collapse). Fish are being harvested in disastrously huge quantities and at a pace that can’t allow stocks to replenish themselves, but that’s all right; marine creatures will adapt and “come back one way or another”. Hundreds of yet-to be-discovered animal and vegetal species disappear every day as a result of the deforestation of the Amazon and other regions of the world – no problemo, more will appear out of nowhere. There isn’t a single argument that will make the naysayers change their mind and adapt their lifestyle to a more responsible one. To numerous wealthy individuals, who should try and set an example, the fate of the world seems totally foreign, as if they’re shielded from it by a gigantic wall of money. They continue to float along on their humongous yachts, too high up even to see the water below. Couldn’t they go for sailing boats instead, like some already have? And will they keep flying indiscriminately in ozone-destroying, carbon-monoxide-dispensing private jets to attend vital appointments in the Caribbean, the French Riviera and Aspen, Colorado? I guess some people are lost causes who will see reality (if they see it at all) only after it’s too late, when their grandchildren or even children have no water left to drink. Of course I don’t wish for such a tragic development to take place, even if it would prove me right, and I’m very happy to acknowledge the increasing number of notable exceptions. Richard Branson, the man on the cover of this issue, is an especially encouraging one. He is among the many people 10
Fall 2010
of good will who are taking concrete action – people who make me feel I’m not wasting my time publishing this magazine. Only a few days ago, an old friend of mine known for his tremendous financial prowesses told me he was “no longer interested in accumulating wealth”. He wanted to use his money to help pass environmentally sound legislation wherever possible. I looked at him with much greater admiration than I ever had before. My faith in the urgent need to preserve the beauty of the world has only been reinforced by the challenge I faced that night with that ecology “denier”. He won’t be the last, but I’m confident we’ll be there to counterattack. For, in the end, this is an actual war for the survival of our planet. The most urgent, vital war ever fought. This is World War III and the enemy is us. In this issue we once again showcase the men and women who are actively fighting to preserve the beauty and the well-being of our planet. They are our knights, as I now like to call them. There are too many to mention here but all are relentless soldiers of the good war. Captains of industry who think that business and ecology are actually compatible, if not natural allies. Artists, scientists, film producers, artisans, scions of great political dynasties, eco-models, photographers, architects – the kind of individuals Above believes are the ideal role models for those looking for a way to help, to better participate in the global fight, to find hope in the future. Once more, I want to thank all our great contributors for lending their time and offering their precious thoughts. One last word: I just read today that Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa is considering foregoing oil-drilling in Yasuní National Park, a swath of Amazonian rainforest the size of Massachusetts, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and the ancestral territory of the Huaorani people. Oil reserves there are estimated at 900 million barrels, worth approximately $4.6 billion. The Ecuadorian government is asking nations around the world to contribute around half that amount to a sort of environmental trust fund, to make up for the loss resulting from not drilling in this still-pristine region. It doesn’t sound like such a bad deal. Many countries have said they’ll help out, Germany and Spain among them. There is hope!
the dunhill blazer: realised in double faced wool flannel, features a partial lining for lightweight versatility and timeless style in every climate, setting and occasion.
Nicolas Rachline
Portrait Sabine Van Vlaenderen
bourdon house 2 davies street 48 jermyn street, harrods, selfridges www.dunhill.com 0845 458 0779
alfred dunhill ltd.
EditoR's Letter “Beauty will save the world” Fyodor Dostoyevsky
T
he other night, over dinner, I sat across from a particularly unpleasant man who, after I described briefly what Above is about, went into an endless and obnoxious rant about how global warming is an absurdity; pollution, nonsense; the extinction of species, decreed by natural evolution. His cynical power of denial was so strong it nearly became infectious. For a minute there, I doubted my own mission. It was hard to argue with such an obviously contrarian mind, and I imagined the same difficulty would apply to the majority of readers for whom this magazine is intended. That one-sided, highly frustrating conversation reminded me of the days, in the 1980s, when many heterosexuals considered the AIDS virus to be “gay cancer” and therefore allowed themselves to withhold any concern for the disease or its victims. In the face of such obscurantism, I opted for polite silence, but that (lack of) exchange led me to draw some disturbing conclusions. For instance, it became evident to me that some people are impossible to persuade, even when they have irrefutable evidence to hand. The fate of the world doesn’t concern them. Take the members of the US Congress – most likely bowing to pressure from corporate and financial lobbies – who have failed to back strong legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This will sound like a cliché, but to many individuals, corporations and financial institutions, profit is clearly all that matters; the rest of mankind can go take a hike. The wrongs of the BP oil spill will right themselves because the “ocean has seen worse” (well, no, in fact the ocean never has, and, as numerous scientific accounts indicate, ocean ecosystems are undergoing total collapse). Fish are being harvested in disastrously huge quantities and at a pace that can’t allow stocks to replenish themselves, but that’s all right; marine creatures will adapt and “come back one way or another”. Hundreds of yet-to be-discovered animal and vegetal species disappear every day as a result of the deforestation of the Amazon and other regions of the world – no problemo, more will appear out of nowhere. There isn’t a single argument that will make the naysayers change their mind and adapt their lifestyle to a more responsible one. To numerous wealthy individuals, who should try and set an example, the fate of the world seems totally foreign, as if they’re shielded from it by a gigantic wall of money. They continue to float along on their humongous yachts, too high up even to see the water below. Couldn’t they go for sailing boats instead, like some already have? And will they keep flying indiscriminately in ozone-destroying, carbon-monoxide-dispensing private jets to attend vital appointments in the Caribbean, the French Riviera and Aspen, Colorado? I guess some people are lost causes who will see reality (if they see it at all) only after it’s too late, when their grandchildren or even children have no water left to drink. Of course I don’t wish for such a tragic development to take place, even if it would prove me right, and I’m very happy to acknowledge the increasing number of notable exceptions. Richard Branson, the man on the cover of this issue, is an especially encouraging one. He is among the many people 10
Fall 2010
of good will who are taking concrete action – people who make me feel I’m not wasting my time publishing this magazine. Only a few days ago, an old friend of mine known for his tremendous financial prowesses told me he was “no longer interested in accumulating wealth”. He wanted to use his money to help pass environmentally sound legislation wherever possible. I looked at him with much greater admiration than I ever had before. My faith in the urgent need to preserve the beauty of the world has only been reinforced by the challenge I faced that night with that ecology “denier”. He won’t be the last, but I’m confident we’ll be there to counterattack. For, in the end, this is an actual war for the survival of our planet. The most urgent, vital war ever fought. This is World War III and the enemy is us. In this issue we once again showcase the men and women who are actively fighting to preserve the beauty and the well-being of our planet. They are our knights, as I now like to call them. There are too many to mention here but all are relentless soldiers of the good war. Captains of industry who think that business and ecology are actually compatible, if not natural allies. Artists, scientists, film producers, artisans, scions of great political dynasties, eco-models, photographers, architects – the kind of individuals Above believes are the ideal role models for those looking for a way to help, to better participate in the global fight, to find hope in the future. Once more, I want to thank all our great contributors for lending their time and offering their precious thoughts. One last word: I just read today that Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa is considering foregoing oil-drilling in Yasuní National Park, a swath of Amazonian rainforest the size of Massachusetts, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and the ancestral territory of the Huaorani people. Oil reserves there are estimated at 900 million barrels, worth approximately $4.6 billion. The Ecuadorian government is asking nations around the world to contribute around half that amount to a sort of environmental trust fund, to make up for the loss resulting from not drilling in this still-pristine region. It doesn’t sound like such a bad deal. Many countries have said they’ll help out, Germany and Spain among them. There is hope!
the dunhill blazer: realised in double faced wool flannel, features a partial lining for lightweight versatility and timeless style in every climate, setting and occasion.
Nicolas Rachline
Portrait Sabine Van Vlaenderen
bourdon house 2 davies street 48 jermyn street, harrods, selfridges www.dunhill.com 0845 458 0779
Contents p. 48
p. 88 p 48
p. 70
SURFACE 10 16 18
editor’s letter contributors masthead
view from above
22
crude logic
fashion
24 26 28
lilly marthe ebener same sky osklen
p. 108
core
GREEN KNIGHT
48
RICHARD BRANSON
98
Lisa Shields travels to Necker Island and finds Sir Richard preparing for war.
CONSERVATION
where the wild things were
Laura Sevier considers Paul Lister’s not-so-wild scheme to bring wildlife back to Scotland.
PORTRAIT
60
ISABELLA ROSSELLINI
108
Stefanie Iris Weiss gets down and dirty with the star of Green Porno.
66
LAWRENCE BENDER
128 la
70
KATHLEEN ‘KICK’ KENNEDY
DESIGN
30
david trubridge
architecture
32
shigeru ban
interior design
36
kari whitman
ARCHITECTURE
ECO ADVENTURERS
74
38 40
Sebastian copeland david de rothschild
THE HOUSE WHISPERERS
ART
42
ned kahn
ABOVE THE HIGHWAY
84
GOOD KARMA
Laetitia Cash meets the producer of Countdown to Zero.
Sean Elder talks with a young eco activist starting to make a name for herself.
Laura Sevier finds a few architects working quiet wonders in the townhouses of London.
highland tale
Olaf Wipperfürth spends a wild day photographing Lily Cole.
finta nonna
An original short story by Lily Cole
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
132 BEIJING
David Rubien takes a reading on Beijing’s chances for a Greener future.
Eli Gottlieb discovers eco excitement in the Rockies.
JOURNEY
140
BOULDER, COLORADO
158 OUT
ON THE TUNDRA
Caitlin Mitchell goes hunting in Kotzebue, Alaska.
Alexander Sharkey ogles the world’s sleekest, sexiest, Green-minded sports car.
ART
SPECIAL REPORT: BEES
88
QUEEN BEE FOR A DAY
96
BEE BEAUTY PRODUCTS
Fall 2010
12
p. 166
Summer Rayne Oakes gets busy with bees in the Dominican Republic.
Liz Hancock uncovers a few secrets from the hive.
166 ZAO
WOU-KI
Elizabeth Upper ponders the nature of the artist’s abstract masterworks.
Contents p. 48
p. 88 p 48
p. 70
SURFACE 10 16 18
editor’s letter contributors masthead
view from above
22
crude logic
fashion
24 26 28
lilly marthe ebener same sky osklen
p. 108
core
GREEN KNIGHT
48
RICHARD BRANSON
98
Lisa Shields travels to Necker Island and finds Sir Richard preparing for war.
CONSERVATION
where the wild things were
Laura Sevier considers Paul Lister’s not-so-wild scheme to bring wildlife back to Scotland.
PORTRAIT
60
ISABELLA ROSSELLINI
108
Stefanie Iris Weiss gets down and dirty with the star of Green Porno.
66
LAWRENCE BENDER
128 la
70
KATHLEEN ‘KICK’ KENNEDY
DESIGN
30
david trubridge
architecture
32
shigeru ban
interior design
36
kari whitman
ARCHITECTURE
ECO ADVENTURERS
74
38 40
Sebastian copeland david de rothschild
THE HOUSE WHISPERERS
ART
42
ned kahn
ABOVE THE HIGHWAY
84
GOOD KARMA
Laetitia Cash meets the producer of Countdown to Zero.
Sean Elder talks with a young eco activist starting to make a name for herself.
Laura Sevier finds a few architects working quiet wonders in the townhouses of London.
highland tale
Olaf Wipperfürth spends a wild day photographing Lily Cole.
finta nonna
An original short story by Lily Cole
CITIES OF THE FUTURE
132 BEIJING
David Rubien takes a reading on Beijing’s chances for a Greener future.
Eli Gottlieb discovers eco excitement in the Rockies.
JOURNEY
140
BOULDER, COLORADO
158 OUT
ON THE TUNDRA
Caitlin Mitchell goes hunting in Kotzebue, Alaska.
Alexander Sharkey ogles the world’s sleekest, sexiest, Green-minded sports car.
ART
SPECIAL REPORT: BEES
88
QUEEN BEE FOR A DAY
96
BEE BEAUTY PRODUCTS
Fall 2010
12
p. 166
Summer Rayne Oakes gets busy with bees in the Dominican Republic.
Liz Hancock uncovers a few secrets from the hive.
166 ZAO
WOU-KI
Elizabeth Upper ponders the nature of the artist’s abstract masterworks.
CONTENTS p. 200
p. 206
p. 208
p. 214
STRATOSPHERE
ABOVE GUIDE
ABOVE & AWARE
ART
188
PETRO-PAYBACK
206
EXHIBITIONS
ABOVE SOLUTIONS
TRAVEL & EATING
190
GEOENGINEERING
208
BUSINESS & INVESTING
192
WEALTH FROM WASTE
ABOVE THE FRAY
194
WHY I SAIL
196 ABOVE THE SHEETS
THE ECOSEXUAL REVOLUTION
ABOVE TRAVEL
198
CARBON OFFSETS FOR FLYING
SECRET GARDEN
200
LAUREN BUSH
BEAUTY
BEAUTY NEWS 220 BEAUTY SELECTION 222 CHANEL: BACKSTORY OF AN INGREDIENT 224 STAR PERFUMER OLIVIA GIACOBETTI SHOPPING
FASHION NEWS 228 JEANS 230 ECO GEEK 234 TANZANITE JEWELLERY 236 WATCHES 238 DVDS 239 BOOKS 226
ABOVE & AROUND
240
PARTIES
p 230 ABOVE & BEYOND
242 GORILLA,
14
FALL 2010
RIChARd bRAnSOn declares war on
gLObAL WARmIng
ISAbELLA ROSSELLInI
218
magaz i n e
fOR ThE EARTh
ALTERNATIVE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS 212 HIGH-ALTITUDE LUXURY IN PERU 214 NATURAL WINE 216 GREEN RESTAURANT ROUNDUP
p. 222
INTERRUPTED
Lessons in seduction
LAUREn bUSh Secret Garden
KAThLEEn KEnnEdY Born to make things better £5
$ 10
ISSN 1747932
04
LILY COLE and the wolves
ZAO WOU-KI The nature of art
ECOSEXUAL REVOLUTIOn
by Stefanie Iris Weiss
WhY WE nEEd bEES by Summer Rayne Oakes
bOULdER, COLORAdO A day in eco -paradise
ThE AbOVE gUIdE
Art, beauty, travel, food, fashion, cars, books, films...
9 771747 932015
On the cover: RICHARD BRANSON Photographed by ANTOINE VERGLAS.
CONTENTS p. 200
p. 206
p. 208
p. 214
STRATOSPHERE
ABOVE GUIDE
ABOVE & AWARE
ART
188
PETRO-PAYBACK
206
EXHIBITIONS
ABOVE SOLUTIONS
TRAVEL & EATING
190
GEOENGINEERING
208
BUSINESS & INVESTING
192
WEALTH FROM WASTE
ABOVE THE FRAY
194
WHY I SAIL
196 ABOVE THE SHEETS
THE ECOSEXUAL REVOLUTION
ABOVE TRAVEL
198
CARBON OFFSETS FOR FLYING
SECRET GARDEN
200
LAUREN BUSH
BEAUTY
BEAUTY NEWS 220 BEAUTY SELECTION 222 CHANEL: BACKSTORY OF AN INGREDIENT 224 STAR PERFUMER OLIVIA GIACOBETTI SHOPPING
FASHION NEWS 228 JEANS 230 ECO GEEK 234 TANZANITE JEWELLERY 236 WATCHES 238 DVDS 239 BOOKS 226
ABOVE & AROUND
240
PARTIES
p 230 ABOVE & BEYOND
242 GORILLA,
14
FALL 2010
RIChARd bRAnSOn declares war on
gLObAL WARmIng
ISAbELLA ROSSELLInI
218
magaz i n e
fOR ThE EARTh
ALTERNATIVE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS 212 HIGH-ALTITUDE LUXURY IN PERU 214 NATURAL WINE 216 GREEN RESTAURANT ROUNDUP
p. 222
INTERRUPTED
Lessons in seduction
LAUREn bUSh Secret Garden
KAThLEEn KEnnEdY Born to make things better £5
$ 10
ISSN 1747932
04
LILY COLE and the wolves
ZAO WOU-KI The nature of art
ECOSEXUAL REVOLUTIOn
by Stefanie Iris Weiss
WhY WE nEEd bEES by Summer Rayne Oakes
bOULdER, COLORAdO A day in eco -paradise
ThE AbOVE gUIdE
Art, beauty, travel, food, fashion, cars, books, films...
9 771747 932015
On the cover: RICHARD BRANSON Photographed by ANTOINE VERGLAS.
VIEW FROM ABOVE
CRUDE LOGIC Photo ©JIRI REZAC/GREENPEACE Aerial view of Syncrude Aurora mine in the boreal forest north of Fort McMurray, 07/20/2009.
The oil company that rechristened itself Beyond Petroleum got where it is today by taking risks – Boldly Poking its bits where other oil companies feared to drill. One place BP didn’t go was the Athabasca Oil Sands, the world’s largest remaining reservoir of bitumen (semi-solid crude). But in 2007 the company announced a change of plan, and began processing bitumen from the Athabasca Oil Sands at its refinery in Toledo, Ohio. “This development is needed to meet the world’s growing demand for energy and we believe BP can do it in an environmentally sustainable way,” said BP spokesperson Toby Odone last February. Environmentally sustainable? Hmmm. If you visit this area in northeastern Alberta, Canada, you’ll be greeted by open-pit mines, clear-cut forest, toxin-filled air and polluted waterways. Waste-filled pools – “tailings ponds” – stretch for 50 square kilometres and are visible from space. BP is just one of many oil companies feverishly turning this area of the world into what Greenpeace calls “hell on Earth”, but maybe – just maybe – BP’s involvement will provoke a second look at the “sustainability” of mining operations here. We have only to remember the Blatant Prevarications of BP chief Tony Hay ward, who informed us of the “modest” impact from the Deepwater Horizon debacle: “The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean, and the volume of oil we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total volume of water.” The boreal forest of Alberta is pretty big, too, but not big enough to withstand a sustained assault by Big Polluters. – RANDALL KORAL
22
ABOVE MAGAZINE
FALL 2010
23
VIEW FROM ABOVE
CRUDE LOGIC Photo ©JIRI REZAC/GREENPEACE Aerial view of Syncrude Aurora mine in the boreal forest north of Fort McMurray, 07/20/2009.
The oil company that rechristened itself Beyond Petroleum got where it is today by taking risks – Boldly Poking its bits where other oil companies feared to drill. One place BP didn’t go was the Athabasca Oil Sands, the world’s largest remaining reservoir of bitumen (semi-solid crude). But in 2007 the company announced a change of plan, and began processing bitumen from the Athabasca Oil Sands at its refinery in Toledo, Ohio. “This development is needed to meet the world’s growing demand for energy and we believe BP can do it in an environmentally sustainable way,” said BP spokesperson Toby Odone last February. Environmentally sustainable? Hmmm. If you visit this area in northeastern Alberta, Canada, you’ll be greeted by open-pit mines, clear-cut forest, toxin-filled air and polluted waterways. Waste-filled pools – “tailings ponds” – stretch for 50 square kilometres and are visible from space. BP is just one of many oil companies feverishly turning this area of the world into what Greenpeace calls “hell on Earth”, but maybe – just maybe – BP’s involvement will provoke a second look at the “sustainability” of mining operations here. We have only to remember the Blatant Prevarications of BP chief Tony Hay ward, who informed us of the “modest” impact from the Deepwater Horizon debacle: “The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean, and the volume of oil we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total volume of water.” The boreal forest of Alberta is pretty big, too, but not big enough to withstand a sustained assault by Big Polluters. – RANDALL KORAL
22
ABOVE MAGAZINE
FALL 2010
23
ABOVE SURFACE / ECO ADVENTURER
ABOVE SURFACE / ECO ADVENTURER
‘Everywhere we looked we could see little flecks and pieces of plastic ...’
comments and 10 people telling you how to fix it.
ABOVE:
ABOVE: How was the sleep deprivation?
DDR:
I have spent the last three months being up every three hours. I spend a lot of time looking at stars – it is magical at night because all the sea life comes out. DDR:
ABOVE:
Your favourite crew moment?
We have these life jackets that are hydrostatic which explode when they come into contact with water. Once this happened to Max. He was standing having a pee over the side of the boat with his trousers down, and a huge wave came over him and his life jacket just burst open. It was pretty funny – his head barely poking out of the top of his life jacket, half-strangled, walking round the boat with his dick out, shouting, ‘Will someone please help me!’ Put your dick away and then I’ll help you! DDR:
ABOVE: What’s the closest you’ve come
to an emergency?
Text LAETITIA CASH Photo LUCA BABINI Special thanks to KATIE TILLEKE
ABOVE: You’ve now crossed nearly the
entire South Pacific, with just ten days to go before docking in Sydney [25th July]. How are you feeling?
Arriving in New Caledonia has been a culture shock. I sat to have dinner with the crew the first night here and we were looking at
DDR:
40
ABOVE MAGAZINE
each other saying we are back in civilisation – everyday life – with WiFi and air-conditioned buildings.
it’s winter here, getting into Sydney is going to be nigh impossible because of the way the headwinds come into Sydney Harbour.
Sydney, could be the most dangerous.
ABOVE: You’ve said the 1950s Kontiki expedition was the inspiration for Plastiki – how would you say the two expeditions differ?
We are heading off in a very treacherous time in some ways. As
DDR: I would have liked to mimic the remoteness of the Kontiki
ABOVE: I hear the last leg of the journey, to DDR:
The four main items ending up in our oceans are plastic bags, styrofoam cups, styrofoam containers, and plastic bottles that [the Plastiki is] using for flotation, as a symbol of reuse. First and foremost this is a story about the vitality of our oceans and the misuse of our oceans. We have used the depths of our oceans as a landfill. When we were half way across the Pacific, a thousand miles from any major landmads, it was a low-wind day and we decided to drop the sails and launch ourselves into the deep blue. We were swimming around and pretty much everywhere we looked we could see little flecks and pieces of plastic – you could push your hand in front of your face and capture these little pieces of plastic floating sub-surface. This pollution is a kind of soup of plastic that lives in the life layer.
Under the auspices of his Adventure Ecology project, David de Rothschild set sail on the Plastiki in March 2010, partly to generate new thinking about recycling plastic as a multi-use, valuable resource. The 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles in the hull of the 20-metre catamaran are filled with dry ice, providing 70% of the Plastiki’s buoyoncy. The mast is reclaimed aluminium irrigation pipe, and the sail handmade from recycled PET plastic. During the Pacific crossing, the Plastiki’s six-man crew desalinated seawater for drinking, and they used solar and windturbine power which enabled them to tweet and blog their adventure.
DDR:
ALMOST ASHORE — DAVID DE ROTHSCHILD stops off in New Caledonia before the final leg of his Plastiki journey.
One of the biggest things to worry about is someone falling overboard. If you fall overboard it’s basically death, because we don’t have an engine so it’s very hard to turn the boat around and you lose someone very quickly.
What do you think about dealing with the consequences of 100 years of plastic waste?
expedition but I think nowadays exploration is much more about understanding and sharing the exploring with a community that is immersed in that. What has been extraordinary and inspiring has been the instantaneous flow of feedback. If something happens, like the headsail rips and you tweet, within 15 minutes you walk back inside and you have got 20 people writing
There have been moments when the seascape has picked up and there have been massive waves crashing down on the vessel, and it would be unnatural if it didn’t cross your mind – the “what ifs” – but actually you are so consumed by the moment, the “what ifs” disappear very quickly.
ABOVE: How bad do you believe humanity’s relationship with nature has become? DDR: I do believe there are solutions to the problems we are facing today, but because our system is tied to our economy we are not going to solve these problems in a hurry. By cutting down trees, by creating vast waste and pollution for short-term profit, we are now paying the price of raiding the larder. The only way is to replace the old system with new economic incentives. www.theplastiki.com
FALL 2010
41
ABOVE SURFACE / ECO ADVENTURER
ABOVE SURFACE / ECO ADVENTURER
‘Everywhere we looked we could see little flecks and pieces of plastic ...’
comments and 10 people telling you how to fix it.
ABOVE:
ABOVE: How was the sleep deprivation?
DDR:
I have spent the last three months being up every three hours. I spend a lot of time looking at stars – it is magical at night because all the sea life comes out. DDR:
ABOVE:
Your favourite crew moment?
We have these life jackets that are hydrostatic which explode when they come into contact with water. Once this happened to Max. He was standing having a pee over the side of the boat with his trousers down, and a huge wave came over him and his life jacket just burst open. It was pretty funny – his head barely poking out of the top of his life jacket, half-strangled, walking round the boat with his dick out, shouting, ‘Will someone please help me!’ Put your dick away and then I’ll help you! DDR:
ABOVE: What’s the closest you’ve come
to an emergency?
Text LAETITIA CASH Photo LUCA BABINI Special thanks to KATIE TILLEKE
ABOVE: You’ve now crossed nearly the
entire South Pacific, with just ten days to go before docking in Sydney [25th July]. How are you feeling?
Arriving in New Caledonia has been a culture shock. I sat to have dinner with the crew the first night here and we were looking at
DDR:
40
ABOVE MAGAZINE
each other saying we are back in civilisation – everyday life – with WiFi and air-conditioned buildings.
it’s winter here, getting into Sydney is going to be nigh impossible because of the way the headwinds come into Sydney Harbour.
Sydney, could be the most dangerous.
ABOVE: You’ve said the 1950s Kontiki expedition was the inspiration for Plastiki – how would you say the two expeditions differ?
We are heading off in a very treacherous time in some ways. As
DDR: I would have liked to mimic the remoteness of the Kontiki
ABOVE: I hear the last leg of the journey, to DDR:
The four main items ending up in our oceans are plastic bags, styrofoam cups, styrofoam containers, and plastic bottles that [the Plastiki is] using for flotation, as a symbol of reuse. First and foremost this is a story about the vitality of our oceans and the misuse of our oceans. We have used the depths of our oceans as a landfill. When we were half way across the Pacific, a thousand miles from any major landmads, it was a low-wind day and we decided to drop the sails and launch ourselves into the deep blue. We were swimming around and pretty much everywhere we looked we could see little flecks and pieces of plastic – you could push your hand in front of your face and capture these little pieces of plastic floating sub-surface. This pollution is a kind of soup of plastic that lives in the life layer.
Under the auspices of his Adventure Ecology project, David de Rothschild set sail on the Plastiki in March 2010, partly to generate new thinking about recycling plastic as a multi-use, valuable resource. The 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles in the hull of the 20-metre catamaran are filled with dry ice, providing 70% of the Plastiki’s buoyoncy. The mast is reclaimed aluminium irrigation pipe, and the sail handmade from recycled PET plastic. During the Pacific crossing, the Plastiki’s six-man crew desalinated seawater for drinking, and they used solar and windturbine power which enabled them to tweet and blog their adventure.
DDR:
ALMOST ASHORE — DAVID DE ROTHSCHILD stops off in New Caledonia before the final leg of his Plastiki journey.
One of the biggest things to worry about is someone falling overboard. If you fall overboard it’s basically death, because we don’t have an engine so it’s very hard to turn the boat around and you lose someone very quickly.
What do you think about dealing with the consequences of 100 years of plastic waste?
expedition but I think nowadays exploration is much more about understanding and sharing the exploring with a community that is immersed in that. What has been extraordinary and inspiring has been the instantaneous flow of feedback. If something happens, like the headsail rips and you tweet, within 15 minutes you walk back inside and you have got 20 people writing
There have been moments when the seascape has picked up and there have been massive waves crashing down on the vessel, and it would be unnatural if it didn’t cross your mind – the “what ifs” – but actually you are so consumed by the moment, the “what ifs” disappear very quickly.
ABOVE: How bad do you believe humanity’s relationship with nature has become? DDR: I do believe there are solutions to the problems we are facing today, but because our system is tied to our economy we are not going to solve these problems in a hurry. By cutting down trees, by creating vast waste and pollution for short-term profit, we are now paying the price of raiding the larder. The only way is to replace the old system with new economic incentives. www.theplastiki.com
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ABOVE surface / ART peeks
ABOVE surface / ART peeks
Turbulent Landscapes — NED KAHN, builder of tornadoes and maelstroms, harnesses the hidden powers of nature for his art. Working with sand, light, water, wind and even fire, Ned Kahn likes to describe his installations as “turbulent landscapes”. My own fascination with his art began in the 1980s, when I saw Kahn’s now famous Tornado at San Francisco’s Exploratorium. The gyrating vortex of fog, three metres high, looked like a prop from The Wizard of Oz. Kahn, 50, majored in Botany and Environmental Science at the University of Chicago, and went on to become an artist-in-residence at the Exploratorium, but left the museum in 1996 to pursue his own vision. It was a smart move. He was soon collaborating with some of the world’s greatest architects, integrating his environmental sculpture into buildings, science museums, public 42
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parks, and waterfronts. In 2003, Kahn was awarded a MacArthur “Genius” grant. Today he works in his northern California studio, a realm of high-concept clutter that looks like a salvage yard for spaceship parts. “What draws me to turbulence,” reflects Kahn, “is the fact that, in many cases, it’s beautiful.” His current direction is toward installations that are both beautiful and useful: misting towers, soaring shade structures, and inventive, aesthetic wind turbines integrated directly into buildings. “Wind turbines are a great interest of mine,” says Kahn. “There’s a lot of backlash against wind power; people think it’s ugly and noisy and kills birds. I think there’s a potential
for me to help change peoples’ attitudes, and show that you can do it in beautiful and interesting ways.” Wind is only one of the under-used resources that interest him. In Kahn’s design linking San Francisco’s new City Park and Transit Center, the motion of arriving buses will animate a series of water fountains. And he recently proposed a project to illuminate a Texas bridge with vibration harnessers built into the roadway. “The idea is to take the movement of traffic itself,” he explains, “and convert it into light.” Though Kahn’s tools are growing more complex, his core fascination remains simple: creating works that reveal the miraculous but often invisible forces at play around us – or, as he puts it, “Trying to focus peoples’ awareness on just how wonderful and mysterious the physical world really is.” FALL 2010
Text Jeff Greenwald Photography Ned khan studios
Top: Prism Tunnel, Children’s Garden, Huntington Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California, 2004. Walk through a tunnel illuminated by intricate patterns of coloured light from diffraction gratings in the ceiling. The patterns change with the time of day and the seasons. Left. Fire Vortex, Technorama, Winterthur, Switzerland, 1997. Suspended in a dark atrium of the museum, a series of fans and blowers creates a 6 metre tall vortex of swirling fire over a pool of burning kerosene.
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ABOVE surface / ART peeks
ABOVE surface / ART peeks
Turbulent Landscapes — NED KAHN, builder of tornadoes and maelstroms, harnesses the hidden powers of nature for his art. Working with sand, light, water, wind and even fire, Ned Kahn likes to describe his installations as “turbulent landscapes”. My own fascination with his art began in the 1980s, when I saw Kahn’s now famous Tornado at San Francisco’s Exploratorium. The gyrating vortex of fog, three metres high, looked like a prop from The Wizard of Oz. Kahn, 50, majored in Botany and Environmental Science at the University of Chicago, and went on to become an artist-in-residence at the Exploratorium, but left the museum in 1996 to pursue his own vision. It was a smart move. He was soon collaborating with some of the world’s greatest architects, integrating his environmental sculpture into buildings, science museums, public 42
above MAGAZINE
parks, and waterfronts. In 2003, Kahn was awarded a MacArthur “Genius” grant. Today he works in his northern California studio, a realm of high-concept clutter that looks like a salvage yard for spaceship parts. “What draws me to turbulence,” reflects Kahn, “is the fact that, in many cases, it’s beautiful.” His current direction is toward installations that are both beautiful and useful: misting towers, soaring shade structures, and inventive, aesthetic wind turbines integrated directly into buildings. “Wind turbines are a great interest of mine,” says Kahn. “There’s a lot of backlash against wind power; people think it’s ugly and noisy and kills birds. I think there’s a potential
for me to help change peoples’ attitudes, and show that you can do it in beautiful and interesting ways.” Wind is only one of the under-used resources that interest him. In Kahn’s design linking San Francisco’s new City Park and Transit Center, the motion of arriving buses will animate a series of water fountains. And he recently proposed a project to illuminate a Texas bridge with vibration harnessers built into the roadway. “The idea is to take the movement of traffic itself,” he explains, “and convert it into light.” Though Kahn’s tools are growing more complex, his core fascination remains simple: creating works that reveal the miraculous but often invisible forces at play around us – or, as he puts it, “Trying to focus peoples’ awareness on just how wonderful and mysterious the physical world really is.” FALL 2010
Text Jeff Greenwald Photography Ned khan studios
Top: Prism Tunnel, Children’s Garden, Huntington Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California, 2004. Walk through a tunnel illuminated by intricate patterns of coloured light from diffraction gratings in the ceiling. The patterns change with the time of day and the seasons. Left. Fire Vortex, Technorama, Winterthur, Switzerland, 1997. Suspended in a dark atrium of the museum, a series of fans and blowers creates a 6 metre tall vortex of swirling fire over a pool of burning kerosene.
43
green KNIGHT
Sir
Richa�d to the
�escue — From hippie entrepreneur in the ‘60s to eco warrior turning 60, Richard Branson discusses his determination to fight the Green fight. By Lisa Shields Photography Antoine Verglas
Photo Assistant CHRIS EWERS With special thanks to Clayton Haskell
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green KNIGHT
Sir
Richa�d to the
�escue — From hippie entrepreneur in the ‘60s to eco warrior turning 60, Richard Branson discusses his determination to fight the Green fight. By Lisa Shields Photography Antoine Verglas
Photo Assistant CHRIS EWERS With special thanks to Clayton Haskell
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portrait
KICK STARTS
— Politics or journalism are likely career options for recent university graduate Kathleen ‘Kick’ Kennedy. Retreating to the ‘comfort zone’ isn’t. By SEAN ELDER Photography CHLOE CRESPI Stylist LEILA WOLFORD Hair & Make up KYRA DORMAN Photo Assistant KEVIN KERR Video Justin Holmes
I
kind of grew up on the water, whether it was the ocean by the Cape, or the Hudson River, or the Potomac.” The speaker is Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, the eldest daughter of environmental activist Robert Kennedy Jr. “I can’t think of another family that goes waterskiing on the Hudson, in the New York City area. We’ve always been close to the water.”
Today we are in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, closer to the East River than the Hudson, but most of the water is in the air. Though summer has just begun, New York’s famous humidity has conspired with the heat to smother the city in a sulky hot blanket of oppressive air. After meeting in a café she suggests we repair to the apartment she has been sharing with some friends since leaving Stanford a few weeks ago. It is a classic Williamsburg flat – freshly made art on the walls, shelves teeming with books.
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Because of her father’s involvement with Riverkeeper (an organisation dedicated to the protection of New York-area rivers) and the Waterkeeper Alliance (a global version with a similar mission) Kennedy has been knee-deep in water all her life. She accompanied dad and Canadian anthropologist Wade Davis on a whitewater-rafting trip through the Grand Canyon in 2008 (their journey was captured in the Imax film Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk) but her acquaintance with the wet stuff began at her papa’s knee. “I’m pretty sure he taught me to swim by throwing me off the dock on the Cape and yelling, ‘Swim!’” she says. “And I think it worked. I was the youngest kid in our family to learn how to swim.
s
“I’ve been hearing about environmental problems since before I can remember,” says Kennedy, who got the nickname Kick from her great aunt Kathleen,
the high-spirited sister of John and Bobby who was killed in a plane crash in 1948. “I definitely knew a lot more about it before Green became chic. Something happened ten years ago where all of a sudden it became very cool to be an environmentalist. Then all of a sudden these problems seemed so obvious, but they were going on way before Vanity Fair had a Green issue.”
Shirt Camilla Norrback
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portrait
KICK STARTS
— Politics or journalism are likely career options for recent university graduate Kathleen ‘Kick’ Kennedy. Retreating to the ‘comfort zone’ isn’t. By SEAN ELDER Photography CHLOE CRESPI Stylist LEILA WOLFORD Hair & Make up KYRA DORMAN Photo Assistant KEVIN KERR Video Justin Holmes
I
kind of grew up on the water, whether it was the ocean by the Cape, or the Hudson River, or the Potomac.” The speaker is Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, the eldest daughter of environmental activist Robert Kennedy Jr. “I can’t think of another family that goes waterskiing on the Hudson, in the New York City area. We’ve always been close to the water.”
Today we are in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, closer to the East River than the Hudson, but most of the water is in the air. Though summer has just begun, New York’s famous humidity has conspired with the heat to smother the city in a sulky hot blanket of oppressive air. After meeting in a café she suggests we repair to the apartment she has been sharing with some friends since leaving Stanford a few weeks ago. It is a classic Williamsburg flat – freshly made art on the walls, shelves teeming with books.
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Because of her father’s involvement with Riverkeeper (an organisation dedicated to the protection of New York-area rivers) and the Waterkeeper Alliance (a global version with a similar mission) Kennedy has been knee-deep in water all her life. She accompanied dad and Canadian anthropologist Wade Davis on a whitewater-rafting trip through the Grand Canyon in 2008 (their journey was captured in the Imax film Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk) but her acquaintance with the wet stuff began at her papa’s knee. “I’m pretty sure he taught me to swim by throwing me off the dock on the Cape and yelling, ‘Swim!’” she says. “And I think it worked. I was the youngest kid in our family to learn how to swim.
s
“I’ve been hearing about environmental problems since before I can remember,” says Kennedy, who got the nickname Kick from her great aunt Kathleen,
the high-spirited sister of John and Bobby who was killed in a plane crash in 1948. “I definitely knew a lot more about it before Green became chic. Something happened ten years ago where all of a sudden it became very cool to be an environmentalist. Then all of a sudden these problems seemed so obvious, but they were going on way before Vanity Fair had a Green issue.”
Shirt Camilla Norrback
FALL 2010
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FAUNA
QUEEN bee FO� A DAY — Above’s editor-at-large rubs shoulders (and antennae) with some A-list bees in Punta Cana By SUMMER RAYNE OAKES Photography EDWIN TSE Photo assistant STEPHANIE ANNE PETERSON Video CLAYTON HASKELL, ICG Environment director JAKE KHEEL
With special thanks to PUNTACANA RESORT & CLUB, Pedro Julio Del Castillo, Francisco Javier Reyes Guerrero, Miguel Mustafa 88
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FAUNA
QUEEN bee FO� A DAY — Above’s editor-at-large rubs shoulders (and antennae) with some A-list bees in Punta Cana By SUMMER RAYNE OAKES Photography EDWIN TSE Photo assistant STEPHANIE ANNE PETERSON Video CLAYTON HASKELL, ICG Environment director JAKE KHEEL
With special thanks to PUNTACANA RESORT & CLUB, Pedro Julio Del Castillo, Francisco Javier Reyes Guerrero, Miguel Mustafa 88
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highland tale Featuring LILY COLE
— The last wild wolf vanished from Scotland in the 18th century. The wolves on these pages had just come for a visit, but they help us to imagine the past ... and perhaps a future where they’ll roam the Scottish Highlands once more.
Photography Olaf Wipperfürth Stylist Lilly Marthe Ebener Make up Niamh Quinn Hair John Chapman Photo assistant Troels Jepsen Stylist assistant Sandra Philiponet Video LEANDER WARD LILY COLE is represented by STORM MODELS
With special thanks to LARISSA GIERS, NOELLE DOUKAS and PAULA KARAISKOS @ Storm Model Management, LAETITIA CASH, JIM CLUBB, NATALIE DAOUD, JULIA ROGER 10 8
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highland tale Featuring LILY COLE
— The last wild wolf vanished from Scotland in the 18th century. The wolves on these pages had just come for a visit, but they help us to imagine the past ... and perhaps a future where they’ll roam the Scottish Highlands once more.
Photography Olaf Wipperfürth Stylist Lilly Marthe Ebener Make up Niamh Quinn Hair John Chapman Photo assistant Troels Jepsen Stylist assistant Sandra Philiponet Video LEANDER WARD LILY COLE is represented by STORM MODELS
With special thanks to LARISSA GIERS, NOELLE DOUKAS and PAULA KARAISKOS @ Storm Model Management, LAETITIA CASH, JIM CLUBB, NATALIE DAOUD, JULIA ROGER 10 8
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Pullover Dries van Noten Rain cape Christopher Raeburn
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Pullover Dries van Noten Rain cape Christopher Raeburn
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Cities of the Future
Boulde�, Colorado — In case you were expecting a sleepy little town in the Rockies, Boulder is something very different – and very, very Green. By ELI GOTTLIEB
Photography ANNEMARIEKE VAN DRIMMELEN Stylist DIMPHY DEN OTTER Model ANNE-MARIE VAN DIJK Hair & Makeup SIDDHARTHA BEKERS Photo assistant WESLEE FERGUSON
Special thanks to VALERIE KNORR, ST JULIEN HOTEL & SPA, BOULDER, CO
14 0
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Oversized shirt Maison Martin Margiela FALL 2010
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Cities of the Future
Boulde�, Colorado — In case you were expecting a sleepy little town in the Rockies, Boulder is something very different – and very, very Green. By ELI GOTTLIEB
Photography ANNEMARIEKE VAN DRIMMELEN Stylist DIMPHY DEN OTTER Model ANNE-MARIE VAN DIJK Hair & Makeup SIDDHARTHA BEKERS Photo assistant WESLEE FERGUSON
Special thanks to VALERIE KNORR, ST JULIEN HOTEL & SPA, BOULDER, CO
14 0
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Oversized shirt Maison Martin Margiela FALL 2010
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art
Zao Wou-Ki and the Nature of A�t — Do the great Chinese* master’s renowned abstract paintings depict Nature? Or are they Nature’s way of revealing something more profound? By ELIZABETH UPPER Photography GILLES BENSIMON Photo assistant MAYA ZARDI
16 6
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FALL 2010
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With special thanks to YANN HENDGEN, MRS ZAO, RACHEL BRENNECKE Art portfolio: ©Archives Zao Wou Ki, Paris, France *Zao Wou Ki, who was born in China, acquired French Nationality in 1964
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art
Zao Wou-Ki and the Nature of A�t — Do the great Chinese* master’s renowned abstract paintings depict Nature? Or are they Nature’s way of revealing something more profound? By ELIZABETH UPPER Photography GILLES BENSIMON Photo assistant MAYA ZARDI
16 6
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FALL 2010
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With special thanks to YANN HENDGEN, MRS ZAO, RACHEL BRENNECKE Art portfolio: ©Archives Zao Wou Ki, Paris, France *Zao Wou Ki, who was born in China, acquired French Nationality in 1964
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Above stratosphere / secret garden
Positive Feedback — Lauren Bush may like to lounge among the spruce trees in a New York City park, but she's not resting on her laurels. Text JILL BROOKE Photography Martien Mulder Stylist APRIL HUGHES Hair and Make-up YUKO MIZUNO Photo assitants adrien porter, yvonne sparber Video Amilcar Gomes With special thanks to Roger WebsteR
L
auren Bush doesn’t need to dash to Cannes or Kennebunkport, Maine to find an oasis of calm. She's happy to make do with a quick hit of green in a little park along the Westside Highway. The spruce and hydrangeas here do a better job of restoring her spirits than a double shot of espresso, she says. “I love being in nature. I really need it, because life can get so busy.” On a fairly typical day this past summer, the 26-yearold model and designer breezed through the crowd at The East Side Social Club, the hot New York restaurant owned by her photographer pal Patrick McMullan, during a lunch in her honour sponsored by Dior Beauty. Among the guests were designer Nicole Miller, Tinsley Mortimer, Patricia Duff, Cristina Greeven Cuomo and Dylan Lauren, of Dylan’s Candy store, who is also the sister of Bush’s long-time boyfriend, David Lauren. They had all come together to commend Bush for selling more than 550,000 bags – not Dior handbags with gold buckles, but burlap shoulder sacks emblazoned with the word FEED. Bush’s FEED Bags, as they’re called, exist at the intersection of glamour and philanthropy, and they’ve become wildly popular. “Every time someone buys one of these bags, a donation is given to the UN World Food Program,” Bush declares proudly. Her goal: “creating good products to feed the earth.” Each FEED bag has a number on it that signifies the donation made. A FEED 1 bag will feed one child for a year. A FEED 100 bag provides 100 meals.
T-shirt Lauren Pierce Jeans her own Fabrics Lauren Pierce Bag Feed Projects
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Bush runs FEED Projects with Ellen Gustafson, her friend and former roommate. The two were drawn together in 2007 by the United Nations World Food Program – Bush was honorary spokesperson, Gustafson a UN communications officer. “Lauren comes up with creative solutions to problems, which is i mpressive,” says Gustafson. Lauren had been a student ambassador for the WFP while she was still an anthropology student
Above stratosphere / secret garden
Positive Feedback — Lauren Bush may like to lounge among the spruce trees in a New York City park, but she's not resting on her laurels. Text JILL BROOKE Photography Martien Mulder Stylist APRIL HUGHES Hair and Make-up YUKO MIZUNO Photo assitants adrien porter, yvonne sparber Video Amilcar Gomes With special thanks to Roger WebsteR
L
auren Bush doesn’t need to dash to Cannes or Kennebunkport, Maine to find an oasis of calm. She's happy to make do with a quick hit of green in a little park along the Westside Highway. The spruce and hydrangeas here do a better job of restoring her spirits than a double shot of espresso, she says. “I love being in nature. I really need it, because life can get so busy.” On a fairly typical day this past summer, the 26-yearold model and designer breezed through the crowd at The East Side Social Club, the hot New York restaurant owned by her photographer pal Patrick McMullan, during a lunch in her honour sponsored by Dior Beauty. Among the guests were designer Nicole Miller, Tinsley Mortimer, Patricia Duff, Cristina Greeven Cuomo and Dylan Lauren, of Dylan’s Candy store, who is also the sister of Bush’s long-time boyfriend, David Lauren. They had all come together to commend Bush for selling more than 550,000 bags – not Dior handbags with gold buckles, but burlap shoulder sacks emblazoned with the word FEED. Bush’s FEED Bags, as they’re called, exist at the intersection of glamour and philanthropy, and they’ve become wildly popular. “Every time someone buys one of these bags, a donation is given to the UN World Food Program,” Bush declares proudly. Her goal: “creating good products to feed the earth.” Each FEED bag has a number on it that signifies the donation made. A FEED 1 bag will feed one child for a year. A FEED 100 bag provides 100 meals.
T-shirt Lauren Pierce Jeans her own Fabrics Lauren Pierce Bag Feed Projects
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s
200
Bush runs FEED Projects with Ellen Gustafson, her friend and former roommate. The two were drawn together in 2007 by the United Nations World Food Program – Bush was honorary spokesperson, Gustafson a UN communications officer. “Lauren comes up with creative solutions to problems, which is i mpressive,” says Gustafson. Lauren had been a student ambassador for the WFP while she was still an anthropology student
Above guide / travel & food
Developing Alternatives — Instead of heading to familiar shores, why not chart a new course and put your travel budget where it will do some real good?
1.
E
very year, Ethical Traveler, a California-based non-profit run by Above contributor Jeff Greenwald, reviews every developing country on Earth and highlights those that are making the most comendable attempts to preserve their natural assets, support basic human rights, and build an economy where their own citizens (as opposed to multinational corporations) reap the bounty of tourist revenue. The suggestions below were culled from the countries that made Ethical Traveler’s 2010 list. All are terrific vacation spots with an added value: by visiting such places we reward their inspiring efforts.
Argentina
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Belize Almost a third of this Central American nation is protected reserves, and new laws guarantee the health and safety of the world’s second largest barrier reef. With its magnificent rainforests and fantastic scuba diving, Belize is one of the New World’s most user-friendly destinations. Francis Ford Coppola’s Blancaneaux Lodge Spacious two-bedroom villas rise from the jungle in the famous
filmmaker’s luxury eco-resort. www.coppolaresorts.com Hidden Valley Inn Set on a 2,900-hectare private reserve in the Mountain Pine Ridge area, this award-winning eco-lodge allows guests to reserve their own waterfall for the day. www.hiddenvalleyinn.com
Chile Ranging from high-desert landscapes (so austere they are used by NASA as Mars training grounds) to the towering peaks of Patagonia, Chile is a land of immense variety and some of the most forward-looking environmental initiatives in South America. Recent examples reach as far as Easter Island, where local communities are being trained in eco-tourism practices. Alto Atacama This world-class eco-resort, a serene, water-savvy oasis in the otherworldy Atacama desert, features an on-site spa and private pools for guests. www.altoatacama.com
Suite Domes, EcoCamp Patagonia Appreciate the immensity
of the stunning Torres del Paine National Park from the comfort of your wood stove-heated geodesic dome. Activities in this low-impact resort include trekking, hiking, horseback riding and fauna observation trips. www.cascada.travel/places Posada de Mike Rapu, Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Situated on a hill with spectacular ocean views, this energy-efficient eco-lodge offers guided day hikes and talks by local experts on the remote island’s cultural and natural history. www.explora.com
Ghana A jewel of democracy and human rights in Africa, Ghana is a great place to learn how fascinating and friendly West Africa can be. Traditional art, culture and dance are the highlights, along with abundant wildlife, from hippos to exotic butterflies. It may lack the luxury resorts of more FALL 2010
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s
This horn-shaped country holds a cornucopia of riches, with vast national parks and eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. From the tango clubs of Buenos Aires to the thundering Iguazu Falls, Argentina has demonstrated a passion for preserving its cultural and environmental treasures.
Eco-Camp Patagonia Located near the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier – a high-point of Patagonia travel – this active resort’s low-impact geodesic structures can be easily removed in the future, leaving no trace. www.ecocamp-patagonia.com Casa Calma Wellness Hotel This serene retreat in the lively urban environment of Buenos Aires offers an on-site eco-spa, and fresh, organic cuisine in a cafe surrounded by a vertical garden. www.casacalma.com.ar
2.
Above guide / travel & food
Developing Alternatives — Instead of heading to familiar shores, why not chart a new course and put your travel budget where it will do some real good?
1.
E
very year, Ethical Traveler, a California-based non-profit run by Above contributor Jeff Greenwald, reviews every developing country on Earth and highlights those that are making the most comendable attempts to preserve their natural assets, support basic human rights, and build an economy where their own citizens (as opposed to multinational corporations) reap the bounty of tourist revenue. The suggestions below were culled from the countries that made Ethical Traveler’s 2010 list. All are terrific vacation spots with an added value: by visiting such places we reward their inspiring efforts.
Argentina
208
above MAGAZINE
Belize Almost a third of this Central American nation is protected reserves, and new laws guarantee the health and safety of the world’s second largest barrier reef. With its magnificent rainforests and fantastic scuba diving, Belize is one of the New World’s most user-friendly destinations. Francis Ford Coppola’s Blancaneaux Lodge Spacious two-bedroom villas rise from the jungle in the famous
filmmaker’s luxury eco-resort. www.coppolaresorts.com Hidden Valley Inn Set on a 2,900-hectare private reserve in the Mountain Pine Ridge area, this award-winning eco-lodge allows guests to reserve their own waterfall for the day. www.hiddenvalleyinn.com
Chile Ranging from high-desert landscapes (so austere they are used by NASA as Mars training grounds) to the towering peaks of Patagonia, Chile is a land of immense variety and some of the most forward-looking environmental initiatives in South America. Recent examples reach as far as Easter Island, where local communities are being trained in eco-tourism practices. Alto Atacama This world-class eco-resort, a serene, water-savvy oasis in the otherworldy Atacama desert, features an on-site spa and private pools for guests. www.altoatacama.com
Suite Domes, EcoCamp Patagonia Appreciate the immensity
of the stunning Torres del Paine National Park from the comfort of your wood stove-heated geodesic dome. Activities in this low-impact resort include trekking, hiking, horseback riding and fauna observation trips. www.cascada.travel/places Posada de Mike Rapu, Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Situated on a hill with spectacular ocean views, this energy-efficient eco-lodge offers guided day hikes and talks by local experts on the remote island’s cultural and natural history. www.explora.com
Ghana A jewel of democracy and human rights in Africa, Ghana is a great place to learn how fascinating and friendly West Africa can be. Traditional art, culture and dance are the highlights, along with abundant wildlife, from hippos to exotic butterflies. It may lack the luxury resorts of more FALL 2010
209
s
This horn-shaped country holds a cornucopia of riches, with vast national parks and eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. From the tango clubs of Buenos Aires to the thundering Iguazu Falls, Argentina has demonstrated a passion for preserving its cultural and environmental treasures.
Eco-Camp Patagonia Located near the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier – a high-point of Patagonia travel – this active resort’s low-impact geodesic structures can be easily removed in the future, leaving no trace. www.ecocamp-patagonia.com Casa Calma Wellness Hotel This serene retreat in the lively urban environment of Buenos Aires offers an on-site eco-spa, and fresh, organic cuisine in a cafe surrounded by a vertical garden. www.casacalma.com.ar
2.
ABOVE SHOPPING GUIDE / BEAUTY
Dry Spell — Put some sense and sustainability into your own personal scent. By LIZ HANCOCK
1.
5.
2.
6.
3.
7.
We spend billions annually on products that cleanse and stopper our natural aromas. What’s so wrong with a little sweat, whose physiological purpose is to cool our bodies while secondarily giving off a feral whiff of pheromones? Well, let's assume for our purposes you’d prefer to put your friends and colleagues off the scent. These aluminium-free and natural deodorants can help you avoid the pore-clogging action of anti-perspirants, and their scents can work with, not against, the body’s biological functions. 1. Aesop deodorant spray contains 11 essential oils including lemongrass, clove and vetiver root to inhibit bacteria growth and therefore body odour. www.aesop.net.au 2. Body Shop Cool & Zesty Roll-On DeoDry utilises natural volcanic minerals to absorb wetness. www.thebodyshop.co.uk 3. Costume National Eco deodorant is a natural spray based on the label’s popular fragrance 21, with notes of milk and saffron and a natural preservative rather than parabens. www.costumenational.com 220
ABOVE MAGAZINE
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4. Green People Roll-On Rosemary deodorant is made with 84% certifi ed organic ingredients, no parabens, ethyl alcohol or artifi cial fragrances. www.greenpeople.co.uk 5. Neal’s Yard Remedies Lemon & Coriander deodorant spray combines eight pure essential oils and is preservative free. www.nealsyardremedies.com 6. Origins No Offense is an alcohol-free deodorant based on natural odour-eliminators such as bay leaf, along with soothing, cooling and antiseptic essential oils like winterbloom, shiu and neroli. www.origins.com 7. Tisserand Tea-Tree, Lemon & Rosemary Deodorant with cooling and refreshing organic essential oils and no synthetic fragrances or parabens. www.tisserand.com 8. Weleda Sage Deodorant contains organic and biodynamic essential oils of tea tree, clary sage, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, pine, rosemary, thyme, ylang ylang and sage, is packaged in recycled glass and is vegan-friendly. www.weleda.com
ABOVE SHOPPING GUIDE / BEAUTY
Dry Spell — Put some sense and sustainability into your own personal scent. By LIZ HANCOCK
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We spend billions annually on products that cleanse and stopper our natural aromas. What’s so wrong with a little sweat, whose physiological purpose is to cool our bodies while secondarily giving off a feral whiff of pheromones? Well, let's assume for our purposes you’d prefer to put your friends and colleagues off the scent. These aluminium-free and natural deodorants can help you avoid the pore-clogging action of anti-perspirants, and their scents can work with, not against, the body’s biological functions. 1. Aesop deodorant spray contains 11 essential oils including lemongrass, clove and vetiver root to inhibit bacteria growth and therefore body odour. www.aesop.net.au 2. Body Shop Cool & Zesty Roll-On DeoDry utilises natural volcanic minerals to absorb wetness. www.thebodyshop.co.uk 3. Costume National Eco deodorant is a natural spray based on the label’s popular fragrance 21, with notes of milk and saffron and a natural preservative rather than parabens. www.costumenational.com 220
ABOVE MAGAZINE
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4. Green People Roll-On Rosemary deodorant is made with 84% certifi ed organic ingredients, no parabens, ethyl alcohol or artifi cial fragrances. www.greenpeople.co.uk 5. Neal’s Yard Remedies Lemon & Coriander deodorant spray combines eight pure essential oils and is preservative free. www.nealsyardremedies.com 6. Origins No Offense is an alcohol-free deodorant based on natural odour-eliminators such as bay leaf, along with soothing, cooling and antiseptic essential oils like winterbloom, shiu and neroli. www.origins.com 7. Tisserand Tea-Tree, Lemon & Rosemary Deodorant with cooling and refreshing organic essential oils and no synthetic fragrances or parabens. www.tisserand.com 8. Weleda Sage Deodorant contains organic and biodynamic essential oils of tea tree, clary sage, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, pine, rosemary, thyme, ylang ylang and sage, is packaged in recycled glass and is vegan-friendly. www.weleda.com
Above shopping-guide / watches
Time for Action
3.
— The countdown to eco luxury has begun, and watch companies are ready for liftoff.
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Text ELIZABETH UPPER
1. 4.
1. Rolex Since 1976 the biannual Rolex Awards for Enterprise
have saluted achievement in five fields. The winners in the “Environment” category, chosen from among 30,000 applicants, are lauded for making significant improvements to the Earth. A winning project in 2008 proposed the development of research stations in India’s rainforests and promises to affect hundreds of millions of people. In 2006 an advocate of traditional agricultural methods in the Andes was able to work with 500 families to forego the use of chemical fertilisers and reduce the loss of agrodiversity. The Oyster Perpetual Explorer has proven itself in extreme conditions, enduring many Himalayan expeditions, and its build quality and classic design make it a watch to last a lifetime. 2. Van Cleef & Arpels With a broad commitment to
care for the Earth and membership of the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices this company ensures their watches promote responsible environmental (and ethical and social) practices from mine to retail. Sourcing all their diamonds following the Kimberly Process with World Diamond Council warranties, Van Cleef & Arpels combine their environmental initiatives with a broad range of programmes promoting business ethics, human rights and community work. The full accountability demanded by the Kimberly Process and WDC is responsible for the declining rate of damage from environmental exploitation and devastation from rogue mining activities and warfare funded by blood diamonds, and Van Cleef & Arpels’ watches support a better world. 3. Hamilton Harrison Ford commended this company for
“helping to achieve major conservation outcomes” and helped create the Khaki Team Earth collection to benefit Team Earth, a coalition sponsored by Conservation International. Much of the proceeds go directly to Team Earth’s five concerns: climate change, water, food, health and waste. The Swiss-made movement is long-lived, and a constant call to eco-action is engraved on the back of the case: “It’s time to DO”. . 4. Jaeger-LeCoultre When launching the Master Compressor Diving watch collection, Jaeger-LeCoultre initiated the Tides of Time partnership with UNESCO’s World Heritage Marine Programme and the International Herald Tribune. The idea is to help safeguard vulnerable 236
above MAGAZINE
ocean ecosystems and draw international attention to their plight. The partnership works with national governments to monitor conversation activity at the sites, training site managers and providing technical support for sites applying for heritage status. In 2009-10, the focus is on the Venetian lagoon (Italy), the Valdés Peninsula (Argentina), Shiretoko (Japan), the Aldabra atoll (Seychelles) and Everglades National Park (USA).
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5. IWC Schaffhausen Not stopping after being certified carbon neutral in 2007, IWC partnered with the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) in Galàpagos to celebrate the bicentenary of Darwin’s birth in 2009. The Aquatimer Chronograph Edition Galapagos Islands supports the CDF’s activities on this “laboratory of evolution” which is now severely threatened by human settlement, illegal fishing and the introduction of animal species that dangerously upset the balance of indigenous species. IWC is also an official partner of David de Rothschild’s Plastiki expedition [Above, Spring 2010], and has issued a watch to commemorate this extraordinary adventure: The Ingenieur Automatic Mission Earth Edition “Adventure Ecology”. 6. Chopard Recognising that as few as 3,200 tigers may be all that remain in the wild, Chopard decided to celebrate their 150th anniversary by helping save them. Teaming up with the World Wildlife Fund they plan to double that figure in 12 years. The enormous undertaking spans hard-hitting efforts against poaching and illegal trade, coordinated planning in some of the largest and most biodiverse forests, and government support across 13 countries. The company has also joined the Responsible Jewellery Council. The Panda, one of the commemorative watches featuring responsible diamonds and gold, features a glittering panda eating bamboo. 7. Dunhill The alligator-skin straps on this watch are famously supple – and sustainable. The skins are fully traceable to the farm from which they originate. This total accountability ensures that the skins are harvested responsibly. The Facet watch, an Art Deco icon first unveiled in 1936 and recently updated, features a sustainable alligator strap, as does the Classic. Both models brag about superior movements made by Jaeger-LeCoultre, a brand with sterling Green credentials.
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FALL 2010
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Above shopping-guide / watches
Time for Action
3.
— The countdown to eco luxury has begun, and watch companies are ready for liftoff.
2.
Text ELIZABETH UPPER
1. 4.
1. Rolex Since 1976 the biannual Rolex Awards for Enterprise
have saluted achievement in five fields. The winners in the “Environment” category, chosen from among 30,000 applicants, are lauded for making significant improvements to the Earth. A winning project in 2008 proposed the development of research stations in India’s rainforests and promises to affect hundreds of millions of people. In 2006 an advocate of traditional agricultural methods in the Andes was able to work with 500 families to forego the use of chemical fertilisers and reduce the loss of agrodiversity. The Oyster Perpetual Explorer has proven itself in extreme conditions, enduring many Himalayan expeditions, and its build quality and classic design make it a watch to last a lifetime. 2. Van Cleef & Arpels With a broad commitment to
care for the Earth and membership of the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices this company ensures their watches promote responsible environmental (and ethical and social) practices from mine to retail. Sourcing all their diamonds following the Kimberly Process with World Diamond Council warranties, Van Cleef & Arpels combine their environmental initiatives with a broad range of programmes promoting business ethics, human rights and community work. The full accountability demanded by the Kimberly Process and WDC is responsible for the declining rate of damage from environmental exploitation and devastation from rogue mining activities and warfare funded by blood diamonds, and Van Cleef & Arpels’ watches support a better world. 3. Hamilton Harrison Ford commended this company for
“helping to achieve major conservation outcomes” and helped create the Khaki Team Earth collection to benefit Team Earth, a coalition sponsored by Conservation International. Much of the proceeds go directly to Team Earth’s five concerns: climate change, water, food, health and waste. The Swiss-made movement is long-lived, and a constant call to eco-action is engraved on the back of the case: “It’s time to DO”. . 4. Jaeger-LeCoultre When launching the Master Compressor Diving watch collection, Jaeger-LeCoultre initiated the Tides of Time partnership with UNESCO’s World Heritage Marine Programme and the International Herald Tribune. The idea is to help safeguard vulnerable 236
above MAGAZINE
ocean ecosystems and draw international attention to their plight. The partnership works with national governments to monitor conversation activity at the sites, training site managers and providing technical support for sites applying for heritage status. In 2009-10, the focus is on the Venetian lagoon (Italy), the Valdés Peninsula (Argentina), Shiretoko (Japan), the Aldabra atoll (Seychelles) and Everglades National Park (USA).
5.
5. IWC Schaffhausen Not stopping after being certified carbon neutral in 2007, IWC partnered with the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) in Galàpagos to celebrate the bicentenary of Darwin’s birth in 2009. The Aquatimer Chronograph Edition Galapagos Islands supports the CDF’s activities on this “laboratory of evolution” which is now severely threatened by human settlement, illegal fishing and the introduction of animal species that dangerously upset the balance of indigenous species. IWC is also an official partner of David de Rothschild’s Plastiki expedition [Above, Spring 2010], and has issued a watch to commemorate this extraordinary adventure: The Ingenieur Automatic Mission Earth Edition “Adventure Ecology”. 6. Chopard Recognising that as few as 3,200 tigers may be all that remain in the wild, Chopard decided to celebrate their 150th anniversary by helping save them. Teaming up with the World Wildlife Fund they plan to double that figure in 12 years. The enormous undertaking spans hard-hitting efforts against poaching and illegal trade, coordinated planning in some of the largest and most biodiverse forests, and government support across 13 countries. The company has also joined the Responsible Jewellery Council. The Panda, one of the commemorative watches featuring responsible diamonds and gold, features a glittering panda eating bamboo. 7. Dunhill The alligator-skin straps on this watch are famously supple – and sustainable. The skins are fully traceable to the farm from which they originate. This total accountability ensures that the skins are harvested responsibly. The Facet watch, an Art Deco icon first unveiled in 1936 and recently updated, features a sustainable alligator strap, as does the Classic. Both models brag about superior movements made by Jaeger-LeCoultre, a brand with sterling Green credentials.
6.
7.
FALL 2010
237
The journey of a star, captured in a flash. Annie’s studio. New York. Follow Annie Leibovitz and Mikhail Baryshnikov on louisvuittonjourneys.com Louis Vuitton is proud to support The Climate Project.