Environment

Spring flowers at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Environment, Recreation, ,

For the next two weeks it will definitely be spring at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport – thanks to an indoor flower garden filled with ten of thousands of lilacs and purple and white tulips in full bloom.

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The garden has a flower stall and picnic tables where travelers can sit and rest and take in the fragrances and the colors – and marvel at the fact that there’s a giant garden inside the airport.

All these flowers come from Keukenhof, the world’s largest flower garden, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

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Kuekenhof, in the town of Lisse, welcomes more than 800,000 visitors every year. This is their first off-site display garden.  You’ll find it in Schiphol Plaza, the public area of the airport with shops and the entrance to the train station.

Photos courtesy Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Alaska volcano brings strange planes to Seattle

Environment, Safety, ,

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It’s not just passengers who are having their flight plans disrupted by the repeat eruptions of Mt. Redoubt.  Many cargo freighters heading to Anchorage for refueling are instead diverting to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

According to airport officials, so far SEA is getting at least three times  the normal arrivals of  international cargo planes: 45 during the first four days of diversion, the equivalent of a full week’s regular schedule at SEA.  Now the airport is figuring out where they’ll put more diverted wide-body planes if the volcano stays active.

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So are passenger planes being pushed aside to make way for the giant, thirsty, visitors?  “Nope, no delays for passenger traffic,” says airport rep. Perry Cooper, “A passenger may see a big cargo plane next to them at the terminal, but it won’t delay any of their flights. This, of course, is outside what passenger delays are created by the flights Alaska has had to cancel due to the volcano. What has created the cancellation for those flights is creating the extra traffic in the cargo area for us.”

(Photos of visiting cargo planes courtesy Port of Seattle)

Lights out at airports during Earth Hour

Energy, Environment, , ,

In my column about tourist destinations and travel spots planning to turn out lights for this Saturday’s Earth Day event, there are two (so far) airports.

But don’t be alarmed – there is no plan to put anyone in harm’s way by turning off important runway or tower lights.

Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, which participated in the event last year, will turn off many of the indoor and outdoor signs, some lights in the terminals and many of the moving walkways.

At Los Angeles International Airport, the focus will be on the iconic 100-foot tall colorful light pylons that illuminate the airport entrance and serve as a backdrop for many film and TV scenes. The pylons will be lit solid green for 60 minutes before Earth Hour and then be turned off completely for the event.

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Here’s a link to the full story, which has a description of how all the lights will go out on the Las Vegas Strip including, for the first time ever, the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.

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Photo courtesy The Firm Public Relations & Marketing.

Alanis Morissette clips toenails on airplane

Celebrities, Energy, Environment, Etiquette,

Celebrities are joining in to promote Earth Hour, March 28th, and Alanis Morissette – and her toenails – star in this PSA about the event.

I include it here on the Stuck at the Airport blog because, to promote the big “turn off” day, Morissette is shown clipping her toenails in her airplane seat – to the shock and dismay of her seatmate.

Earth Hour: The Huge Turn Off- Alanis Morissette PSA

Airports get ready for Earth Hour -March 28

Energy, Environment,

Some airports are making plans to participate in Earth Hour – one hour on March 28th when perhaps a billion people around the world will be turning off lights and unplugging whatever they can.

Toronto Pearson International Airport got involved last year and will do so again this year.  In fact, an airport spokesperson told The Star that there were some lights that got turned off last year that never got turned back on – and no one noticed.

I’m going to try that in my house!

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Tulip field at Amsterdam Airport

Art, Environment, Recreation,

Heading to or through Amsterdam Schiphol Airport during the first two weeks of April?

You could happily spend your whole vacation at the airport, what with the massage spa, the snooze chairs, the casino, the kids play area, the museum, and all the great shops, restaurants and artwork.  They even have a YOTEL there, where you can book a room for a few hours for a nap and a shower.

For two weeks in April, the airport will also have a sea of flowers.

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The blooms are courtesy of Keukenhof,  the world’s largest flower garden, which is located near Lisse, Netherlands.

Each spring, close to a million people trek out to see the 70-acre showcase of more than 7 million flowers- which include more than 1,000 varieties of tulips.

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This is the first year the park is displaying some of those flower beyond Lisse.  So you can get a real taste of Holland without ever leaving the airport.

Look for the mini-Keukenhof at Holland Schiphol Plaza (before passport control).

Heathrow Airport: Emma Thompson says no go on 3rd runway

Environment, , ,

In an effort to thwart plans for a 3rd runway at London’s Heathrow Airport, Greenpeace, other environmental activists and a few celebrities, including Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, have bought up a piece of land “slap bang” in the middle of the proposed project site.

Opponents of the 3rd runway project are worried about greenhouse gases, noise and other issues.  BAA, the airport operator, say the third runway is needed because Heathrow is “jam-packed” and losing its status as a world class airport.

This BBC news story gives more details about the debate over Heathrow’s 3rd runway.

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Airports and airlines celebrate America Recycles Day

Environment,

Tomorrow, Saturday Nov 15th, is America Recycles Day – a day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and purchase recycled products.

The folks at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) are already celebrating. Today they’ll be handing out discount coupons from The Paradies Shops and HMS Host airport concessions to reward customers “caught” recycling in the designated bins in the terminals.

Some airlines are getting into recycling as well. According ot the Delta Air Lines blog, since January Delta’s In-Flight Recycling program has collected more than 500,000 pounds of plastics, paper and aluminum.  The program operates on flights into ABQ, ATL, BWI, ORD, CVG, CLE, DEN, RSW, FLL, LAX, MIA, JFK, LGA, PDX, RDU, SMF, SLC, SFO, SEA, TPA and DCA and this past September, airline employees used proceeds from the program to help construct a home Habitat for Humanity Home

Some airports go green; others go white as snow

Environment

Remember putting snowballs in the freezer during the winter so you’d have them to play with once summer rolled around?

This story about snow-recycling from the Telegraph is sort of like that: A new airport being built in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido will collect winter snow, keep it insulated and on ice, and then use the old snow to chill the liquid used in the airport’s cooling system during the hot summer months.

Government officials predict the project will save 2,100 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

I predict giant summer snowball fights.

More airport side trips: Tampa and Atlanta

Environment, USA Today,

Early this month I wrote a column for USATODAY.com about cheap, easy side-trips you can take from many U.S. airports. Since then, I’ve gotten email and tips on several more. Here are two of them:

Tampa resident Robert Danielson wrote with this tip:

“Adjacent to the south runway at Tampa International Airport (TPA) is “International Plaza,” Tampa’s premier shopping venue, with courtesy shuttles to the airport (about a five minute ride). Also, downtown’s Florida Aquarium is less than a 10-minute cab ride from the airport.”

And for folks with time to spare near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), there’s this story about the new airport-built 56.5 acre Sams Lake Bird Sanctuary park, a short ride from the airport.

The sanctuary has a reconstructed stream, bat houses, three observation decks, a half-mile walking trail, and three ponds that are now home to bass fish. Deer, turkey, nesting birds, and other wildlife have been seen on-site.

Why did the airport spend $5 million on the project?

“Federal law required the airport to complete the wetlands restoration project after constructing its fifth runway, which paved through 14 acres in the Flint Basin. The Clean Water Act Section 404 mandates the restoration for every acre of wetlands disturbed by infrastructure development. The Army Corps of Engineers gave the airport a permit to restore Sams Lake.”

Whatever it takes.