[ . . . as the husband of a woman who walked out of The World Trade Center 10 minutes before it collapsed, I agree . . . ]

Americans are, by and large, a courteous bunch. Interactions with strangers are typically sweetened with a generous frosting of “Sir”, “Ma’am” and “Excuse me”. Yet in a survey commissioned by the travel industry, more than half of visitors found American border officials rude and unpleasant. By a two-to-one margin, the country’s entry process was rated the world’s worst. This is not a problem only for whingeing journalists and other foreign riff-raff. It is also a problem for America.

The system is geared towards keeping out a tiny number of terrorists. Fair enough—such people should indeed be kept out. But there should be a trade-off. An immigration official lives in fear of admitting the next Mohammed Atta, but there is no penalty for excluding the next Einstein, or for humiliating tourists who subsequently summer in France. Osama bin Laden has arguably inflicted more harm on America indirectly than directly. To stop his acolytes from striking again, the government has made entering America far more difficult and degrading than it need be.

This has slowed the influx of foreign brains. In 2001, 28% of students who studied abroad did so at American universities. By 2008 that figure had shrunk to 21%, though since the absolute number of globally mobile students grew by 50% over that period, the absolute number in America has flattened, not fallen. Does this matter? Well, foreigners and immigrants make up more than half of the scientific researchers in the United States, notes Edward Alden, the author of a fine book called “The Closing of the American Border”. Among postdoctoral students doing top-level research, 60% are foreign-born. Boffins flock to America because its universities are the best, but the ordeal of getting a visa prompts many to take their ideas elsewhere.

A similar problem afflicts even short-term visitors. Organisers of international scientific conferences are increasingly reluctant to hold them in America because not everyone they invite will be able to attend. Last year, for example, Alik Ismail-Zadeh, a prominent Russian geophysicist, applied for a visa to attend a meeting of the American Geophysical Union. He allowed three months, but did not get his passport back until after his plane had departed. Kathie Bailey-Mathae of the National Academy of Sciences says that the hassles have eased in the past year, but only somewhat. When foreign scientists run into problems repeatedly, they become loth to collaborate with their American peers, she says.

. . . 

Squid are one of the stars of the Coral Reef Stars book — it’s available for only $25.00 plus shipping — a steal for some of the best marine photos I’ve ever seen.  Write to <coralreefstars@gmail.com> for details. 

Bruce Potter

From Andrew Revkin’s NYTimes environment blog —

Kenneth Caldeira, a climate researcher for the Carnegie Institution and Stanford University, criticized a British newspaper article — “Climate change experts clash over sea-rise ‘apocalypse’” — for overplaying the momentousness of one paper projecting a calamitous rise in seas by 2100 and then overplaying the level of dispute over the finding based on new work. Double whiplash, in a way.

Dr. Caldeira wrote:

He went on to discuss how the original paper’s sea-rise projection was, in his view, flawed, but also how the way it was described distracted from overall confidence about rising seas in a warming world. Then he wrapped his thoughts up this way:

Check Revkin’s original piece (and monitor the blog over time) for more elucidation on the science of climate change impacts. 

Ken Banks blog on KWANJA.NET, a developer of mobile technology tools for development 

from http://www.kiwanja.net/blog/about-kiwanjanet/

Happy New Year.. . . 

Michael O’Neal, Senior Associate of Island Resources, and the former president of H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in Tortola, found this fascinating little squib from the National Parks Traveler blog:

The organization who brought you this disaster for near-coastal waters of Nail Bay, Virgin Gorda, in November, 2003, are now bringing new wonders to the island. . . . this time with help of an Indian transnational corporation — note that the new road to Leverick Bay is not paved.

VIRGIN GORDA, British Virgin Islands (October 4, 2009) – The Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE, Premier of the Virgin Islands (U.K.) officially opened the newly paved public road to Nail Bay just before sunset on Friday, October 2, 2009.

This opening ceremony was also attended by numerous people including Michael D. Riegels, Q.C., (director of Virgin Gorda Investment Company Limited which developed Nail Bay Resort), Mr. Douglas Riegels, President of Nail Bay Community Association Limited and Mr. Binny Sebastian, General Manager of Nail Bay Resort. 

“The opening of this newly concreted 22 feet wide public road to Nail Bay, beginning at the intersection at Pond Bay and the existing main Valley to the North Sound road, marks the completion of a major infrastructure project. This will make access to all the various properties along the northwestern shore of Virgin Gorda such as Pond Bay, Mango Bay, Mahoe Bay and Nail Bay much more comfortable for both residents and tourists alike who no longer have to navigate on unpaved dirt roads that washed away after each rain,” said Mr. Ajit Mathew George, Managing Director of Nail Bay Resort. 

He has been eagerly looking forward to this day since he first came to Nail Bay almost twenty-seven years ago in December 1982. Mr. George thanked the Premier for taking active leadership to complete this paving project of 12,400 feet (over 2.3 miles) of public road, which was initially started at the end of Nail Bay on December 9, 2006. He also expressed his gratitude to Daniel “Pops” Cline for his role as project manager and all the Virgin Gorda contractors who worked hard to complete the final phase of the project on a timely basis. 
 
The developers of Nail Bay Resort recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with the Taj Hotel Resorts and Palaces to develop in Virgin Gorda the first Taj Exotica Resort, Spa & Luxury Residences in the Caribbean, Central America and South America. Prior to the signing of this MOU, the Premier had publicly promised on July 15, 2009 at the VIP Reception for the 2009 Winemakers Dinners that the unpaved section of the public road to Nail Bay from Pond Bay would be paved before the end of this year. This VIP Reception was attended by Mr. Raymond Bickson, Managing Director and CEO, The Indian Hotels Company Limited and Uday Narain from the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. 

Mr. George said that by completing the paving of this road three months before the end of this year, the Government of the Virgin Islands has once again demonstrated its commitment to attract a world class five star brand with an outstanding reputation for extraordinary service around the world including the Maldives, Malaysia, Australia, United Kingdom, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa, the Middle East, United States of America and India such as the Taj Hotel Resorts and Palaces to the BVI  

Established in 1903, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is one of Asia’s largest and finest group of hotels comprising 77 hotels, 7 authentic palaces, 6 private islands, 12 resorts and spas in over 52 destinations, 12 countries, 5 continents plus personal jets and luxury yachts. From world-renowned landmarks to modern business hotels, idyllic beach resorts to authentic Rajput palaces, each Taj hotel offers an unrivalled fusion of warm Indian hospitality, world-class service and modern luxury. 

Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is part of the Tata Group, India’s premier business house that owns among other things Tata Motors, Corus Steel and Jaguar Land Rover. The Tata Group, with over 100 companies, has over 350,000 employees and operates in more than 80 countries. For more information on Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, visit www.tajhotels.com 
 
Pursuant to the terms of the Development Agreement for Nail Bay Property that was executed by the Government of the Virgin Islands and the Developers of Nail Bay on December 16, 2006, the Government of the Virgin Islands approved, among other things, the construction and operation of a new five (5) star hotel of approximately one hundred (100) hotel units, plus additional hotel spa suites, hotel villas, townhouses and residential villas for sale with a luxury spa and related facilities including restaurants, bars, swimming pools, gift shops and boutiques at Nail Bay plus a private jetty and ten moorings.  

This historic 148 acre former sugar plantation below Gorda Peak with almost a mile of waterfront overlooking Sir Francis Drake Channel on the north western shore of Virgin Gorda has been in the process of being developed into a luxury villa resort with over 50 million dollars invested to date. Over the past three years, most of the secondary roads within Nail Bay have been paved in concrete after all the utilities were placed underground. Generators were installed to automatically provide stand-by electricity to all lots together with a state-of-the art internal water distribution system served by a desalination plant at Nail Bay. 

Rated #1 hotel in Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda by TripAdvisor.com and recommended by Frommers and The Best of the British Virgin Islands and named the best value in Virgin Gorda by Travel+Leisure Magazine, Nail Bay offers numerous distinctive villas, apartments and rooms with magical sunset views and three sun bleached, deserted, sandy beaches with great snorkeling. Nail Bay also offers modern conveniences such as ADSL internet service, satellite television and radio as well as DVD players and iPod stations and dining at the SUGARCANE restaurant.  For more information on Nail Bay, visit www.nailbay.com.  

Nail Bay was also the Founding Sponsor of the highly successful 2008 and 2009 Winemakers Dinners, which was organized by the BVI Charitable Fund.