Publication: Travel Tips
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COOL TRAVEL MAIL'S
TRAVEL TIPS
Tips & Adice for the Seasoned and Armchair Traveler Alike!
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http://www.CoolTravelMail.com
Comment The Post Below...
July 25, 2006
You saw Al Gore's movie.
You dutifully recycle your empty cans and bottles, set the
lawnmower on 'mulch' and have actually priced hybrid cars.
Yet you spend your vacation at an all-inclusive resort
served by jumbo jets and gas-guzzling SUVs that overloads
local sewer lines and water supplies at the expense of
surrounding poor communities.
Is there something wrong with this picture?
This week's topics include:
* TRAVELING GREEN
* CARBON FOOTPRINTS
* OBVIOUS NO NOS
P.S. If you're interested we now have a blog. You can post
comments on this and recent issues at... Travel Tips Blog
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TRAVELING GREEN
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As awareness of global warming and conservation grows,
travelers are becoming more aware of the need to tread
lightly as they sightsee the planet.
Environmental travel has evolved from trips aimed at seeing
endangered wild things before they disappear to minimizing
the damage caused by tourism and using it to make the world
more sustainable.
So, how do you jump on this 'green' train for your next
trip? Here are some tips, put together with help from The
Center for the New American Dream (http://www.newdream.org),
and ResponsibleTravel.Com
(http://www.responsibletravel.com):
* Eco - the power of the prefix
"Ecotourism" and nature travel are estimated to constitute
about 20 percent of current leisure travel. That's up from
about 2 percent in the late 1980s, according to The Center
for the New American Dream an advocacy group for consumers
interested in preserving the environment and promoting
social justice.
Many operators, however, simply adopt the word "ecotourism"
to capitalize on its popularity. The same goes for the term
"green", which I've seen used on everything from plastic
spoons to bulldozers.
For an enlightening discussion of the many shifting
definitions used in the "earth friendly" travel business,
check out the following article by Ron Mader in the online
environmental journal Planeta.Com:
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/tour/definitions.html.
* Scratch the Green surface
If you're serious about planning an environmentally friendly
trip, it is essential to look closely at the practices of
the companies you're considering doing business with.
Make sure that the travel agent, tour operator or hotel that
you use is certified by a reputable body, or has some other
way of proving its environmental practices. Check out the
Websites of the groups that give the organizations their
green stamps of approval.
Ask to see your tour operator's responsible travel policy. A
reputable outfit will have a written policy regarding the
environment and local people. If its not written down, it
probably means there are not taking it seriously.
Ask the owner of your "ecolodge" how many local people they
employ, what percentage of this is of their total payroll,
and whether any are in management positions. Ask them how
they dump their waste, power their buildings and measure
their contribution to conservation and local communities.
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CARBON FOOTPRINTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Think small
When booking a holiday, look to bed and breakfasts, village
houses and locally owned accommodations that benefit local
families rather than the fortress-like resort with the
flagship name.
Help the local economy of developing countries by buying
local produce and souvenirs in preference to imported goods.
It's amazing how many "Mexican" or "African" pieces of folk
art are actually made in Asia.
Haggling over price is natural in many small markets, and
many tourists are pretty good at it. That's fine. But keep
in mind that what amounts to a small amount of money to you
could be extremely important to the seller
* Erase your carbon footprint
Global - and even domestic - travel, uses up incredible
amounts of fossil fuel and spits clouds of greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere.
Several businesses, such as The Carbon Neutral Company
(http://www.carbonneutral.com), let you compensate for the
carbon emitted by investing in conservation or renewable
energy.
Carbon Neutral has a calculator that lets travelers estimate
the impact their trip will have on air pollution. So does
the Choose Climate Website (http://www.chooseclimate.org),
which offers an interactive map that lets you figure out how
much your flight contributes to global warming.
The numbers are likely to surprise you. An average
commercial domestic U.S. flight, for example, releases more
than 1,700 pounds of greenhouse gases per passenger,
according to the Center for the New American Dream.
If they make you feel guilty, you can offset your
contribution toward global warming by buying carbon credits.
Those are basically donations to help fund renewable sources
of energy like solar or wind power that let you sleep better
at night.
The rock group Pearl Jam, for instance, recently announced
it would donate $100,000 to environmental groups to offset
the damaging emissions of its current world tour. associated
with the firm.
Several companies, including Carbon Neutral, sell carbon
credits. Travelers might want to check out the Better World
Club (http://www.betterworldclub.com/links/offsets.htm) for
options geared for globe-trotters.
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OBVIOUS NO NOS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Stay earthbound
Planes pollute the medium they fly through. If you're not
traveling a huge distance, consider taking the train or a
bus. Remember, Europe isn't the only area of the world worth
traveling by train.
If you must fly, skip the limousine or cab from the airport
to your hotel and take a bus or other public transportation.
Once you're established, try to walk as much as possible and
use public transportation instead of rental cars or taxis.
In addition to creating fewer toxic fumes, you'll meet local
people and get to know the place.
* Don't litter
Yeah, it's obvious. But it's amazing how many people who
wouldn't dream of tossing a food wrapper on the street in
their own neighborhood do just that when traveling away from
home.
Try to create as little trash as possible while you're away.
If you're one of those environmental conscious folks who
uses a canvass or net bag when shopping to avoid paper or
plastic bags, behave the same way on the road.
* Don't buy that rhino horn.
Another obvious one. You'd think.
Stay away from any products made from endangered species.
These might not always be obvious. In addition to monkey
pelts and rare bird plumes, threatened species could include
plants or shells from beach traders.
You might also want to avoid items made with native
hardwoods, which helps fuel the demand that leads to
deforestation.
And if someone offers to sell you an ancient artifact, walk
away. It's probably fake, and if it's not, it's almost
certainly stolen.
Well, that's it for this week, group. Thanks again for
reading, and please keep those comments, complaints and
questions coming in.
You can send me an e-mail message at: Email Pierce
Until next week, thanks for reading.
Your Tipmeister,
Pierce
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Do you think we are either in or headed toward WW III?
Please share your opinion, visit: The Question of the Week
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