New Zealand has long been associated with the eco-travel movement, having implemented a number of eco-friendly practices in their tourist industry over the course of many years. Just about any outdoor activity can be enjoyed in an eco-friendly manner, from whale watching and bird watching to trekking, biking, and caving. There are hundreds of New Zealand guide and outfitting companies that specialize in eco-tourism; most of them care deeply about sustaining their local habitats and work with both local and national conservation organizations to promote sustainability.
Black Cat Cruises, an established marine tourism guide company in Lyttelton and Akaroa, is a great example of how conscientious many New Zealand guide companies can be. They use new and efficient engines and energy efficient lighting for their fleet, plan routes that travel the least distance, train all their staff in environmental awareness, and employ locals to reduce commuting times (among a host of other eco-friendly steps that can be found here).
How can you be an eco-friendly traveller? Well, considering the immense amount of carbon emissions generated by air travel (hundreds of pounds of fuel per passenger), the term “eco-friendly traveller” may be a bit of an oxymoron. Still, when on vacation or on business abroad, the search for greener alternatives is not totally hopeless.
Before You Leave
Packaging, Packaging, Packaging:
Unfortunately, all those cute, miniature-sized toothpastes, shampoos and conditioners create much more waste than regular or refill-sized packages. Instead, opt for products with less packaging, or bottles and boxes that can be re-used.
The Soap Works (http://puresoapworks.com/index.htm) has been making biodegradable, natural bar soaps with absolutely no packaging for 25 years. Their Shampoo & Conditioner bar is perfect for hair washing while travelling, the Carbolic bar repels mosquitoes and other pests, and the Tea Tree bar’s antiseptic properties make it perfect to clean minor cuts and scrapes.
Wysi Wipes (http://www.canawipe.com/home.html) are a great green alternative to pre-moistened cloths, for washing dishes while camping, removing make-up, or cleaning up spills. Rather than using one-time-use facial cleansing wipes that remain in a landfill forever, Wysi Wipes can be washed, re-used, and are eventually biodegradable. They start as tiny tablets that take up no room in a suitcase, but expand many times their original size after adding water.
“The legislation follows lobbying by animal welfare groups, which have long argued that the clubbing of seal pups by hunters is barbaric.
Canada kills about 300,000 seals annually off its east coast – the biggest such hunt in the world.”
Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner for the Environment, welcomed the new ban and said that the new legislation “addresses EU citizens’ concerns with regard to the cruel hunting methods of seals.”
Caroline Lucas, MEP for the Greens in the UK, said that “today, nearly one million seals are slaughtered annually in commercial seal kills around the world”, and that this new legislation will help end “one of the most vile examples of animal cruelty.”
The annual seal massacre in Canada has started. This year the Canadian government has set a target of over 280000 baby seals to be clubbed to death and skinned to provide coats, hats, handbags and other accessories for the fashion market.
This seal hunt is the largest commercial hunt for marine mammals in the world and has been met with protests from around the world for years now. And this year is no different. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) says the hunt should be stopped because it’s cruel, unsustainable and lacks proper monitoring from federal agencies. The European Union is currently being pushed to introduce a ban on commercial trading with seal skin in a few weeks. And just recently Russia decided to close down their seal hunt in the White Sea indefinitely.
This post is an continuation of Travel Green: Manual 1 and Manual 2.
Opt for green: Whether it is a hotel or a tour operator, its environmental initiatives should be codified as policy, thus proving its sensitivity about limiting its impact on the environment. Also, appreciation or concern about a company’s environmental efforts should be expressed either by a comment card or by sending a letter or e-mail to the manager. Generally, companies of all kinds should notice that tourists care about nature and are concerned about the green policy of their choices. The more the demand for greener tourism, the more will industries and companies adopt greener policies.
Public means of transport: It is fairly more difficult than using them in your own country or area, but it is highly recommended. Not only do they minimize your environmental footprint, but also allow you to see a place from the perspective of the locals.
Riding personal watercrafts is generally a not recommended choice. They pollute the air and water, but if used with care, they can be relatively harmless. Since they go in areas inaccessible for larger boats, they can damage fragile marine habitats. However, they can be ridden in a way that is negligible in terms of ecosystem damage, provided it’s in a controlled environment.
Riding ATVs is also accepted under specific rules. ATVs pollute and tear up the terrain, but are sometimes still the only way to get out into the wilderness. The key is to be respectful of your surroundings and not to disturb wildlife. Always ride on proper trails to avoid harming fragile habitats.
Fishing: Deep sea fishing is less preferred than catch-and-release. Generally, fish caught on a line is considered sustainable. Obey regulations regarding the season and size of the catch, and remember that many boats burn a lot of fuel and create air and water pollution. It should be done in moderation or not at all, and never just for a wall mount.
Just as even the longest journey starts with one step, the salvation of the planet can start with one person: you. Each person that wants to be an eco- conscious traveller has to respect nature and seek for ways to reduce impact on it. That is achieved by making responsible choices and knowing well that just a few easy steps can make a big difference.
Fly nonstop: Planes burn the most fuel on takeoff and landing. That means that a long haul flight that takes you straight to your destination emits less CO2 than short haul flights. For the same destination, a long haul flight may burn up to two-thirds less CO2 than short haul flights.
I play soccer in a large park in the eastern part of Salamanca. West of the park are the train tracks and on the other side of the tracks is a large elementary school, immediately east of the park is a nearly 100 year-old ammonium fertilizer plant. Map here
The plant’s smoke stacks are pretty short since the plant was built way before that part of town had anyone living there. This means the smoke doesn’t travel all that far from the plant. The lucky thing for the students and park users is that the winds blow the smoke south, not west (generally). This is bad news for the soccer field that is just a little bit further south of the plant. My Air Pollution professor explained how he used to play on that field when he was younger and how you would get mild rashes or slight chemical burns from the grass. He said now practically no one uses that park. If the wind blew to the west, my park would not be nearly as healthy and breathing would be a lot more difficult when playing soccer. Knowing whether or not you live near a large source of air pollution is very important, but knowing the wind patterns in your area is important too.
On Saturday the 21st of February, an unusual event took place in the central square of Athens. The Tourist Guide Organisation took a very important initiative in raising public awareness by organizing a unique exhibition.
Using a small part of the square, tourist guides organized a simple but effective exhibition of photographs. The central theme was littering public and historic zones, garbage production and recycling. The gallery included a small tree made of recycled paper, with photographs hanging instead of leaves. Most photographs were about polluted rivers, garbage along coast lines and litters on the streets. Recycle bins were demonstrated and equipment was available for children to draw and write their own green message. Passers-by could get informed about the various consequences of littering and not recycling.
This initiative should be set as an example to all kinds of organizations. Tourist guides realized that litters harm their profession, and decided to draw attention towards that fact. All kind of organizations and professions have problems due to environmental issues. Thus, all different groups can inform about environmental problems and guide other groups of people so as to diminish them. It is crucial that events take place to raise public awareness as to how simple everyday habits hurt both the environment and humanity.
Soccer in Spain is kind of a big deal. Rivalries here are pretty huge, Real Madrid vs. Barcelona is like Yankees vs. Red Sox but with more Catalunyan separatist pride, so it’s a much more political statement here. As I’ve been trying to get into Spanish culture I’ve been watching a bunch of matches and I can’t help but notice the shear amount of energy related advertisements on the side lines. I have seen solar power company ads and ads encouraging people to turn down their thermostats. That’s a pretty powerful message to have where everyone can see it.
I hear PETA tried to get a Go Veg ad to air during the Super Bowl but it was pulled due to highly sexual content. Feelings towards PETA and objectification of women aside, the idea of having a Go Veg ad during the most watched sporting event in the US is pretty cool. I doubt many fans would put down their hotdog, but it could get people thinking more about it. When people start thinking about what they’re eating, that’s when they start cutting down on meat. After all there are a bunch of good reasons, and the idea of eating meat is a little creepy.
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Today the European Parliament voted 
On Saturday the 21st of February, an unusual event took place in the central square of Athens. The Tourist Guide Organisation took a very important initiative in raising public awareness by organizing a unique exhibition.
