Photo credit: JoshuaDavisPhotography.COM

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.

• Natural Remedies:

Products without synthetic ingredients, preservatives, artificial colours and harsh chemicals and pesticides are easier on the environment, and safer for everyone.

Swimming and snorkelling while wearing sunscreens with harsh chemicals are not only dangerous to you, but can harm the fish, coral, and natural environment around you. Sunscreens should be PABA and paraben free. Badger (http://www.badgerbalm.com/default.aspx) or Soleo (http://www.soleousa.com/) are some of the cleanest brands you can find.

Essential oils can be used as natural bug repellents. Citronella, lavender and tea tree are at the top of the list. If you get bitten, tea tree oil works well to soothe the itch. They can also be purchased in ready-made spray forms at your local health food store.

Other natural remedies include: ginger for nausea and motion sickness, probiotics to prevent travellers’ sickness and digestive upsets, and grapefruit seed extract to purify drinking and bathing water.

While You’re There

• Reuse:

Everything possible on vacation should be re-used. Pack some cloth bags in your suitcase for shopping and bring your trusty reusable water bottles along as well. Tip: double walled stainless steel canteens keep water cold hours longer in tropical heat than single walled stainless steel, aluminum or plastic (plus, they’re better for you).           

• Respect the Local Ecosystem:

Choose hotels, tours and day trips that use environmentally friendly practices. Eat local whenever possible (this is usually much more fun than eating local at home). When in nature, remember the golden rule—take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints.

• Save Electricity, Water, and Gas:

Just like at home, don’t leave lights, TVs or electric appliances on. Don’t leave the water running or take long showers. If you’re staying in a full-service hotel, refrain from requesting laundry or cleaning services unless absolutely necessary. Or, if you’re doing some sightseeing, take the bus or walk instead of renting a car. You’ll experience more of the culture that way in the process.

On Your Way Home

• Recycle:

Believe it or not, a lot of resorts and vacation destinations don’t have the same recycling facilities that we’re used to. So—take it home! Empty packages aren’t heavy, so bringing them home to be recycled isn’t too hard.

• Souvenir Shopping:

Although the most environmentally-friendly option is to avoid buying any souvenirs, most people like taking a little something back to remember their trip. If you’re buying souvenirs for yourself or for others, ensure that they’re environmentally responsible choices. For example, make sure they’re actually made in the location you travel to, but don’t damage the local ecosystem (no crocodile skin wallets!). As always, don’t buy anything you don’t need or won’t want in a few years.

Good luck and bon voyage!

Photo credit: muha…

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.

Eat locally: Enjoying the drinks and foods of each destination is actually a greener holiday. Apart from bringing you closer to the local people and their culture, it also helps reduce emissions caused by shipping food around the globe. It also boosts local economy, helping the locals develop their area’s eco-tourism.

At the hotel: Make your own bed and notify the maids not to change your sheets daily, as it’s most often not needed. In that way you reduce water, energy and detergent use. That is, if your hotel does not already have a linen reuse programme.

Shoot digital: Digital cameras require far fewer chemicals and less paper, plus you can delete unwanted shots. Remember to always use rechargeable batteries.

Clean green: Use biodegradable, phosphorous-free soap and shampoo when camping or cruising to avoid adding damaging chemicals to oceans, lakes and rivers. REMEMBER: Phosphorous is one of the main chemicals that leads to eutrophication in marine ecosystems, causing their living organisms to suffocate.

Photo credit: moonjazz

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.

On the other hand, catch-and-release fishing is a fine way to get in tune with nature while leaving a relatively small footprint. Nevertheless, be very cautious with the fish so they are able to survive the release, and of course, use barbless hooks. Remember that catch and release should be practiced only on non-threatened species.

In the same way, hunting is a controversial subject. Good hunters have been among the first conservationists because they have been in tune with nature. Meanwhile, licensed hunting can be a responsible way to control the populations of animals that no longer have natural predators. This becomes more and more often as species become extinct. It is crucial to hunt by the rules, while maintaining an emphasis on habitat conservation.

This post is an continuation of Travel Green: Manual 1.

Photo credit: Joshua Davis (jdavis.info)

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.

Use airport restrooms: Flushing an airplane toilet at 9,144 metres above the ground uses almost a quarter of a litre of fuel- enough to drive about 9,650 metres. So you should make sure that you use the airport’s restrooms before each flight.

Don’t fly at night: according to a study by the University of Reading, clouds created by contrails trap more heat in the atmosphere at night than they do during the day. Thus flights during the day are less harmful than flights at night, concerning global warming.

Cruising: Cruising allows you to bring a lot of people into an area, without creating the environmental footprint required to house and feed them. However, large cruise ships could still be harmful to the environment if they are not new generation ships- with technology complying with the newly established strict standards, guaranteeing energy efficiency and effective waste management- and if they cruise in ports located near coral or other sensitive marine life. Thus, you should choose to travel on small cruise ships which carry less than 100 passengers. They are generally less threatening to fragile environments.

On the other hand, sailboats are the best way to go, if they are actually under sail. In general, there is room for improvement in this industry in making sure that small boats take care of wastewater responsibly.

Hi everyone!

Maria and I just got back from Hawaii and it was amazing!!! We are two very lucky girls to have gone to such a beautiful place and talk to so many inspiring people. First off I want to thank Stacey Angeles, our camera woman extreme. She flew out there from NYC to film episode two and she did an amazing job capturing Hawaii at it’s best.

So I am just starting to go through all of our footage and the first segment that I am working on is The Kokua Festival. If you ever have a chance to go to Hawaii and attend this concert please do! The Kokua Festival is sponsored by “The Kokua Foundation which is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawai’i. Their mission is to provide students with exciting and interactive encounters that will enhance their appreciation for and understanding of their environment so that they will be lifelong stewards of the earth,” kokuahawaiifoundation.org.

While attending the festival we got to talk to many local non-profit organizations that are trying to keep Hawaii green as well as larger companies like Patagonia and Simple Shoes that were there to be help sponsor the event. The festival’s goal was to produce zero waste, and I have never seen anything like it. No plastic bottles on the ground or trash anywhere and all the cups and plates were biodegradable and produced by styrophobia.

We also got to listen to Dave Matthews, Paula Fuga, Mason Jennings, Go Jimmy Go and Jack Johnson perform and talk about how they are striving to be more green. Needless to say, we had a blast! Check out Kokuafestival.com to see how you can attend next years show.

Kim Rowe
Co-Creator and Producer of GLG

My name is Kim Rowe and I am the Co-Creator and Producer of golivegive.com, a green volunteer travel show.

We want to show people how they can vacation green and volunteer while traveling. We shot our first episode in Los Angeles and provided viewers with a green hotel, organic restaurant, eco-friendly fashion and a volunteer option they can do in a day.

We will, from now on, be publishing our episodes right here on Green Blog for you to enjoy. You can check out the first episode below or on golivegive.com.

On April 17th we are off to Hawaii where we will be profiling Jack Johnson’s Kokua Foundation. In store for our viewers is an inside look at Jack Johnson and the Kokua Festival that he sponsors and plays at annually. We will go behind the scenes to show you all the amazing things he’s doing for Hawaii and how you can get involved in the cause. We’ll also be scouring all over the island to provide you with the best possible green hotel, restaurant, entertainment and adventure options on Oahu.

Our show hopes to integrate the ideas of ‘going green’ and ‘traveling in style’ while demonstrating that becoming more than just a consumer on vacation can be a very rewarding experience. Please contact me at happyearth@golivegive.com to find out how you can get involved in the cause. I will also be updating you on amazing green vendors to check out when you travel, so stay tuned!

Thanks!