July 2, 2008
Participants on a recent philanthropic travel expedition to Vietnam donated cows and water buffaloes to impoverished villages, then followed that up by sponsoring a ceremony and a big party. Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts launched a 71-hotel program called “Give Back Getaways,” allowing guests to participate, for example, in music therapy programs for the disabled in Istanbul or home restoration in the ancient water town of Wuzhen, China. Guests pay between $50 and $100 for the experience, part of which is forwarded to the local charity.
Arthur Brooks, author of Gross National Happiness and a sociologist who studies the confluence of conservation, wealth and charity, says that a little generosity is better than a lot of indifference. “It’s easy to ridicule people who dabble,” he said. “But it’s cynical to say that it’s reprehensible to care about poor people while enjoying the finer things in life.” Ultimately, he believes the concept challenges the soul. “It goes back to the Biblical teachings…it won’t help the poor if we don’t help the poor, but it also doesn’t help the poor if we make ourselves poor.”
Learn more about Elevate Destinations philanthropic travel programs.
June 22, 2008
At the International Transport Forum held recently in Leipzig, Germany, Yvo de Boer, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, told participants that the transport sector has been “woefully inadequate” in taking political action to curb greenhouse gas emissions and develop strategies to benefit the environment. He said that the transport sector is expected to contribute so much to greenhouse gas emissions in the future that it must play a key role in shaping the global climate change deal which countries have agreed to try and clinch next year.
Research data indicates that emissions from the transport sector will rise by more than 30 percent by 2010 when compared to 1990 levels–the highest increase of any sector. Boer urged the sector to consider ambitious carbon dioxide standards for cars, more integrated transport strategies, and encouraged emissions trading as potential ways to combat climate change. Last December in Bali, the world’s countries agreed to launch formal negotiations to reach a long-term global agreement on climate change by the time of the international conference scheduled for Copenhagen in late 2009. The agreement includes detailed measures on mitigation, adaptation, technology and finance.
June 16, 2008
Unlike many countries, walks and walking tours are not common or popular in India. The ‘Walks in India’ featured on India Travel Blog encourages travelers to spend time walking the country by getting close to its people. The blog series contains detailed descriptions of each walk along with images, maps, difficulty level, best season to go, etc. Itineraries include everything from walking the sand dunes in a remote village in the state of Rajasthan to experiencing devotion on the banks of Ganga, seeing history come alive in the remains of ancient structures, and short walks in snow amidst views of the snowy peaks.
Elevate Destinations currently offers two itineraries to India that can be extended to include a walking tour.
A Private Retreat, 10 Days, $5,500pp. The focus of this retreat is Shahpura Bagh, a place of quiet and sublime beauty where guests are at leisure to paint, sketch, write poetry, dance, play music, do yoga, meditate and explore local villages.
Spiritual India, 10+ Days, $4,500pp. Journey to the Indian Himalayas and the Ganga River to experience traditions and rituals of Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs. The journey travels from Amritsar, holy city of the Sikhs, to the Himalayas-Dharamsala (Buddhist), and Haridwar-Rishikesh by the Ganges River (Hindu) through Agra (Taj Mahal).
Rajasthan Extension, $1500pp. Visit Jaipur, known as the “pink” city, and spend three leisurely days in the desert town of Jodhpur. Stay at an ornate heritage property owned by ancestors of a royal family who still live there. Visit palaces and forts, temples, desert villages, crafts markets, and enjoy a camel ride on the sand dunes.
June 9, 2008
Increasing temperatures and carbon dioxide levels are threatening Australia’s national icon, the koala. A research team has discovered that increases in CO2 affect the level of nutrients and anti-nutrients–the things that are either toxic or interfere with the digestion of nutrients–in eucalyptus leaves. Koalas are fussy about the species of eucalyptus leaves that they eat and the researchers think it has something to do with the level of nutrients such as tannins which bind the protein so it can’t be used by the koala.
Researchers say that changes in eucalyptus nutrient content may force koalas to travel in search of more nutrient-rich species. With habitats fragmented by roads and agriculture, more koalas will travel by land, which increases their risk of being hit by vehicles or eaten by predators. Researchers also found that higher temperatures could affect different eucalyptus species, some of whom are so sensitive to temperature change that even a one degree shift in mean annual temperature would mean that they could be out-competed by other plants which are less sensitive to the shift in temperature.
June 2, 2008
Stagecoach, Scotland’s largest transport company, reduces bus fares for passengers who bring their used cooking oil to a recycling plant that makes biofuels. The bus company has had so much success since starting the program six months ago that it plans to become completely carbon neutral by the end of the year. To date, more than 21 tons of used cooking oil have been collected from passengers. Aside from using biofuels, Stagecoach plants trees to offset all of the CO2 its buses produce.
May 28, 2008
Netherlands-based airline KLM has said it will begin testing kerosene fuel made from algae in the fall. Initially, the algae will be mixed with conventional fuel for this pilot project, but the ultimate goal is to fuel 50 planes from KLM’s fleet with full tanks of the algae-based kerosene by 2010. KLM said it expects to save millions of dollars a year in fuel costs and carbon dioxide fines by switching to the carbon dioxide-neutral fuel. Click here to learn more about algae-powered vehicles.
May 19, 2008
Ed Gillespie just returned home after 381 days on the road. Gillespie’s voyage took him from his home in south of London through Europe, Mongolia, Japan, Australia, French Polynesia, Mexico and Central America. And he didn’t take a plane to do so. Among his modes of transport on this around the world adventure: hump of a camel, bicycle and cargo ship. Gillespie said it took him more than 16 days to cross the Pacific Ocean. Find out more about Gillespie’s trip to travel great distances with the smallest carbon footprint as possible. (Image from the Guardian UK)
May 9, 2008
To promote the advancement of national economy and eliminate poverty, the government of Cambodia plans to focus its efforts on the development of cultural and eco-tourism. One site under development is Prasat Preah Vihear, an eleventh century monument in Preah Vihear Province in northern Cambodia. The Temple, built between the years 900 and 1150, is revered as one of the greatest and most sacred Khmer and Hindu temples.
The government estimates that 3 million tourists will visit the site by the year 2010. Preah Vihear Temple is located slightly east of the mid section of the Dongrek Mountains near the Cambodia-Thailand border, and is perched on the edge of a giant cliff about 525 meters above sea level. Preah Vihear means “sacred monastery” in Khmer and the Cambodian government is lobbying UNESCO to name it a World Heritage site because of it historical, cultural and universal appeal. (Image courtesy of Tourism of Cambodia)
May 4, 2008
A new crop of green travel books to set your sites on.
“Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done To Help Save Them” by Kimberly Kisagor and Heather Hansen (Vintage, $15.95). The authors take a look at some of the world’s most beautiful and endangered places including Machu Picchu and Venice. Each chapter is a destination unto itself with the story told from the perspective of local activists and entrepreneurs.
“Disappearing World: 101 of the Earth’s Most Extraordinary and Endangered Places” by Alonzo Addison (Harper Collins, $34.95). A coffee table book that relies on photographs and factoids about threatened World Heritage sites including Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, the Florida Everglades and the Central African Republic’s Manovo-Grounda St. Floris National Park.
Fodor’s enters the green scene with “Green Travel: The World’s Best Eco-Lodges & Earth-Friendly Hotels” ($21.95). The book’s three overriding considerations that define a responsible approach to travel are environment and conservation, social and cultural awareness, and economic benefits to the local community.
Other guide books not to overlook: Lonely Planet’s “Code Green: Experiences of a Lifetime” ($19.99), Rough Guide’s “Climate Change” by Robert Hanson ($16.99) and “Shopping with a Consience” by Duncan Clark and Richie Unterberger ($16.99).
April 28, 2008
Among the innovative ways that hotels are marking stays more eco-friendly…one hotel has created an environmental blog that updates customers on the hotel’s most recent green initiatives. Another features a photovoltaic facade that draws soloar power. The Lenox in Boston is one of the first to offer climate-neutral rooms and offset carbon emissions for electricity by 100 percent. In Bangkok, the Old Bangkok Inn steers guests away from gas-guzzling taxis toward alternative forms of transport and the interior of each room is made of salvaged teak.
Meanwhile, one of Europe’s largest hotel operators, Scandic, announced it has decided to stop selling bottled water in its restaurants and during conferences. Scandic calculates that this move will cut fossil carbon dioxide emissions by 160 tons per year. The hotel chain currently sells around 1.2 million liters of water, equating to 3.6 million 33cl bottles every year. Instead of bottled water, Scandic will now offer its guests chilled and filtered water, both still and carbonated, from taps. According to the Stockholm Consumer Cooperative Society, bottled water generates 1,000 times the carbon dioxide emissions created by the same quantity of tap water. (Photo courtesy of the Lenox Hotel)