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Spread the Word ::
If you want to spread the word about sustainable travel, refer us to your friends, contact us or link to us!
MyClimate™ :: Offset the greenhouse gas emissions associated with your client's and your businesses' air travel and earn revenue while helping to protect the planet!
Eco-directory ::
Visit our online eco-directory - a unique destination guide designed to help you make responsible travel choices, so you can book and buy with confidence.
Unsubscribe ::
If you prefer not to receive info and updates from STI, just reply to this message with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. And you will be removed from our list.
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Responsible Travel Report
The Sustainable Tourism e-Newsletter
A Message from STI's Vice President
Folks, you asked for it and we delivered! MyClimate began as the leading international greenhouse gas (GHG) / carbon offset provider for air travel. Why, because the impact of air travel is growing significantly and as a result, is the fastest growing contributor to global warming.
Now, thanks to requests from our many supporters, we are live with our comprehensive carbon calculator, which allows you to offset air travel, automobile transportation, emissions from your household, hotel stay, and even an option to offset a friend or family member's emissions as a gift!
Check it out and - businesses - if you like what you see, let us know because we're offering custom GHG calculators. Now you can easily integrate a GHG calculator onto your website and provide your staff and clients with an opportunity to offset their climate related emissions. Together, we can make a significant impact!
Best regards,
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Climate Corner:
Proactively Addressing Global Climate Change
We are happy to announce that MyClimate is growing by leaps and bounds! From partnering with two of the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) offset initiatives in the world to date, to more localized efforts, we're seeing that people, governments and businesses across the globe are not only catching on to global warming issues, but also actively pursuing viable solutions.
Community-based Offset Initiatives
Boulder County, CO and Whole Foods Market (WFM), Boulder Store experienced great success with Bike and Walk to Work Week from June 24-30, which attracted nearly 4100 registered participants (note: the actual number of participants was estimated at nearly double those that registered) t hat took to the streets to commute by bike, foot and public transportation.
STI and MyClimate calculated that as a result, Boulder County residents saved an estimated 39,597 miles on Bike and Walk to Work Day, which in turn saved approximately 15.5 tons of CO2 from being emitted. This is the equivalent of conserving 1765 gallons of gas, or nearly 400 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.
Based on registrant survey responses related to average daily commute, this suggests that nearly 439 million miles are driven to and from work per year in Boulder County, resulting in an estimated 171,657 metric tons of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere (over 378 million pounds!) Offsetting this amount would be the equivalent to keeping 37,155 passenger cars off the road for one year, saving nearly 20 million gallons of gas, providing electricity to over 22,000 households for one year, or the equivalent of 4,401,472 tree seedlings grown for ten years.
Through MyClimate, STI provides people, local governments and organizations with the opportunity to "offset" those emissions by donating to renewable energy projects that double as community development projects in developing countries.
These types of community-based initiatives are timely, as the Supreme Court is currently hosting what is arguably its most important environmental case in history. It has to determine whether the government should regulate greenhouse gases as pollution, including carbon dioxide (CO2) from automobiles.
Whole Foods Market is Setting a New Precedent
In honor of Bike and Walk to Work Week, natural foods leader Whole Foods Market (WFM), Boulder Store also chose to calculate it's own transportation related GHG emissions impact through MyClimate and is working to offset this as well. STI calculated all emissions from WFM's delivery trucks to the Boulder Store for a year, as well as employee commute for it's 400 locals during the week. MyClimate and WFM are working to offset this amount and hope that it becomes a pilot launch for a nationwide effort. In addition, WFM offers this as an invitation to Vendors that provide products to WFM to step up to the plate and offset their distribution impacts as well, while protecting the places they depend on. Kudos to Whole Foods Market!
Global Warming in the Great White North
The evidence is conclusive. Global Warming is affecting the Earth's polar regions much faster than the rest of the world. The result: eminent polar bear extinction (yes, numbers are down, bears are drowning and recently scientists observed cannibalism for the first time ever), dramatic ecosystem shifts are underway, minute water temperature changes resulting in fish disease outbreaks, penguin populations in decline, previously unheard of levels of wildfires, melting permafrost, and damage to infrastructure.
Fortunately, Alaska is catching on and doing something about it. Recently, the Alaska Legislature unanimously passed an Alaska Climate Impact Assessment Commission, citing, among other reasons that "warming trends have jeopardized the health and well-being of residents of communities (in Alaska) and the natural resources on which they rely". In addition, responsible tourism industry organizations and groups are learning how to address the issue, and integrating solutions-oriented programs into their operations.
Case in point, STI is partnering with the Alaska Wilderness Recreation & Tourism Association (AWRTA) in supporting MyClimate, including educating members and travelers about offsetting their travel-related GHG emissions. AWRTA is a member-led association that represents more than 300 nature-based tourism businesses, individuals, and organizations in Alaska dedicated to the sustainability of the state's natural and cultural resources, responsible tourism and tourism planning for communities. So, when you're planning your next holiday to America's only true final frontier, be sure to look up AWRTA member companies.
MyClimate in South America
In other news, we are honored to welcome Plan21 Foundation as an STI partner and a South American Distributor of MyClimate. Plan21 is already on their way toward getting industry involved with carbon offsetting in Latin American markets. For more information in Spanish, please visit www.carbonocero.org.
Next Month...
A full market review of credible offset initiatives to help organizations and the general public choose the most appropriate programs to suit their needs.
Photo Credit: Lancashire County Council
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Travel Philanthropy
Award-winning Adventurers Bring The Gift of Sight
to Rural India
Relief Riders International (RRI), who is known for its innovative mix of altruism and exciting adventure travel, held its first "Give the Gift of Sight" cataract eye surgery clinic in February 2006, in Rajasthan, India.
The humanitarian-based RRI i s pioneering a new form of adventure travel. Guests, who ride on horseback through the breathtaking Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India, take part in a vital medical and educational relief mission along the way. RRI purchases and distributes medical, school, and other essential supplies to rural villagers. RRI hires doctors, and organizes a series of free medical clinics.
Committed to serving the people of Rajasthan, RRI began organizing its Give the Gift of Sight program to provide cataract eye surgery in October 2005 when Executive Director Alexander Souri met Dr. V. K. Gupta. Dr. Gupta, one of India’s leading eye surgeons has more than 25 years experience performing over 7000 successful operations. Heading RRI's medical team, Dr. Gupta and his staff with the help of the RRI riders screened 575 villagers with eye problems and successfully operated on the qualified 87 patients.
The remarkable thing about RRI's new "Give the Gift of Sight" program is how much is accomplished with so little. Keeping overhead at a minimum, and utilizing Dr. Gupta's mobile clinic, RRI can provide sight-saving cataract eye surgery for only $65 per person.
Based on this early success, RRI has committed itself to performing a total of 600 cataract surgeries on its next three trips. Learn more about blindness and this new innovative approach to cataract surgery.
In the early days, RRI used funds received from guest trip fees to pay for livestock, medical and school supplies, to hire doctors and cover travel expenses. But each year the company has learned more and more about how they can more efficiently meet the needs of the villagers. And it is the villagers need that has prompted the expansion of RRI's 'Give a Goat' program and the launch of their 'Give the Gift of Sight' campaign. The company knows now that they need financial help from other people to expand our humanitarian mission."
In addition to the eye clinic, Relief Riders International Executive Director Alexander Souri and his support team from the Indian Red Cross set up camps to provide basic medical care to over 2,500 villagers on this February trip. Riders also distributed school supplies to 1200 children. Continuing its successful "Give a Goat Program," goats were distributed to 57 needy families. RRI, in coordination with a professional theater group, provided HIV/AIDS education program in two villages.
While guests on these Relief Rides are often attracted by the chance to help people, the trip also promises a unique and rare opportunity to experience authentic India. At night guests enjoy meals by firelight and stay in 400-year-old forts and Raj-style circular tents modeled on those used in the 1800s; during the day they are treated to spectacular desert views, where wind and shifting sands constantly reshape the vast dunes.
From the very beginning, RRI has worked to combine travel with a humanitarian vision. Their relief riders are inspired both by the beauty of Rajasthan and the knowledge that they have helped to transform the lives of others. The company is now asking that others help out. For $65 you can bring the gift of sight to someone in Rajasthan. For another $65 you can give a worthy family a goat that will make the difference between hunger and survival."
Thanks to its relationship with Documentary Educational Resource (DER.org) contributions to both RRI's Give the Gift of Sight and Give a Goat programs are tax-deductible.
To contribute to the Give The Gift of Sight program, click here. To Give a Goat, click here.
Photo Credit: Christina Heyniger
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2006 Totem
Sustainable Tourism Report Released
The Totem Sustainable Tourism Report 2006 has now been completed, and was released earlier this month. This timely report includes up-to-date listings of donors and consultants; an overview of the tourism industry's past, present and future; cutting edge marketing techniques; predictions for the next three years; and opportunities in the forthcoming market of one billion international tourist arrivals.
The concise 35 page document is packed full of useful information and costs US$500. If you wish to obtain a copy, please email Totem Tourism Marketing or visit the company's website.
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Responsible purchasing, also known as green purchasing and environmentally preferable purchasing, is one of the most powerful ways in which you and your business can help make the world a better place. By utilizing your spending power to buy locally produced goods and services from locally owned businesses, as well as purchasing products that have a reduced environmental impact, you can:
- Actively support the growing green products market;
- Help improve environmental, economic, and social conditions within your regions of operation; and
- Enhance the marketability of your business, improving your businesses' reputation among guests and others.
Responsible purchasing practices can also help you achieve cost savings and diminish use and waste disposal costs.
Measuring Your Impact: Responsible Purchasing
- Value of locally produced products and services.
- Value of services purchased from certified sustainable tourism service providers or from Green Travel Market members.
- Value of the following products purchased: a) Environmentally friendly products; b) Recycled content products; and c) Non-corrosive biodegradable chemicals / cleaning products.
Managing Your Impact
The use of green and locally produced products and services is increasingly rising within the travel and tourism industry. Progressive companies recognize that eco-friendly products and services may cost a little more than traditional products and services. However, these same companies have found that the improved quality, positive public relations, productivity gains, and other benefits often outweigh any cost differences that might be incurred.
While more travel and tourism providers reevaluate their purchasing decisions and green their supply chains, they may find that identifying responsible options and alternatives is no easy task. To simplify the process, know which questions to ask before purchasing. Consider the following:
- Is the product or service produced or offered locally?
- Does the product or service conserve energy, water and other natural resources?
- Is the product made from recycled materials or contain recycled content? If so, what percentage comes from post-consumer waste?
- Does the product or service prevent waste? Is the product durable, reprocessed, re-useable, or recyclable locally? Is the product or service less hazardous and more biodegradable than the alternative?
- Does the manufacturer use renewable energy in processing the product and/or support philanthropic conservation or community development initiatives?
- Does it support philanthropic conservation or community development initiatives?
Knowing about the different service and consumer eco-label certification standards that are available in the marketplace can also help you establish responsible purchasing policies. Common examples of eco-labels for tourism, food, business and household items include:
No cost, low cost and investment opportunities for managing your impact include:
No Cost Actions
- Work with your service providers to identify eco-friendly products that you would like to purchase from them.
- Ensure that your service providers have a sustainability policy and that they adhere to sustainable business practices.
- Develop a list of where to buy local and eco-friendly products and services and educate your staff about where they can purchase them.
- Provide guests with information on locally produced alternatives to imported goods and a list of local products and services to support.
Low Cost Actions
- Purchase fair trade products whenever possible.
- Purchase paper products that have a high post-consumer content and are not chlorine bleached.
- Consider products for which a recycling market already exists within your community.
- Consider buying products in bulk and with reduced packaging.
Investing in Responsible Purchasing
- Purchase products that are certified to their environmental or socio-economic quality whenever possible. Look for products with reliable third-party eco-labels, such as those detailed at the beginning of this section, and incorporate your knowledge of these labels into your purchasing decisions.
- Consider leasing office equipment and company vehicles. Some office equipment manufacturers, for example, now lease rather than sell copy machines. They then take their products back at the end of their useful lives and are, in effect, leasing the utility of their products.
Useful Links
- The Green Travel Market provides comprehensive, reliable, up-to-date information on sustainable tourism products that are currently available in the global marketplace; travel companies can 'green' their supply chains.
- The EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program features green product and service information, as well as a number of web-based tools that were developed to assist purchasers in putting EPP into practice.
- The Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guide offered by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board is an invaluable resource.
- The Environmental Home Center is an online source for green building supplies, including cleaning supplies, non-toxic paint, natural carpets, sustainable wood products, and energy-efficient insulation.
- The United Nations Environment Programme offers "Environmental Action Pack for Hotels" containing many business-specific suggestions for responsible purchasing.
- International Hotels Environment Initiative features concrete examples identifying the overall cost saving in using environmentally preferable products.
- The California Integrated Waste Management Board's "Recycled-Content Product (RCP) Database" provides information on manufacturers and distributors that supply these RCPs or the recycled materials to make them.
- Consumer Reports' Greener Choices website features reliable and practical advice on how to be a more eco-friendly consumer.
For more useful ideas, purchase the new 2006 edition of STI's Guide to Sustainable Tourism for just US$20. It can save you thousands and greatly enhance you're overall quality.
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Take the Nature Challenge
The David Suzuki Foundation has researched the 10 most effective ways we can help conserve nature and improve our quality of life:
- Reduce home energy use by 10%
- Choose an energy-efficient home & appliances
- Don't use pesticides
- Eat meat-free meals one day a week
- Buy locally grown and produced food
- Choose a fuel-efficient vehicle
- Walk, bike, carpool or take transit
- Choose a home close to work or school
- Support alternative transportation
- Learn more and share with others
The Nature Challenge asks participants pick at least three steps as defined within the organization's website. It's an easy and effective way to make a difference.
Sign up today to take the challenge. As of today, almost 200,000 people have signed up!
Source: Our friends at the Pinehurst Inn at Pikes Creek
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A Green Spa Is LEED-CI Gold Certified
Nusta Spa, a new addition to the vibrant Dupont Circle area of Washington D.C., is the first day spa in the United States to achieve LEED® for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) Gold certification.
Elizabeth Snowdon, Nusta Spa's founder and president, became interested in green design when she began working with Washington-based Envision Design, a multidisciplinary architectural firm with a focus on sustainable design. Kendall Wilson, a partner in the firm, pointed out the many advantages to creating a green space and the myriad materials available to make it a reality.
"In creating Nusta Spa, we used renewable and recycled materials that are manufactured in an environmentally friendly way, but we did not use harmful chemicals or VOCs," Wilson notes. "The result is high-performance design and a healthier built environment for Nusta Spa's clients and employees."
Among the highlights of Nusta Spa's cutting-edge sustainable design are a wooden wall made from the salvaged beams of a barn, carpeting containing more than 50 percent recycled content, an energy-efficient HVAC system with controls for individual adjustment throughout the space, a sophisticated air-filtration system for superior IAQ and an energy-efficient lighting design that incorporates ultra-high-efficiency adjustable colored LED lights.
Nusta Spa's commitment to environmental sustainability does not stop with the design of the space. Impact on the environment has been an important factor in every decision within the spa. From the choice of product lines and packaging to the paper and ink used for printed materials, an all-encompassing approach to eco-friendliness is a top priority at Nusta Spa.
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Responsible Travel:
Culture and Community-based Tourism
in Trinidad and Tobago
Tacaribe Tour Operators is an inbound tour operator actively engaged in ecotourism, community development and agritourism in Trinidad and Tobago. Their mission is to promote ecotourism throughout Trinidad and Tobago and cooperate with other stakeholders in the industry to preserve and conserve the environment for future generations.
Working with Community-based Organizations
Tacaribe Tour Operators has been working with community-based organizations on the north coast of Trinidad for over 30 years. During the early seventies the company's Directors were engaged in community development in the small hamlet of Matelot, set on the north eastern coast of Trinidad. This remote village is located 75 kilometres from the nearest town. The main road leading to the village was deplorable, there was no electricity, telecommunications, good health services, or public transport, and unemployment was high. The residents along with the Parish Priest decided to petition the Prime Minister with a delegation and presentation of a proposal which outlined the ills affecting the community. This resulted in the formation of a group called Committee for Rural Education and Development, which was comprised of both residents and non-residents. Tacaribe Tour Operators' Directors, who resided in the village at the time, organized residents into community groups including fishing, agriculture, sports and small businesses co-operatives. With a year, conditions within the village improved significantly.
More recently, Tacaribe Tour Operators assisted in the formation of the Pawi Sports and Eco-club. This group recieved training in tour guiding and marine turtle biology from the University of Glasgow. They now provide beach patrols during the female leatherback nesting season which runs from March through August on remote beaches along the north coast of Trinidad.
The company has also supported university student research related to Trinidad, attended meetings and participated in discussions on environmental conservation held by the United Nations Development Programme, Caribbean Region Environmental Programme, Environmental Management Authority, Forestry Department and Community-based organizations such as Nature Seekers Inc.
Trinidad and Tobago Culture
Before Captain Christopher Columbus landed in Trinidad in 1498 there were two tribes of indigneous people living on the island. They were the Caribs and Arawaks, and they belonged to the Ameridian diaspora. The Caribs were peaceful, but the Arawaks were warlike. Captain Columbus had no respect for either indigneous group, particularly the Arawaks whom he and his crews obliterated. The Caribs survived the deadly onslaught by those whom claimed the land for Spain.They embraced Catholicism and started calling themselves the First people. Now, each October they commemorate their existence with a Church service, cultural show, culinary delights, and an arts and crafts display. They also invite other Ameridians from the Americas and the Caribbean to participate in the Commemoration.
Today, Trinidad and Tobago is a multi-racial society with its citizens coming from various parts of the globe including Asia, Europe and Africa. Each group has its own traditions and culture, which are tolerated by all of the other groups. For citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, respecting the traditions and cultures of local people is their number one priority.
Planning a Trip?
If you're interested in traveling with Tacaribe Tour Operators, please visit their listing in STI's Eco-Directory, email them or visit their website. For more information on other ecotourism providers in Trinidad and Tobago, contact us.
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Green Tip:
Wondering what to do with your laptop and its batteries once it's time for retirement?
The Bite: Laptops have a higher turnover rate than cashiers at KFC, but recycling your laptop batteries is usually free and as easy as taking them to a nearby drop-off spot. The laptop itself can be donated or traded-in for credit.
The Benefits: Click here to learn how you can recycle your laptop or your laptop batteries.
Submit a Green Tip
Do you have any green tips? If so, submit them to us, and our friends at Ideal Bite will include you name along with the tip in their e-Newsletter and on their website.
Tips on giving good tips:
- You did it and liked it
- You bought it and liked it
- You remembered that this service is not called "Tips for Millionaires." Keep it real.
- You can show how it is good for the environment or society
- You tried to quantify the environmental impact
- You can show that it is positive and not preachy .
Sign up for the Ideal Bite
By joining the Ideal Bite community, each weekday you'll receive an eco-living tip.
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Conferences and Continuing Education
Upcoming conferences, events and continuing education opportunities include:
- Managing Heritage Attractions for Sustainable Tourism, which is being held at the Institute for Tourism Studies in Macao, China on July 23-28, is focused on providing opportunities for students to share their cultural experience and understand how sustainable tourism practices can enhance key heritage attractions.
- The CSR in the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Industries conference will be held in Singapore on July 25-26. It's aim is to help travel and tourism providers enhance their positive socio-cultural and environmental impacts, and identify sustainable development opportunities in the Asia Pacific region.
- The Ecotourism in New Zealand Conference will be hosted by Tai Poutini Polytechnic and will be held in Shantytown, Greymouth, New Zealand on August 9-11.
- The Adventure Council is hosting the first Adventure Travel Professional Symposium on September 8-9, 2006 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida in conjunction with THETRADESHOW, the premier event of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and The Travel Institute's National Forum.
- The TourismAfrica2006 conference in Geneva, Switzerland is scheduled for September 10-15.
- Watchable Wildlife will hold its annual conference in Anchorage, Alaska October 3-5. The theme of this year's conference is Preserving Communities through Sustainable Wildlife Tourism Programs.
- The Adventure Travel Trade Association's 2nd Adventure Travel World Summit is scheduled for October 19-21, 2006 in Seattle. Building upon the successful 2005 Summit, the 2006 Summit will delve into the more practical elements of business strategy/planning, marketing, technology and operations that can help to favorably improve organizations' bottom lines. For more information, contact ATTA or call 360-805-3131.
- The IH&RA's 43rd Annual Congress, Hospitality Takes Center Stage, is to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from October 26-29.
- Destinations2006, World Tourism Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development, 3rd annual Summit, will be held in Porto Alegre, Brazil from November 29 through December 2.
- The Green Meeting Industry Council's 2007 Greening the Hospitality Industry conference is scheduled for February 6-8, in Portland, Oregon.
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High Moon Cartoons
If you would like to purchase any one of High Moon's six cartoon books, you may order them directly from the Japan Environmental Exchange via email or JEE's website.
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