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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 President
Are you interested in donating financial resources or economic patronage to protect and positively impact some of the cultures and environments you've visited?
STI is working with GlobalGiving to offer altruistic travel-related projects around the world. GlobalGiving is an online marketplace that enables people to donate to high-quality, high-impact projects. Giving directly enables more funding to reach projects. In fact, a full 85 percent of donations through GlobalGiving and STI go directly to the projects you select, a higher percentage than is typical for traditional aid channels. The net result? GlobalGiving and STI deliver a more transparent, engaging way for donors to give.
You can now browse and select from the numerous tourism-related philanthropy projects from around the world. Once you choose a project, you can make a fully tax-deductible contribution, which in turn, directly supports the entrepreneurial work of project leaders who are bringing innovative, empowering solutions to challenging social problems at the local community level.
We'll looking to expand our program, so please contact us if you know of any non-profit tourism-related projects that support altruism.
Kind regards,
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Climate Corner:
Addressing Global Climate Change
The ground is shaking, and it's not an earthquake - it's on the global warming front. Along with Al Gore's movie, 'An Inconvenient Truth' that is making waves across America, even Fox News, in it's effort to discredit this reality, conceded in an interview with a Cato Institute senior fellow, "Global Warming is a very real thing, people do have something to do with it..." Enough said. We've inherited the problem, and we have to do what we can to fix it.
STI is actively addressing global climate change in conjunction with MyClimate. Case in point,  MyClimate recently facilitated one of the largest single greenhouse gas (GHG) offset projects in the world to date. The customer - the 2006 World Cup in Germany! FIFA has announced that BioTherm Energy, a South African developer of energy projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol has been awarded the opportunity to offset the GHG emissions emanating from this year's World Cup. This was based on a prospective fuel-switching project in the Limpopo Province, where sawdust from surrounding sawmills will be used to replace coal in the boilers of a large citrus farm's processing facility. The project will minimize waste, reduce GHG emissions and foster sustainable development in the area.
The BioTherm project at Letaba is obtaining regulatory approvals and working towards registration of the project under the CDM. "It would prevent at least 220,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over its ten year lifetime," said Xola Makapela, director of NRG Investments, BioTherm's Black Economic Empowerment partner. "We are thrilled to have won this in the lead-up to South Africa's hosting of the World Cup in 2010. Commissioning is planned for August 2007." Now that's what we're talking about!
Stay tuned next month for our tour operator's Top 10 ways to implement GHG offsetting into your business operations. For those who would like to learn more ahead of time, please contact us.
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Green Hotels: Benefits for Developers
By Robert L. Noble and Greg Mueller
Hotels are not simply a home away from home. They highlight and introduce new techniques in structure, architecture and interior design to the public. With cost advantages and flexible design, the hospitality industry is beginning to embrace the growing trend of sustainable design. Green hotels have opened in Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, South America and the United States to glowing reviews from guests and investors.
Comfort and style always have been cornerstones of the hospitality business, but, with green design, environmental responsibility and health also are at the forefront. Developers can address natural-resource depletion, energy consumption, threatened ecology patterns and global warming while placing greater focus on the comfort and health of hotel guests and employees. Green design is the accepted new concept for hospitality projects, and it is important today's builders and developers join the trend.
Continue Reading
Green Hotels: Benefits for Developers
Subscribe to Eco-Structure
Reprinted with permission from eco-structure's March 2006 issue. Visit www.eco-structure.com for your free subscription to eco-structure.
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Beyond Recycling: From Wind-Generated Power to Organic Coffee, Grand Teton Lodge Company Has Its Guests Seeing Green
Grand Teton Lodge Company is one of the first lodging companies in the U.S. to achieve International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 certification for its environmental management program. It's also one of the largest hoteliers that's currently participating in STI's Sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program™ pilot launch.
Grand Teton Lodge Company's (GTLC) award-winning Envision program takes a comprehensive, systematic approac h to sustainable business practices that preserve the environment. Julie Klein, environmental director for GTLC, believes that information is the key to changing behavior. The strategy? By making its environmental program the foundation of its operations, the company has made it easy for employees to communicate its best practices to guests.
GTLC is the only National Park concessionaire to partner with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics to promote responsible outdoor use through a multifaceted education program. The company has also made significant progress in other areas including energy and water use, sustainable cuisine, green retailing, materials use and procurement, infrastructure, recycling and waste reduction, and fuel management and impacts. Some of the highlights include:
- Being one of the first Wyoming businesses to purchase wind-generated electricity, which in just one year eliminated the use of 80 tons of coal and prevented the release of 191 tons of carbon dioxide air pollution, the leading greenhouse gas. The company increases its commitment annually and currently purchases nearly 6% of its total energy from this clean, renewable source;
- Offering sustainable cuisine in its restaurants with some of the product purchases in 2005 including 4,314 lbs of buffalo, 787 lbs of whole free-range chicken, 1,201 cases of organic baby greens, 13,944 heads of romaine lettuce, 469 lbs of organic herbs, and 2,799 lbs of wild fish;
- Becoming one of the first National Park Service concessionaires to offer biodiesel for sale to guests, with more than 17,000 gallons sold in one operating season of the bio blend consisting of 10%-20% vegetable oil and 80%-90% petroleum diesel;
- Utilizing E10 fuels (10% ethanol) in company vehicles and vended at all public service stations;
- Purchased hybrid and electrical vehicles for general staff use;
- Developed a "Go Green, Get Green" package for meeting planners that rewards them for conducting environmental-friendly meetings and conventions;
- Reduced fuel and electricity consumption through the purchase of Energy Star appliances and electronics;
- Retrofitted plumbing fixtures while educating visitors and employees on water and energy conservation measures resulting in a 13% overall energy reduction within one year, equating to an annual water use reduction of more than a million gallons per year ;
- Emphasizing the reuse and recycling of packaging materials amounting to the need for 12,000 less boxes on an annual basis in 2004 alone;
- Offering a wide range of green items for consumer purchase in the company's retail outlets including organic food products, recycled-content paper products, natural personal care products, natural and organic apparel, and gift items made with natural or regional materials;
- Incorporating the use of green building materials for facility improvements, from bamboo flooring to recycled decking;
- Eliminating non-recyclable food and beverage paper products. The replacement of paper cups in employee areas amounted to a savings of 10,000 cups in a six month period;
- Limiting the use of printed materials and ensuring all documents are printed with soy-based ink on a minimum of 30-percent, post-consumer recycled paper;
- Phasing out the use of individual guest room amenities for bulk dispensers for products such as soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion; and
- Replacing petroleum oil in fleet vehicles with synthetic motor oil that supports waste reduction as it lengthens the time between oil changes.
Recycling is just one-third of the equation for reducing negative impacts on the environment. GTLC feels that if their sustainability initiatives stop there, they've failed. As a result, they have clearly upped the ante and taken the next steps in closing the loop by purchasing and usin g sustainable products and those made from recycled-content materials. Their approach defines the three-step process of reduce, reuse, and recycle.
GTLC is the largest concessionaire in Grand Teton National Park, operating the lodging, restaurants, activities and tours at Jackson Lake Lodge, the four-diamond Jenny Lake Lodge and Colter Bay Village as well as Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club located just outside the Park in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
For more information or to learn more about Grand Teton Lodge Company, please visit their listing in STI's Eco-Directory, email them, call 800-628-9988 or visit their website.
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President Bush very likely left many Americans scratching their heads when, in this years State of the Union address, he included using ethanol as part of a broader federal energy policy. For many drivers, ethanol is a familiar additive to gasoline that helps reduce smog and maintain high engine performance. However, higher blends of ethanol than are currently used can lead to greater domestic energy security, spur rural economic development and help protect the environment.
Ethanol is a renewable fuel distilled mainly from corn. In the near future, ethanol may also be produced using agricultural and wood waste, of which there is an abundant supply for both in agricultural states and counties throughout the U.S. and beyond. Because of its comparatively high oxygen content, ethanol is cleaner burning than regular unleaded gasoline and can be blended to 10 percent without having to modify standard engines. A 10 percent blend also substantially reduces carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, benzene and other exhaust emissions as well as related greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
Before we can celebrate ethanol as a viable alternative to petroleum, one simple fact must be considered: producing ethanol requires more fossil fuel energy than the petroleum it would replace. This result was confirmed researchers at Cornell University and the University of California. The reason? It takes a lot of energy to grow crops and transform them into ethanol. Regardless, ethanol has a lot of political support, and despite building evidence to the contrary, the U.S. Department of Agriculture believes that ethanol delivers more energy than is consumed in making it.
The bottom line is that there's no easy or single solution for addressing our dependence on fossil fuels. The United States uses more energy than any other nation in the world, and we import over half of that, mainly from countries with unstable political climates. Our overall consumption continues to rise, but using ethanol blends for passenger transportation combined with other alternatives such as biodiesel and gasoline-electric hybrids will help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels in general and foreign oil more specifically.
Sources: American Coalition for Ethanol, Growing Expectations, and Cornell University News Service.
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Invasive Species:
How To Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers
STI is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help spread the word about how to address the issue of water-bourne invasive species which cost taxpayers billions of dollars.
General Prevention Procedures for Stopping Aquatic Hitchhikers: A must read for all recreational users.
Follow a general set of procedures every time you come in contact with any body of water. By doing so, you can protect your waters from harmful aquatic hitchhikers. Because you never know where a nuisance species has been introduced, but has yet to be discovered.
There are hundreds of different harmful species ranging from plants, fish, amphibians, crustaceans, mollusks, diseases or pathogens. Some organisms are so small, you may not even realize they are hitching a ride with you. So, it is important to follow this general procedure every time you leave any body of water.
Remove all visible mud, plants, fish/animals.
Before leaving any body of water, it is important to examine all your equipment, boats, trailers, clothing, boots, buckets etc. and:
- Remove any visible plants, fish or animals.
- Remove mud and dirt since it too may contain a hitchhiker.*
- Remove even plant fragments as they may contain a hitchhiker.*
- Do not transport any potential hitchhiker, even back to your home. Remove and leave them at the site you visited.
*The larvae (immature form) of an animal can be so tiny that you cannot see it. However, it can live in mud, dirt, sand, and on plant fragments.
Eliminate water from all equipment before transporting anywhere.
Much of the recreational equipment used in water contains many spots where water can collect and potentially harbor these aquatic hitchhikers. Thus, make sure that you:
- Eliminate all water from every conceivable item before you leave the area you are visiting.
- Remove water from motors, jet drives, live wells, boat hulls, scuba tanks and regulators, boots, waders, bait buckets, seaplane floats, swimming floats.
- Once water is eliminated, follow the cleaning instructions listed below.
Clean and dry anything that came in contact with the water (boats, trailers, equipment, dogs, boots, clothing, etc.).
Basic procedures include:
- Use hot (< 40° C or 104° F) or salt water to clean your equipment.
- Wash your dog with water as warm as possible and brush its coat.
- The following recipes are recommended for cleaning hard-to-treat equipment that cannot be exposed to hot water:
- Dipping equipment into 100% vinegar for 20 minutes will kill harmful aquatic hitchhiker species.
- A 1 % table salt solution for 24 hours can replace the vinegar dip. The correct "Gallons of Water to Cups of Salt" mixtures for the 1% salt solution in water are as follows: 5 to 2/3, 10 to 1 ¼, 25 to 3, 50 to 6 1/4, and 100 to 12 2/3.
- If hot water is not available, spray equipment such as boats, motors, trailers, anchors, decoys, floats, nets, with high-pressure water.
- DRY Equipment. If possible, allow for 5 days of drying time before entering new waters.
Do not release or put plants, fish or animals into a body of water unless they came out of that body of water.
Also, do not release them into storm drains, because most storm drains lead to water bodies or wetlands. This is an important prevention step because many plants and animals can survive even when they appear to be dead. The two categories below describe some common situations where people may feel compelled to release aquatic plants or animals.
- Aquarium and Aquatic Pets: If your family gets tired of its aquarium or aquatic pets, do not release anything from the aquarium (water, plants, fish or animals) into or near a body of water or storm drain. Explain to your children how you could be hurting all of the streams and lakes around the country and killing other fish and animals that already live in the water. If you cannot find a home for the critters in you aquarium, bury them. Dump the water into the toilet or yard, far away from storm drains.
- Bait: Whether you have obtained bait at a store or from another body of water, do not release unused bait into the waters you are fishing. If you do not plan to use the bait in the future, dump the bait in a trash can or on the land, far enough away from the water that it cannot impact this resource. Also, be aware of any bait regulations, because in some waters, it is illegal to use live bait.
Get Involved
If your club, organization, agency, school or company would like to make a commitment to do your part to "stop aquatic hitchhikers," please contact Joe Starinchak, Outreach Coordinator for the Fisheries and Habitat Conservation Program, via email or visit www.protectyourwaters.net.
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Responsible Travel: Angkor Wat International Marathon for Landmine Victims
Siem Reap, Cambodia, December 15-18, 2006
Are you a marathon runner, or do you enjoy running for a good cause? If the answer is yes to either of these questions, then the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon might be for you. It affords a unique opportunity to explore Angkor Wat, soak up the vibrant atmosphere of Siem Reap, and meet people from all around the world who come together every year to raise money for Cambodian landmine victims. In fact, this is the 11th year anniversary of the Angkor Wat International Marathon. And it's open to everyone from serious runners and walkers to teens and other travelers.
There are four race categories:
- Half Marathon (21km) for men and women;
- 10km Fun Run for men and women;
- 5km Fun Run for women only
- 4km Family Fun Run (or walk)
The 4-day itinerary is $320 per person and includes:
- 3 nights at the Angkor Diamond Hotel accommodation
- Daily breakfast
- English guided tour of Angkor Wat complex
- 3 day entrance ticket to Angkor Wat complex
- Aspara Dinner & Dance performance
- Race registration
- Private air conditioned vehicles
Part of your marathon entrance fee goes towards helping Cambodian landmine victims. In addition, Buffalo Tours is donating 5% from every Angkor trip to the Siem Reap Landmine Museum.
Since the first race in 1996, there have been more than 11,700 competitors from 29 countries and regions participating in the races. And about US$160,000 has been raised landmine charities over the years.
For more information or to learn more about Buffalo Tours, please visit their listing in STI's Eco-Directory, email them, call 0084 4 828 0702 or visit their website.
About the Siem Reap Landmine Museum
The museum is approximately 4 km from the World Heritage ruins of Angkor Wat and only 2 km from the bustling streets of Siem Reap. However, on this bumpy, unpaved road amongst a small, young rural community, the tourism boom that's occurring in Siem Reap feels a million miles away.
The museum's founder and director, the quiet and unassuming Mr. Aki Ra, is a 31 year old mine cl earer and former child soldier. As an adult, he worked with the United Nations during the early 1990's to detect and clear the mines that until only 10 years ago, surrounded the now tourist packed grounds of Angkor Wat. This clearing exercise is far from complete, it is estimated that 6 million mines remain in Cambodia. These uncleared mine fields are primarily located along the Thai-Cambodian border, and it is here that Aki Ra regularly journeys to continue the work, unaided by support, external funding or the most basic of detection devices.
When Aki Ra first moved to the region in the late 1990's, it was an isolated and lonely rural landscape, as the local people were too fearful of the mines remaining in the ground to farm and settle. The local village of 500 that has grown up around the museum site is a testament to Aki Ra's extraordinary work in not only clearing the mines, but in educating his neighbors on mine awareness, safety and first aid.
For its simple layout and structure, the museum is a total success in its goal to educate and raise awareness of the continued devastating affect of anti-personal devices not only in Cambodia, but in other war-ravaged regions of the world.
For more information, either contact Buffalo Tours or visit the Landmine Relief Fund's website, which is set up to promote Aki Ra's work.
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Responsible Travel:
Sawyer Lake Adventures, Saskatchewan
Sawyer Lake Adventures is a working farm and nature-based tour operator offering farm stays and soft to moderately difficult adventure tours in the parkland and boreal forest eco-regions of Saskatchewan.
Sawyer Lake Adventures is a four season oper ation which caters to groups of six or less, and specializes in customizing trips. The company's main focus, however, is providing their guests with nature-based experiences and exposing them to the culture of boreal fringe people.
Preserving the culture and traditions of the region is very important to Sawyer Lake Adventures. The rural way of life in Saskatchewan is quickly disappearing, as it is around the world; pressures in agriculture have forced many people to move into the province's urban centers. A lot of the agricultural practices involve large tracts of land that's farmed with large machinery by very few people which compounds the problem, as jobs are not readily available. Sawyer Lake Adventures is one of the few working farms that has consciously 'bucked' that trend. As a result, their economic impact is great because they support a number of local businesses and tradespeople. It's not so much about business as it is about their lifestyle; local people in the region all know and support each other as best they can.
The company's working farm endeavours to be as sustainable as possible and continue with the way of life of the original people of the parkland-boreal forest fringe area. In that regard, their animals are 'working animals'; Horses are used for transportation, logging and field work. Siberean Huskies dogs are used for transportation and helping run the company's trapline. Free-range cattle and poultry are also part of the company's sustainable existence.
The farm features two main structures, which were hand built using materials sourced from the company's land and hauled out with horses and a double bunk sleigh. Most of the food served to guests is harvested from the farm and is for the most part organic.
Guests of Sawyer Lake Adventures are encouraged to get involved in the day-to-day operation of the farm. By taking this approach, they're able to experience how the lifestyle in the region is in harmony with nature and how important nature is to the boreal fringe people on a daily basis.
The company's tours are undertaken by the four traditional modes of travel: horse, dog, canoe and by foot. As such, they use very little motorized transport in supporting their actual tour operations, which is very unique in North America.
So if you haven't made your summer travel plans, consider somewhere closer to home, consider experiencing Saskatchewan. Your patronage will help to support a way of life that is almost gone in this part of the world.
For more information or to learn more about Sawyer Lake Adventures, please visit their listing in STI's Eco-Directory, email them, call 1-306-547-4661 or visit their website.
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Green Tips:
What's the one kind of car noise that's
actually good for your car?
The Bite: Car Talk's Eco Area. Tune in and take notes, because beyond the obvious laugh factor, Click and Clack - the Tappet brothers - are full of green car tips that will have you well on your way to better fuel efficiency and good "car-ma."The Bite:
The Benefits: Click here to learn how you can get more milage out of your vehicle.
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
Other conferences, events and continuing education opportunities include:
- The International Conference on Tourism and Handicrafts was held in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran from May, 13-15, 2006.
- An international Sustainable Tourism Conference with Special Reference to Island and Small States will be held in Valletta, Malta from May 25-25.
- The Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE) is scheduled for June 22-24. BITE 2006 aims to be the prime marketplace for exhibitors keen to target China's huge domestic and international tourism market.
- Hosted by Tai Poutini Polytechnic, the Ecotourism in New Zealand Conference will be held in Shantytown, Greymouth, New Zealand on August 9-11.
- The Adventure Travel Professional Symposium is scheduled for September 8-9 in Orlando, Florida.
- The second annual Tourism Leadership Summit is scheduled for September 13-15 in Orlando, Florida. This learning and networking program is designed specifically for senior management and executives in travel and tourism.
- 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.
A final reminder that Ethical Corporation will be holding a two-day conference on "How to communicate your corporate values to consumers" in Philadelphia on June 14-15, 2006. Topics to be discussed include:
- Strengthened brand values: How to make sure your brand effectively communicates your corporate values and ethics;
- Ethical advertising: How to avoid messy lawsuits and advertise in a way that promotes responsible use of your products;
- Crisis prevention: How to communicate in times of crisis and manage reputational risks; and
- Socially aware consumers: Changes in the consumer landscape and what customers now expect.
Speakers include:
- Seventh Generation, Jeffrey Hollender, Founder and CEO
- Coleman Natural Foods, Mel Coleman, Chairman
- Organic Valley, George Siemon, CEO
- Philip Morris USA, Vicky Bell, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility
- Coors Brewing Company, Terry Micek, Deputy General Counsel and VP of Regulatory Affairs
- Patagonia, Rick Ridgeway, VP of Communications and Environmental Initiatives
- Merck, David Ruth, Vice President of Corporate Communications
- BP, Howard Miller, General Manager, Corporate Reputation, North America
- Greenpeace, Rick Hind, Legislative Director, Toxics Campaign
- Transfair USA, Steve Sellers, Chief Operating Officer
- And many, many more!
For more information, visit Ethical Corporation's website.
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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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