One of the things to think about when traveling green is the travel distance – not only for you and your family but also for everything you use on your holiday – it all has to come from somewhere. Here are three areas where paying attention to travel distance can reduce your environmental impact.:
1. Trains, Planes & Automobiles
The negative impacts of transport are well known and one way of being a green traveler is to stick close to home, however, if you decide to travel further afield, there are ways to reduce your environmental impact.
First consider how you are traveling. It is impossible to say exactly which form of transport is more environmentally friendly for a particular journey without considering all the variables such as vehicle maintenance, fuel consumption and infrastructure. However generally trains are more environmentally friendly than cars, and both of these are better than flying. If you do have to fly, Treehugger suggests that aside from offsetting carbon emissions, choosing direct flights, not flying business class and packing lighter will help reduce your environmental impact.
2. Employees Have to Travel Too
Another factor is how far employees have to travel to the hotels, shops are restaurants you visit during your holiday. The trips to and from work for employees quickly add up in terms of environmental impact and it is worth considering how employee travel is supported by the companies you use. Do the companies provide employees with discounted public transport (if available), are they committed to employing people in the local area or if you are in a remote destination – are employees offered housing so they can stay on-site?
3. Where Does Your Food Come From?
A lot of people want new experiences on holiday but still prefer to eat the same food they get at home. Many popular holiday destinations have to import most of what tourists consume which also contributes to waste disposal problems – particularly in small island destinations. When eating out choose food that is grown locally or at least within the same country rather than imported from overseas. Also check whether the hotels and restaurants you use support locally grown produce getting their supplies from local farmers where possible.
The World Travel and Tourism Council have announced the twelve finalists for the 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. There were over 160 entries from 45 countries for the awards that recognise best practice in sustainable tourism.
The 2010 finalists are:
Destination Stewardship Award
This award goes to a destination with a network of tourism enterprises that show success and dedication to maintaining a programme of sustainable tourism management.
Conservation Award
This award is for a tourism business that can demonstrate a tangible contribution to the conservation of natural heritage.
Community Benefit Award
The Community Benefit Award is for a tourism business that can demonstrate direct benefits to local people.
Global Tourism Business Award
This award recognises best practices in sustainable tourism at a large company level.
Winners will be announced on 26 May 2010.
With the increasing awareness of the number of threatened and endangered animals in the world, there is also a greater concern as to what actions individuals can take to support endangered animals and (hopefully) ensure they survive for future generations.
Here are 8 ways you can support endangered animals:
- Become more aware: There are a huge number of organisations throughout the world working with endangered animals. By learning more about the different species and what impacts them, the more you’ll be able to help. The World Wildlife Fund website is a great place to start.
- Join an organisation that supports endangered animals: Many organisations are working to save endangered and threatened species. Some concentrate on a particular species or geographical area while others undertake work internationally for a whole range of flora and fauna.
- Support national parks: Have you visited a national park this year? Do you where your closest national parks are? By visiting national parks and participating in their activities, you give government a reason to protect habitats.
- Don’t buy anything made from threatened or endangered animals: A wide range of products can be made from parts of animals and it is not uncommon to find jewelery made from turtle shell or coral, whale bone carvings or traditional medicines containing bear or tiger parts. While many countries are signed up to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) making trade illegal, these products can still be found in a number of countries or on auction websites. If in doubt, don’t buy.
- Reduce your carbon footprint: Sea level rises as a result of climate change are blamed for destroying habitats which is one of main threats to endangered animals. Reduce your carbon footprint by taking action to reduce the amount of energy you use.
- Reduce and reuse: By not consuming new products, you reduce your energy consumption and the demand for raw materials – consider the world demand for wood and paper products and how many trees that consumes.
- Volunteer your time: Conservation organisations around the world need help with a variety of tasks such as working in education centers, planting trees or cutting scrub.
- Think about the presents you buy: Both the World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy have programs where you can buy a unique present and donate money to endangered animals at the same time. No idea what to get Aunt Mildred this year – how about a gift certificate to send a turtle to rehab or an acre of grassland in Africa.
|
|
|
