Comments on: The Inconvenient Truth About Green Travel

By: John L

John L — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:51:31 +0000

Lola’s right. Buying carbon offsets is better than doing nothing at all to help the planet. Small steps. As for volunteer vacations, often it’s the traveler who receives the greatest benefit – in seeing the world with new eyes, in being changed for good by an unforgettable experience. It’s all good. No need for cynicism, yet constant challenge is good.

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By: Tim Patterson

Tim Patterson — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:18:48 +0000

Jamie, I’ve just had a look at your site and look forward to more.

Would also like to point people to the Green Guides David Miller is publishing over at BNT’s sister site, thetravelersnotebook.com.

Green Guide to Puerto Rico

Green Guide to Bangkok

More Green Guides

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By: Jamie

Jamie — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:38:01 +0000

I think we need to make a clear distinction between ‘green’ travel and ‘low carbon’ carbon travel. The best way to confront the challenge of climate change is to calculate and reduce our individual carbon footprints. In the UK at least it’s becoming clear that offsetting is not a sustainable answer, and is more about getting rid of guilt than somehow compensating for the pollution (as we know, it’s not possible to remove CO2 from the atmosphere once it’s there).

I’ve started a website about how to travel without flying – http://www.loco2.co.uk – and soon we’ll be launching the slow travel manifesto at http://www.slowtravel.org.uk along with Ed from http://www.lowcarbontravel.com.

My personal opinion is that social, and even local environmental problems, will never be completely solved, but that we seriously have to do something about the global problem of climate change simply to ensure the survival of our race. That’s why I don’t fly, and that’s why I seek truly low carbon alternatives as I satisfy my natural desire to learn about global culture.

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By: Lola Akinmade

Lola Akinmade — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:02:29 +0000

Great article Jenn. Very insightful.

And I do agree with Elizabeth – “every journey begins within a single step”.

While we may perceive ourselves to be progressive in terms of slow travel and overall environmental consciousness, we represent a small fraction of worldwide travelers.

Every little bit counts.

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By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:41:09 +0000

Jenn- Very thought provoking post. I think that Green Travel is an often over used word today, but every journey begins with a single step. And quite frankly, every small step each individual takes to even think more about their impact is a step in the right direction. I think “greenwashing” is becoming all too common. I recently investigated “green hotels” and found that many websites that claim to list environmentally friendly hotels are actually just membership directories where nearly any hotel can pay to be listed there. (If your curious about this take a deeper look at some of the green hotel directories’ membership discusstions. http://gogreentravelgreen.com/green-hotels-green-accommodation/finding-environmentally-friendly-hotels-through-green-accreditation-directories/ )

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By: Jenn B.

Jenn B. — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:56:28 +0000

Hi Alice! Thanks for your comment, and I wholeheartedly agree that reserves and eco-tourism are important! Single-crop banana farming has damaged eastern Costa Rica irrevocably. I simply have problems with the idea that green travel is as easy as swiping a credit card.

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By: alice

alice — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:36:04 +0000

I do not know about the Costa Rican refuge you mentioned but I do know that in other countries eco-tourism has helped to encourage and support traditional land use. It has allowed farmers to farm in sustainable ways that had previously been discouraged by governments encouraging Western single crop styles of farming.

I agree the issues are complex and the local people must be part of the solution and must be provided with opportunities as part of long term sustainable solutions.

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By: Julie

Julie — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:21:21 +0000

Fantastic article, and all the more so because you include tips that are practical AND philosophical without being overly simplistic or concluding that there are no steps to take.
I totally agree- sinking yourself into a culture as deeply as possible is the only way to understand the complex underpinnings of any phenomenon, especially one as complicated as the intersection of economics and place.
To your call to action list, I’d add forging relationships with locals over food. Someone on Matador’s forums posted the link http://www.dinewithlocals.com that intrigued me. I haven’t checked it out, but I can definitely say that when my husband and I lived in Puerto Rico and he offered his services as a private chef to tourists and travelers who wanted to experience PR by eating in someone’s home, this was an amazing way not only to connect with people, but to learn lots about the history, culture, and current events and conflicts of places. Our guests learned lots from us, but we also learned so much from them– people from Canada, the US, and all over the world. I’d like to think that they left with a broader vision of Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and the effects of colonialism, and that we were left with a desire to learn more about the places they were from. While not “green” in the strictly environmental sense, how could we ever extricate the challenges and joy’s of people’s lives from the physical places they inhabit?
And if we could, why would we want to?

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By: Jenn B.

Jenn B. — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:18:08 +0000

Thanks, Tim, Chrystine, and Jacob, for your thoughts. Tim, I’d like to hear more about the marketing component of green travel. Jacob, I have to respectfully disagree that all green impulses are shallow, because it’s up to us to give them depth, keep them grounded, and to look outside of the box for solutions. And Chrystine, that’s a great point about listening to the people who live in a place to be able to make effective change. You also seem to have a deep understanding of the rewards and challenges of working in the environmental sector. And yes, we have to accept that consciousness will change in small steps. My only worry is that while “eco” is so trendy now, doesn’t everything that’s trendy eventually become outdated?