Save Eco Destinations

photo courtesy of Sheknows.com

Last year, Responsible Travel published a study indicating that more women than men are making ecologically responsible changes in their lives, including where and how they choose to travel for their holidays, EcoTravelLogue reported.

Out of the people who booked eco-friendly holidays online via Responsible Travel, 67% were women! That is a lot of women vs. men. It makes me wonder—why?

I can think of one essentialist and totally debatable argument: women, perhaps because of their bodily cycles, are more in tune with nature and thus empathize more with the Earth’s environmental woes than men do. I would say this is probably true of some women, but absolutely not true of all. After all, it’s full of women (and men) out there who have no idea what’s going on outside with the environment their apartments and offices; they only know when they start menstruating.

Menstruation is in no way a cause of environmental awareness, let alone a cause of green activism.

But whatever the reason, it’s a fascinating and intriguing subject.

Of these 67% of women, 37% opted to travel by themselves. This underscores the increase in independent travel—as well as women earning more money than they used to in relation to men, which allows them to afford traveling alone. While the gender pay gap is still running rampant—no question about that—it is slowly narrowing in some areas, such as academia.

Also, more women are taking charge of their careers and financial security by becoming independent workers: running their own companies, becoming freelancers, and so on. As well, it has become more socially acceptable to travel alone, no longer being indicative of the person being a loser. Women are becoming more active, independent, and brave. But we already knew that.

The world is changing and the waves of progress are rippling across the continents to myriad corners of the (okay, mostly Western) world and our culture.

Of the 67% of women, 45% booked a holiday for two (whether it’s the woman booking the trip or her partner, who could be female or male, who is the green traveling nut, remains unknown).

Do these figures ring true for you? Do you think there’s a gender aspect to green travel?

A loggerhead turtle (photo by Wikimedia)

Green turtles and loggerheads residing in the “marine turtles sanctuary” on the Riviera Maya’s Virgin Beaches are about to lose their home.

The Punta Carey complex and the Grupo Posadas, according to unofficial sources, have been destroying this protected habitat and effectively committing ecocide. What for? Why, so Grupo Posadas can build a tourist complex and make investors happy, of course!

Although the Grupo Posadas is currently wreaking eco havoc in an area adjacent to Xcacel-Xcacelito, ecologists say the turtles’ habitat and breeding will be affected and that the ecosystem will soon be lost.

But, you know, since the tourist complex will be sustainable, I guess all is A-ok! It’s odd, though, that those in charge of the construction are MIA. Meanwhile, the city, its people, and authorities are keeping their eyes and ears on the elections in Tulum. Manuel Barrero Gutiérrez, director of Tulum’s Urban Development, claims to have been ignorant about the Grupo Posadas project. On Wednesday, his personnel will be visiting the site to conduct the corresponding inspections, which require certain looking after the environment. If the project doesn’t meet the proper standards, it will be shut down.

The area comprises 90 acres of jungle, mangrove, coastal dune, beaches, cenotes, and coralline reefs. It’s the most important beach in Mexico for these turtles to nest; biologists venture out at night to help protect the eggs and young. The turtles come to Xcacel-Xcacelito in May through October.

The project was announced in 2006 and requires $ 26.7 million to develop. It will consist of 250 rooms throughout 370 acres. A development of similar magnitude and cause of ecocide is the Ho­tel Pa­raí­so Xca­cel del Gru­po Gon­zá­lez An­gu­lo.

Green female turtle nesting on the beach

The Philippines, where almost 26 million people (30%) currently live in poverty, has been brewing up big, green plans to help boost its economy. Its goals are to instill socially and environmentally responsible, ecologically sustainable, and community-friendly methods and projects to create more jobs and draw in tourism.

As Ecotourism Philippines tells us, the following statement by the National Ecotourism Congress in Bohol got the ball rolling: “The State shall develop and promote ecotourism as a tool for sustainable development to support the development, management, protection and conservation of the country’s environment, natural resources and cultural heritage. The state shall establish an integrating system to focus greater efforts to sustain the viability of ecotourism development in the country.”

The Philippines provides many options for eco activities: trekking/hiking/mountaineering, bird and other wildlife watching, diving and snorkeling, caving, kayaking/canoeing/rafting, and surfing.

By exploring the jungles you will find the kinds of tribesmen you see on National Geographic documentaries, waterfalls, cliffs, pure forests-a lot of unharmed nature lays in the Philippines. For example, Lake Danao in Leyte has been “the cleanest body of water” in the area for three years now.

Another example is Olango Island (located 5 km. east of Mactan Island) becomes the home of thousands of migratory birds from February to April each year. The Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary is a 920-hectare area composed of “extensive coralline sandflats, mangroves, seagrass beds, and offshore coral reefs.” It’s a universally recognized wetland known for its unique faunal and floral biodiversity.

And as far as eco hotels in the Philippines, I found a few. Many participate in green activities, but not many are green themselves, offering constant AC and other traditional amenities.

One that I found is located in Manila, Edsa Shangri-la Manila, but only got 2 out of 5 eco-friendly branches ($169+). It is the only eco hotel listed in Green Travel Hub. A high-end, eco-hotel is Cacao Pearl Island in Palawan.

Another place to search for travel ideas, packages, and hotels is Responsible Travel.

image by yoshiffles

Maybe you’re running short on cash. Maybe you want to get to know the state, or the country, see the gradual transformation of the lush green mountains of Kentucky into the flat, swampy Everglades in Florida, or drive from one side of the Andes to the other (on the Chile side, you can see both the Andes and the beach from any spot!).

Whatever the reason, sometimes the idea of taking a road trip is very appealing. With this decision, though, come others: how to deal with your car’s carbon emissions, how to pay for gas, how to minimize how much gas you need, how to stabilize the temperature in the car, how to minimize waste, and plenty more.

Here are some things you can do to green up your trip:

• Trade your car (or plane!) trip for a train or bus trip. Public transportation always beats driving your own car. You will be producing smaller amounts of greenhouse gasses per passenger mile/kilometer and spending less money overall. Traveling by bus means reducing the pollution of cars, motorcycles, and trucks by two-thirds! A giant difference. Also keep in mind that rails pollute more than buses, and planes, well, they double the pollution of buses (intercity travel).

• If you’re set on traveling by car, try to travel in a fuel-efficient car. See some here and read up on fuel economy here.

• If your car is not fuel-efficient, just prepare it properly: tune your engine and check the tires to get better gas mileage (which will benefit your car’s “health” and save you money!).

• Renting a car? Choose fuel-efficient! Obviously. Many rental companies will offer you this eco friendly option. Hybrids are preferable; otherwise, choose a subcompact, compact, or economy car. Larger vehicles always use up more gas.

• Carpool! Another no-brainer. Seriously. I don’t care that your cousin listens to death metal. Wear ear plugs.

• Plan ahead! Bring reusable containers, not Ziplocs (unless you plan on washing and reusing them). Tupperware to take leftovers from restaurants, travel mugs for your coffee, and so on. Also, get your directions straight to avoid wasting excess gas. And don’t forget your biodegradable sunscreen!

• When you stop for gas or to rest, turn off the engine. Just like when you leave a room and you switch off the light. Same thing. It’s a good habit.

• Drive under the speed limit to save on gas, and at a mellow pace if possible. Consider taking back roads and other less-traveled paths instead of the highway.

• See if you can find any green hotels to stay at, go camping, or maybe try Couch Surfing and teach your gracious host(ess) how to green up her/his living quarters! Choose what you want to do and research how to make it green. It’s your responsibility.

Any experiences taking a green road trip?

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Fly to Cancún and drive 90 minutes SW and you will find the Hacienda Chichen Resort & Yaxkin Spa. It almost sounds like Hacienda Kitchen, but it’s not (although the stay does sound delicious).

Let me preface the post by telling you that they have a huge pool, wi-fi access, and AC-they have a ways to go still. But the resort has a lot of things going for it, regardless. Read on.

At the Hacienda Chichen Resort you can go on a jungle tour in their Maya Jungle Conservation Reserve with a Mayan guide (makes sense, right?), check out their protected Bird Refuge, archaeological sites, various eco-cultural activities, and get a massage with coconut oil, cacao (pronounced ca-cow) butter, and raw sugar (is this making you hungry, too?) at their spa when you return. Then, feast on organic fruits and vegetables grown in the resort’s own garden; they offer a gourmet fusion menu.

They use a state-of-the-art eco-friendly septic system to manage their waste, which purifies and recycles water through bio-digestible tanks and artificial wetlands. The resort uses biodegradable amenities and cleaning products. They have AC and power-saving lights and encourage guests to turn them off when leaving the room. They employ low construction density, reduce and recycle plastic and other materials, and encourage each other to choose bikes over cars.

You can even have a green and epic wedding just steps from the Chichen Itza ruins. Follow up with a visit to the Yaxkin Spa, a Top Wellness Holistic Mayan Spa, and become immortal! (Okay, that last part is a lie.) But the Hacienda Chichen seems like a supreme place to have a wedding, not to mention a phenomenal vacation. When everyone is headed to the beach, you can go check out waterfalls and 157 different types of birds.

The Hacienda has deals you can take advantage of, such as their discount mini-vacation packages. When you return, you can bring souvenirs such as jewelry and textiles, which you can find at the Toh Boutique-speaking of which, some of the Mayan jewelry’s sales benefit the Maya Foundation in Laakeech, dedicated to the welfare of Mayan communities with an eco-aware angle, which the resort and spa owners founded.

FYI: $120+/night.

And remember to add us on Twitter http://twitter.com/EcoDestinations!

Composting toilet at El Santuario by terriem

El Santuario Eco-Retreat – Loreto, Baja California ($120+/night)

This retreat is located on the coast, inside the Loreto National Marine Park (thoughts?? this seems awful to me), 25 mi. away from Loreto (so you can be sure the spot is tranquil!). Last September an Olive Ridley sea turtle laid her eggs in front of the Santuario, and locals saw 100 eggs hatch.  Doesn’t sound that ideal to me, but it’s better than opting for a nesting ground by a Hilton.

The retreat runs off solar power for hot water and electricity (no hair dryers here!) and has composting toilets located outside the rooms. They serve locally caught fish and vegetarian meals, including organic fruits and vegetables. You can go hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, mule riding (which is humiliating for the mules), and take boat trips. You may want to leave your laptop at home, as there is no indication of them providing internet access.

El Retoño

El Retoño Eco Lodge – Coatepec, Veracruz ($75-95)

This lodge was built in a colonial town within the mountains, amid the mist of the jungle. What’s cool is that this section of Mexico is trying to thrive off sustainability instead of raping nature through destructive practices and careless agriculture. El Retoño is part of this effort, and works with the community toward the end of preserving the original state of nature.

El Retoño has a library (wow!!), a movie-viewing room, a sauna, and guests can access the kitchen and make use of it. Each suite has a living room and bedroom with locally manufactured decorations. This is how they keep it eco: “all rain water and lodge water is collected and used, low voltage lights and dual flush toilets are standard, trash is separated and recycled, compost is generated from organic trash, and sheets and towels are changed between guests or every third day.”

You can go mountain climbing, hiking, bird-watching, and river rafting. I think I’m in love. I just wonder about the sewage treatment.

Balamku's cabanas on the beach

Balamku Inn on the Beach – Costa Maya, Quintana Roo ($70-85)

Talk of Tulum is everywhere. If you’d rather lay lower than that, you could try Costa Maya, just south of Mahahual, a tranquil fishing village. There you will find Balamku Inn on the Beach, where kayaks are included in the price of the room as well as wi-fi and breakfast. The inn runs on wind and solar power, rainwater, and recycled gray water, and the bathrooms have low-flush composting toilets.

There are horseback rides, jungle excursions, water sports (remember your biodegradable sunscreen or t-shirt!!), and even (unfortunately) deep-sea and fly fishing trips with local fishermen can be arranged.

A tourist ascending the Ek Balam Tower steps - photo by dustin_j_williams

Genesis Retreat Ek Balam – Central Yucatán ($44-54; $85 for family) Note: not on the coast.

This lodge lies on a private, grassy acre located 330 yards from the ruins of Ek Balam (which you can visit on one of the retreat’s tours). The retreat uses recycled water for their landscaping, the pool is bio-filtered, chemical-free, and built from natural stones, and hot water showers are pressurized. All cabanas have fans and one cabin has air conditioning. There are artists and writers working retreats, nature tours, a photo workshop, singles retreats, and more, and they rent out mountain bikes. The hotel’s owners, I am happy to report, not only serve vegetarian meals (in addition to traditional and regional foods), but are also animal activists!!

If you have any information or comments about these places, please do share it with us.

“Banyan Tree concept is having the guests and owners feel as if they are in the nature, in the surrounding habitat, and not within human built structures.”

The residences are being finished and people will be moving in next month. Some of the villas are on sale right now, striving to ensnare the rich and fashionable elite. There will also be a resort.

Since its inception 14 years ago, Banyan Tree has won 400 awards that “reflect Banyan Tree’s sustainable growth and expansion.”

Banyan Tree has residences and hotels spread across the globe and particularly in China. These
Developments are known for its opulent and luxurious style. Their goal here is to “create an intimate, ecological haven” comprised of 132 villas (50 of them being sold to investors). Each villa will have its own 240-600 sq. ft. pool, roomy outdoor terrace, and sundeck, because “at Banyan Tree we create emotional experiences for our guests.”

The Eco in Banyan Tree Mayakoba

Banyan Tree Mayakoba has integrated ecologists and biologists to its staff to ensure the surrounding ecosystems—composed of the beach, lagoons, and mangrove jungles—are preserved despite their intrusion into the land. “Each property minimizes the impact on the ecology and is dedicated to carrying out local community development,” reads one of its websites.  But I wonder.

No details have been offered as to their sewage treatment or how they plan to educate their guests to recycle and dispose of their waste, among other issues. Their championship PGA TOUR event golf course, though, “bears the Audubon International certification for environmental stewardship and awareness.” Does this mean no phosphates are released into the ecosystem? Not necessarily, although I hope so.

I’m probably just being paranoid. I just find it hard to believe everything I read these days, particularly when details are missing and especially when big companies are involved.

La Zebra Beach Cantina & Cabanas in Tulum, MX spent much of 2008 converting their beach hotel into a green haven.

No electricity on the beach meant they had to make their own, as they wanted their guests to be able to check their email and get cold drinks 24/7. Six-kw wind turbines solved that issue. Next: how to dispose of sewage. As you know, most hotels pump their sewage into the ground (they want to share it with everyone—how generous!). La Zebra wanted to take a different approach, so they set up two Bio-Microbics FAST systems that produce recyclable, 99% clean water. Apparently, other hotels’ systems in Tulum produce less than 70% clean water and are often unreliable, thus polluting surrounding ecosystems.

For the water itself, they turned to a well with a low salt content water, which they combined with fresh water they get delivered to their premises daily by truck (how green is this, exactly?). No mention as to where the water comes from, or the carbon footprint involved in this ordeal.

They have their own organic herb and vegetable garden yielding mint, sugar cane, basil, passion fruit, and other delicious foods and practice composting and recycling of plastic and aluminum products. And they show their love for the ecosystem by doing their part to protect turtle eggs from poachers by way of patrols on ATVs, who collect the eggs and “protect” them.

For 2009, there are plans of a solar hot water system and a reverse osmosis water purification system for creating drinking water onsite.

Now, on their blog, La Zebra boasts that their “cocktails … are actually really really healthy”:

“First we started with the La Zebra margarita, which is made with fresh pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, a pinch grated ginger, a dash of organic agave honey and topped with good quality tequila.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, that sounds pretty tasty. But touting cocktails as healthy seems misleading to me. Pineapple juice and agave honey (actually agave nectar, which tastes like honey but is plant-derived) equal a lot of sugar, simple carbohydrates. The vitamin C in the pineapple and the lime disappear within the first 10 minutes of the fruit being juiced. Ginger is wonderful for the immune system, but a pinch may not do it. And “good quality tequila” neither tells us which brand we’d be getting, nor is healthy in any way. While I love imaginative and delectable cocktails, I do not appreciate attempts at fooling me into thinking my margarita is a superfood.

This leads me to wonder whether other highlights of the resort are exaggerated or misleading, but I’m probably just being cynical.

Has anyone been to La Zebra who could share his or her opinions?

I find this issue fascinating, so I wanted to delve into it deeper. Here we go –

Corals:

Scientific studies ascertained a relationship between the approximately 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen melting off swimmers’ skins and the quickly increasing decline in corals. It turns out that four common sunscreen ingredients (octinoxate, oxybenzone 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, and the preservative butylparaben) activate dormant viruses in corals, which go on to destroy algae—what corals feed on, and without which corals turn white and die.

About 60% of reefs around the world are currently in danger of dying due to global warming, excess UV radiation, and human activity—whether because anchors and boats tear through them, we pollute them with our garbage, or we drown them in our skincare products.

According to the European Commission, the chemicals in sunscreen and other skincare products are so harmful that areas such as marine eco-parks in Mexico straight-out ban them. These chemicals “can accumulate in aquatic animals, have an estrogen-like effect and biodegrade into toxic by-products.”

When they added low quantities of sunscreen to water around coral reefs, they found that “large amounts of coral mucous … was (sic) released within 18-48 hours. Within 96 hours, complete bleaching of corals had occurred.” Previously dormant viruses residing within the corals came alive and triggered widespread infections, effects also caused by pesticides and other pollutants.It only takes 20 minutes in the water for 25% of the harmful ingredients in your sunscreen to be released into the water.

Fish:

All the way back in 2006, the University of Applied Sciences in Basil, Switzerland, found endocrine disruptors (UV filters) in fish—male fish with not only sperm, but also female eggs. Read more here.

Humans:

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) conducted research on 1,031 common brands of sunscreen last year. They found that:

• 4 out of 5 do not offer adequate protection from the sun’s harmful rays
• many include ingredients that may be unsafe
• best-selling sunscreens (e.g. Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Neutrogena) proved to be the worst offenders. Here is the best and worst list: Find your sunscreen.
• many sunscreens only protect against UVB radiations (which cause sunburns), and not UVA radiations (which cause skin damage, aging, immune system problems, and skin cancer)
• 46% of sunscreens contain ingredients that break down under UV rays within minutes or hours, letting UV rays damage your skin
• sunscreens in the form of powder and spray make it easier for toxic nano-scale ingredients to get into your body than lotion sunscreens containing the same ingredients
• some sunscreens—and their toxic ingredients (namely, oxybenzone and other UV filters)—enter the bloodstream. These ingredients may exude free radicals in the sunlight, disrupt the endocrine system, cause allergies, and build up in the body
• the FDA is not currently taking care of these issues, so you must do so for yourself

Read more here.

SOLUTION: wear biodegradable sunscreens without questionable ingredients, apply it  repeatedly to the skin, wear a hat, and wear UV-resistant clothing (e.g. Solartex and No Zone) .