Save Eco Destinations

What do you do when you go out to eat/drink/be merry and the establishment you frequent fails to offer recycling/reusing services?

In my case, there’s a sweet bar in South Beach with 300 beers for $4 each. You can imagine how full it gets and the thousands of beers they must sell each day… yet they do not recycle aluminum. Or plastic. Or glass!

And recently my partner and I have been increasingly eating at a particular sushi restaurant chain in Miami. After drinking our beers, since we often end up at different locations, I ask the employees, “So where should I place these [bottles] for recycling?” and I inevitably get the answer, “We don’t recycle. Sorry.” Pow! Right in the kisser. Sort of. You know what I mean. And I didn’t even ask about the disposable plastic “plates” or wooden chopsticks because I knew what the answer would be. Pretty depressing.

Another example is that various delicious self-serve frozen yogurt places only provide disposable containers for the decadent, sugar-filled delicacies that end up lushly (ha!) expanding my thighs (but the delicious factor wins, folks, which is why I ate a variety of those suckers for dinner last night). So would you bring your own reusable container? I bet Tupperware would work, or a wafer bowl that I could devour along with the frozen dessert. Eureka!

What do you do?

a)      Take the items in question home with you to reuse or recycle. (Pro: you can ensure that the items will be reused or recycled. Con: everyone else’s items will still go in the trash.)

b)      Write a letter or email to the supervisor or head of the company and kindly discuss how recycling services would benefit the establishment’s reputation, social responsibility, and so on.

c)       Boycott the establishment, either depriving yourself of the service/item or doing/making it yourself in a sustainable fashion. [Pro: you’ll be a DIY god(ess). Con: everyone else will continue to produce waste.]

d)      Continue to go but bring your own reusable containers, if possible (Pro: you’ll be awesome. Con: everyone else will continue to produce waste.)

e)      Continue to go about your eco-deathly routines, [albeit] ridden with rancid guilt. (Pro: none. Con: you and everyone else will continue to produce waste. Epic fail.)

f)       [Fill in the blank]

What would you add to this list? Share your wisdom!

This post was supposed to be part two of an October celebrations series, but it turns out all the fun days came early this month – except for Halloween and one other day, so I’m going to skip the other October celebrations and focus on these two.

It turns out that you can take a National Tour of Solar Homes every October throughout the United States. Not as fun as Halloween, but it’s a start! Click here to find a tour near you, U.S. denizens!

Now, on to the fun stuff. I’m a fat kid at heart, so anything related to candy rocks in my eyes. Of course, I pretty much stick to vegan candy these days, so it’s not so easy to a) eat everything I steal from trick-or-treaters, or b) raid the candy shelves at Walgreens and CVS on November 1^st. Really, if it weren’t for costumes and alcohol, Halloween would suck for adults.

I’ll leave the alcohol to you. Meanwhile, here are some eco costume ideas so you can get ready to party with stuff you can find in your own home, borrow, and/or buy for very cheap:

• Murder victim: wear a white shirt with ketchup or corn syrup dyed red. Smear red on your face, wear your hair messy hair, and have your kid put grey makeup on your eyes and lips and white or pale powder on face.
• Static Cling: Wear one single color from head to toe. Use safety pins to pin socks, underwear, bounce sheets, etc., to your clothes. Optional: spray your hair straight up in the air.
• Black-eyed Pea: This one’s to encourage healthy eating. Paint one of your eyes black (as if you’d gotten punched in the face) and paint a big “P” on your shirt (or cut it out of construction paper and pin it to your shirt).
• Laundry basket – full of clean or dirty clothes: Wear sweatpants and a sweatshirt or perhaps tights and a turtleneck depending on the weather/where you’ll be. Cut a hole in the bottom of a thin plastic laundry basket that you can fit through. Cut the hole small enough so it will rest on your hips after you pull it over your head. Fill the basket with laundry (clean? Dirty? Clean and dirty? There are so many choices!) and use safety pins to pin a few dryer softener sheets to your shirt.
• Partly cloudy with a chance of showers: Wear sky blue clothes (maybe snag some surgical scrubs from a thrift store), glue cotton to yourself in patches and carry a squirt gun filled with pumpkin vodka. Okay, I’ve never seen pumpkin vodka but I would totally drink it if it existed. Pumpkin vodka!!
• Grapes: Dress in all green or with green pants and a brown top. Blow up purple balloons and pin them to yourself.

For more ideas, check out Eco Fabulous. They even tell you about a nifty black cat flashlight that’s useful when trick-or-treating!

Also, if a costume swap sounds cool to you, go here!

Hello there!

In this post, I’m going to share with you some special dates for the month of October as well as something we can all practice today, September 28. Show your compassion for the planet and your fellow beings!

Here’s a list of events and celebrations for the next few weeks:

September 28: Green Consumer Day – Of course, the best way to be a green consumer is … tun tun tun … not to be a consumer at all! But if you must succumb, consider purchasing something used or recycled instead of a shiny new (even if “green”) gadget/garment/whatever-you-need. Unless it’s food. You probably shouldn’t buy used food, whatever that would be.

October 1: World Vegetarian Day – This one is particularly special for me, as I’ve been a vegetarian for the past 14 years and an on-and-off vegan. October is Vegetarian Awareness Month, although I’ll admit I’m not sure what that means. Anyway, take it a step further and celebrate Meat-Free Monday too for a happier planet and a happier you! Plus, it’s cheaper if you stay away from fake meats.

October 1-7: World Wildlife Week – Help raise awareness about the importance of preserving wildlife by “adopting” a wild animal or species for cheap to keep wildlife in the wild (choose from 100 species! Note: this makes a sweet present for birthdays and holidays), signing petitions, educating others on boycotting exotic animals and animal parts, and whatever else you can think of.

October 3/4: World Animal Welfare Day – Look for an event in your area, as this event is celebrated worldwide! I, for one, will be attending an event in downtown Buenos Aires on Sunday. There will be vegetarian food and general super-awesomeness! Here’s some info on events going on in New York City, Venezuela y Argentina. Dates might vary by a day, so make sure you go on the right one!

October 4: World Habitat Day – Held annually on the first Monday of October, the United Nations says this is a day to ponder the state of our towns and cities and the basic right of everyone to adequate housing and to remember our collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.

“The United Nations chose the theme Better City, Better Life to highlight our collective vision of a sustainable urban world that harnesses the potential and possibilities, mitigates inequalities and disparities, and provides a home for people of all cultures and ages, both rich and poor.”

Read more here.

More events coming up in the next post.

Going green is cheap and it can even save you money. (So even if you don’t care about the environment, you have some robust motivation to get you going!)

One way to go green is to kill all your electricity vampires. Just wear necklaces made from raw garlic. All day.

All right, I’m only kidding — there are certainly more efficient ways to fend off vampires!

Vampire power, and how to pound a stake through its heart

You see those little red lights flashing after you turn your TV, cell phone, computer, etc., off? That’s electricity being used up! This is called “standby power” or “vampire power” and it sucks up a yearly 5% of household electricity use in the U.S. (read: $10 billion) and 10-15% in Japan, Germany, and the Netherlands, according to the EPA. A real – and fully preventable! – shame.

Turn off and unplug all electronics when not in use. To simplify this task, you can plug all cords into a switchable power strip and turn it off to get all appliances in one go.

Track your energy vampires:

• Power supplies and transformers
• VCR/DVD players and certain audio systems
• Some home video game consoles
• TVs and set-top boxes
• Microwaves
• Computers, digital monitors, fax machines, and printers
• Remote-operated AC systems
• Devices featuring “instant on” functions
• Devices with a stand-by light or clock, e.g., alarms you have to plug into the wall (you might only want to unplug these when you’re going away for a few days)
• Power adapters/battery chargers, regardless of whether they are powering a device (used for digital cameras, cell phones, etc. – always unplug them when you’re finished charging your device!)

Read more about which appliances suck up power here.

When available, always do your best to replace energy suckers such as dishwashers, electric ovens, AC, and water heaters with energy efficient alternatives.

And don’t be fooled by computer screen savers – they aren’t saving you any power!

Caveat: This post isn’t on ecotourism.

I was just listening to the radio as I drove (yes, I feel guilty, but public transportation in this city is pathetic) to my friend’s house to babysit his kid (I know, what?!), and someone began to speak about hope and its importance.

She highlighted the recent catastrophe in Haiti, just like everyone has been doing lately. I think that’s great: we should be paying attention to these things and feeling compassion and, hopefully, hope that things will improve, that those affected will see the light at the end of the tunnel as quickly as possible. Hope is super positive.

But this is what I keep thinking: What about all the other natural disasters and catastrophes worldwide that are going on right now?

It’s like people only remember the events that are on the news, so when there aren’t stories about women being systematically raped in Darfur and Congo, deforestation in the Amazon, devastated refugee camps in the Balkans, and on and on and on, they seem to be forgotten.

Why do we seldom hear of people praying for those who are suffering except when a terrible event has just occurred?

This will sound terrible, but it’s as though this burst of compassion is “in” at the moment and people are just “into it” to be popular, you know what I mean? Otherwise people retreat into their privileged bubbles and shut everything out, especially things like this (they usually leave room for celebrity gossip and whatnot, for some reason… not that there’s anything wrong with that, but wouldn’t balance be better?).

The calamity in Haiti is the thing to be discussing right now, where donations are going, where organizations are focusing their efforts– and I think that is fantastic, naturally – but why are we ignoring the suffering elsewhere in the world? It’s not gone. It’s still there, “vivito y coleando” – alive and kicking.

Let’s not forget about the rampant suffering all over the world, and let’s spread love for and to them too.

Just think: an amount as small as USD 2 can constitute a microloan for an impoverished woman in a developing country.

So it doesn’t take much to affect positive change – and we don’t have to choose one cause over the other when it takes so little to help.

Be kind, be grateful, be appreciative, be generous. Spread love. All over.

Besides, what goes around, comes around. So spread love!

What are your thoughts?

In the recent post Ecotourism in the Everglades of South Florida, Cinthia Pacheco touched on The Everglades Day Safari, which appears to be an example of a greenwashing company due to the vagueness of its eco claims and general dearth of information on its purported environmental responsibility.

Pete Corradino, a guide for the aforementioned Everglades safari and board member of the Society for Ethical Ecotourism (SEE), got in touch through this blog and wrote that his company is fully committed to preserving the Everglades. He also said that, even though SEE’s 2009 certification criteria is not yet available online, it will be in June 2010. At that time, anyone will be able to access it for self-assessment. Further, he’s offered to email me a copy. [EDIT: Corradino has apparently changed his mind!]

That’s doubly fantastic, and both Cinthia and I are very grateful that he has taken the time to talk to us about the Everglades Day Safari and SEE both in the comments section of the last post and via email, where we have continued our conversation.

As I pointed out to him, it would be useful for the safari website – and for the websites of all allegedly green companies – to detail its commitment to the environment and describe its certification, if any, to show why and how the company is genuinely eco/green/environmentally responsible and rule out any greenwashing.

At this time, the safari website provides very little data on its sustainability policy; there is no description of its efforts to preserve the Everglades, no criteria listed – nothing except a few vague phrases on the home page. Corradino said he’s now looking into updating the site to include the missing information on the company’s green initiatives.

Corradino was upset that Cinthia suspected his company was guilty of greenwashing – but without the appropriate information, how is one supposed to know that a company offers a truly eco-tour/lodge/etc.?

Being denied the necessary information, it is reasonable that people will respond to eco claims with skepticism, both because the term “eco” is often a cover for greenwashing and because the Everglades (in the case of the Everglades Day Safari) have been trampled on and polluted for decades.

To cement my point, here is a quote about the unreliability of the term “eco” that I noted in the post Fight greenwashing! (Wait, can we?) Pt. 2:

‘Already the word “eco” has lost all power and meaning,’ says Guyonne James, senior projects manager at Tourism Concern, a UK charity which campaigns against exploitation. ‘In Brazil, if a bed-and-breakfast has a back garden, they’ll call it an eco-lodge. There has been such a proliferation of claims and green labels that as a tourist you really have no idea what’s going on.’

So, companies, if you want us to learn about and believe your eco claims, be ready to make your environmental standards and certification process publicly available!

It’s not fair to expect us to give you a call or visit your premises when deciding on a tour/hotel/whatnot for our next adventure just because you don’t back up your eco claims online. If you’re selling a green product, it’s your job to prove it to consumers with all the documentation you’ve got to gain credibility, and to make it easy on us so we’re more likely to choose you over other companies. (Please note, also, that this move will also improve your reputation and banish any concerns of greenwashing!)

Until then, it is better for us all to be safe – and skeptical – than sorry by finding out when it’s too late that we’ve supported a greenwashing business.

See this post to find out about greenwashing and Fight greenwashing! (Wait, can we?) Pt. 1 here.

There are problems with environmental organizations or groups endorsing products and companies.

For one, consider that true green companies may not be able to afford certification from international organizations to avoid being suspected of greenwashing. That’s not fair.

Another issue is that sources like the deceptive Responsible Travel, “the world’s leading travel agent for responsible holidays,” is irresponsible in only listing companies that pay them for the privilege. Ahem, conflict of interest, ahem. This is not an organization that provides eco certification – it is a commercial travel agency. But by naming itself “Responsible Travel,” it easily misleads:

‘The issue I have is that a commercial travel agent has appropriated the name “responsible travel” and by so doing gives the appearance of being an official industry portal to find those kind of trips,’ says Roger Diski, founder of Rainbow Tours, a specialist African tour operator. ‘But they charge operators to be on the site, which means that only those who are prepared to pay them commission on sales are on there. Furthermore, monitoring of standards is rudimentary; much of what is on there has no particular claim to be responsible.’ (Emphasis mine.)

How can such businesses and groups be trusted to, for one, genuinely hunt for greenwashing in the eco industry and, two, truthfully report their findings?

Not to mention that even well-known certification organizations often fail – as you will find if you take the time to dig – to fully clear the companies they endorse of greenwashing despite their promises because it’s too costly and the logistics crazy complicated (and other reasons may apply).

Consider it: an organization/group/agency would have to send someone to the actual store/hotel/headquarters/etc. to check for a complete absence of greenwashing: whether the food grown in the premises is really organic, if the light bulbs used are energy efficient, if the walls were painted with non-toxic paint, how much PVC is used, if eco hotel employees educate guests and strongly request that they remain quiet during bird watching tours and other activities in the wild, how they dispose of their trash, where they get their drinking water from if the location is remote (a well? Is it trucked in?), and a zillion other items. It would be nearly impossible to verify.

And what exacerbates this dilemma is the lack of international, ecumenical, and consistent eco standards for what exactly comprises an “eco lodge,” a “green company,” and so on. These labels are up for grabs by all bidders, greenwashing and not, because nobody checks up on them and there are no formal punishments for the crime that is greenwashing.

It’s a dire state of affairs for the eco industry.

‘Already the word “eco” has lost all power and meaning,’ says Guyonne James, senior projects manager at Tourism Concern, a UK charity which campaigns against exploitation. ‘In Brazil, if a bed-and-breakfast has a back garden, they’ll call it an eco-lodge. There has been such a proliferation of claims and green labels that as a tourist you really have no idea what’s going on.’

So, the best thing we can do?

Keep our own eyes open and dig deep. That alone is more than most people will do, whether due to lack of time, resources, or interest. And the land is fertile for greenwashing, my friends.

So let’s just do our best, until we can do better.

Even simple questions can allow for the prompt crossing out of options on one’s list.

Baby steps are better than no steps.

In the next post, I will consider frequently cited environmental standards employed to avert greenwashing.

Stay tuned, fellow greenies!

What the hell, government leaders?

Did you catch that BBC article last week reporting that the UK government believes it is  highly unlikely that a climate treaty will be agreed on in Copenhagen next month? Oh, and a full treaty is about a year away.

You’re kidding, right?

Just two years ago, governments across the globe promised to get their respective asses in gear at the summit in Copenhagen to take place in December 2009. Did they lose their calendars? Poor governments. It’s not like they have anyone to get their shit organized.

Let me rephrase, actually: it is the governments of more developed countries that are failing everyone else, while developing countries rightfully complain that they’re getting screwed.

“When we left (UN talks in) Bali two years ago, we all expected that would be agreeing on a legally binding outcome to respond to the urgency… that we were on the verge of catastrophic climate change, so we’re very disappointed,” said Selwin Hart from Barbados, speaking for the group of small island developing states.

“If we don’t take urgent and ambitious action, the reality is that some small island developing states will not be around within a couple of decades – certainly not by the end of the century.”

But EU delegates say the treaty is so complex that getting through the legal red tape will not be possible this year. Conversely, South Africa’s Alf Wills, who co-ordinates the G77/China bloc of developing countries on extending the Kyoto Protocol, thinks it’s a political issue, as officials aren’t agreeing on what moves to make. He said developing countries have already put their proposals forward.

Artur Runge-Metzger, chief negotiator for the European Commission, said a period of 3-6 months might yield results. And US delegates said their legislation will not be ready in the next 6 months.

Environmental groups rightly opine that developed countries haven’t gotten as far as other nations because, well, they chose not to.

“So much can blamed on the Big Carbon special interests driving Washington. If Europe doesn’t stand up to America to save this deal, there could be grave implications for millions across the world,” said Joss Garman of Greenpeace.

Come on, Obama, don’t let the world down.

By the way, here’s a great chart that lays out where countries stand on climate change issues.

This is a double post! (Are you excited? Woooo, you should be!)

Sometimes it’s the little things that matter. This is one of those times. Whether you consider yourself an eco expert or a newbie, skim this list in case there’s something new in there for you! And please feel free to add to it in the comments section.

• Stick to the rules that ask you to refrain from tresspassing into spots such as sea turtle nesting areas. The ruins in Tulum, for example, display a few signs with this message.
• Go ahead and pick up some trash and toss it in the garbage bin when other people have been inconsiderate. Help undo the harm with your kindness and compassion for life and the environment.
• Bring your own aluminum bottle to refill rather than wasting money and resource to buy and toss glass and plastic drinking bottles and cans (even if you can afterward recycle them, it’s better to reduce your use of resources to begin with :)). Why aluminum? Because plastic is toxic – and its carcinogenic, or cancer-causing, chemicals leech into water and food and enter your body (here is a plastic buying guide). Stay safe by recycling your water and nalgene bottles and switching to aluminum. Be sure to check whether the tap water in your area is safe to drink! The water in Tulum, for example, is not.
• Rent and ride a bike/walk/rollerblade/etc rather than drive when possible.
• Remain quiet in biodiversity areas – even the beach! And especially at night, when many animals venture out to nest, spawn, feed, and so on. Even whispering and small amounts of light have been found to disrupt the mating and normal behavior of wild birds and other animals.
• Do not feed birds, reptiles, and other wild animals.
• Be kind to the stray dogs that dot the areas where you’re spending your time – they’ve done nothing wrong. Consider buying them some food, at least giving them your leftovers, and setting out a bowl with water for them, particularly in hot weather. We all just want love and have the same basic needs, including food and water.
• Do not remove coral, rock, etc. when diving, snorkeling, and so on. Any removals can upset ecosystem balance – no matter how much you want that object as a souvenir!
• Support eco establishments and products!
• And speaking of eco products… remember that all toiletries and cleaners can be toxic (and usually are). For example, sodium laureth sulfate, which is in everything, has been found to cause cancer. Look it up here. Try switching to mindful brands for your body and the planet. Yes – they can be expensive. Cheap alternatives include using baking soda as shampoo and toothpaste, baking soda or cornstarch as deodorant, coconut oil to style your hair and as personal lubricant,honey or organic cold-pressed oils to cleanse your skin (this is excellent even for acne-prone skin), and so on. Find a deodorant recipe here plus more ideas here and here.

This planet is yours, mine, and everyone else’s – this includes non-human animals. It is not anyone’s to tras. It is our home. Let’s humbly bow and thank our Mother Earth for sustaining us, and offer our efforts to be sustainable in return. Join in the cycle of life, not destruction.

The Mexican Government said last month that discussions on an ecotourism project on Costa Maya are back on. No further news has been reported since then.

The 47,938 acre- (19,400 ha) area would span 28 miles (45 km) of beach in the Municipality of Othón P. Blanco south of Tulum, near Mahahual, Noticaribe reports.

The project would create 30,000 jobs, said Delegate for the Environmental and Natural Resources Secretary (SEMARNAT) Gabriela Lima Laurents. This is extremely beneficial and significant, especially considering the devastating effects the H1N1 outbreak has had on the tourism industry in Mexico for the past few months.

“There are various spheres [of influence] involved and so the process is long – everyone must meet an agreement and respect the environment,” she said.

Sixty percent of the land will be reserved for ecological preservation.

Environmentalists, three levels of government, and – of course – private investors have been attending the meetings. This is precisely why the project was delayed. They were also awaiting a second meeting with representatives from the Urban Development and Environmental Secretariat (SEDUMA).

“It is a complex project because it has many subprojects, it is not SEMARNAT that has halted it … but the red tape,” she explained.

The beach in this area resembles that of Cancun, Lima Laurents noted, with white sands and waters in different shades of blue – which *cough* business(wo)men and tourists from all over the world would love *cough*.

Ecotourism + nature conservation = Fantastic