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Choroni Beach, near Maracay, Venezuela

If you’re new around here, you might not know how strongly I feel about sunscreen – which kinds are bad and which are good, both for the planet and for you. Most people think sunscreen is the best way to avoid skin cancer. I partly agree. I also know that many ingredients in the most popular sunblocks are themselves carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and that vitamin D, which we can only get through sunblock-free sun exposure, actually prevents cancer and other health problems. Read on to learn more.

Here’s a brief post at the green tips website Green is Sexy that summarizes several of the things I’ve talked about in the past: green your sunscreen. It mentions a few harmful ingredients to watch out for and why.

Chemicals to avoid

Like the GIS post says, you should steer clear of the following ingredients in all your sunscreens (lip balms, sprays, and so on): octinoxate, oxybenzone, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, and butylparaben (a preservative).  Another one to avoid entirely, this one not mentioned in GIS, is retinyl palmitate, which may speed up cancer growth. Click on the links to read all about these treacherous chemicals.

In truth, all parabens have a bad reputation, so look out for those in the ingredients of your shampoos, conditioners, body lotions, deodorants, toothpaste, makeup, personal lubricants (!), etc. You’ll be surprised at how ubiquitous parabens are once you start looking for them! It’s scary, really. But that’s why educating yourself is the best thing you can do to protect yourself and the people you care about, as well as marine ecosystems (these toxic ingredients bleach corals!). Speaking of which, all the chemicals than end in –zone, such as the aforementioned oxybenzone, are supposedly unsafe – I recommend that you avoid them.

The Environmental Working Group

Educate yourself

The cosmetic database of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a wonderful resource where you can look up chemicals and learn what they are, what they do, whether they are harmful, and if so, why and to what extent. The website is a gem. You can look up sunscreens by SPF and other products and it will tell you which specifically are the safest and which are the most dangerous and why.

I would also like to note that it’s perfectly healthy to spend a moderate amount of time each day in the sun without wearing any sunscreen. This is the most efficient way for the body to absorb the much-needed vitamin D (it’s actually a hormone). Interestingly, patients of many types of cancer, including that of the breast, have been found to have exceptionally low levels of vitamin D, and vitamin D has been shown to prevent multiple types of cancer as well as heart disease and other conditions. Some experts argue that it is a lack of vitamin D as well as the carcinogenic ingredients in sunblock that are causing cancer – not the sun!

Some articles by Dr. Mercola on the subject (I love Dr. Mercola, and although he does sell some products, which presents a conflict of interest, he doesn’t sell sunshine!):

• The Sunscreen Myth: How Sunscreen Products Actually Promote Cancer
• Four Out of Five Sunscreens May Be Hazardous to Your Health
• Does Too Much Sun Really Cause Melanoma?
• Trash Your Sunscreen and Other Summer Sun Tips (This one lists many harmful sunscreen ingredients.)

Posts right here on Save Eco Destinations:

• Doing your part: natural skincare for eco travel
• What sunscreen is doing to us and our planet

Natural German sunscreen

Alternatives

Several friends have asked me what brands are safe to use, since most are loaded with the dreaded –zones and parabens.

I’ve tried Hawaiian Tropic Biodegradable sunblock SPF 50 in spray form and Kiss My Face sunspray lotion in SPF 30. They’re both good and I especially like the Hawaiian Tropic, which is very easy to apply and doesn’t need to be rubbed in. However, Kiss My Face is a much more trustworthy brand, as they don’t test their products on animals and they offer fragrance-free options. I bought the Hawaiian Tropic when I was abroad and it was the most eco-friendly sunscreen I could find.

Dr. Mercola, whom I mentioned above, sells some sunscreens that should be pretty swell. Instead of containing harmful chemicals, they use green tea and zinc oxide to protect the skin while avoiding artificial fragrances and toxic ingredients of all sorts, according to the website. The products are also hypoallergenic and water-resistant. Here’s a long article that explains all about his products.

On EWG’s cosmetics database you will find lots of safe sunscreens bunched by SPF. For example, here are the ones with SFP 30+. You’re sure to find some awesome ones there. I’d love to hear recommendations!

Stay safe, everyone.

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.

Oh, Lisa, that's exactly what happened to me.

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.

The vegan food pyramid

A lot of people think going vegetarian – and vegan, especially – and being ecologically conscious would put a strain on their wallets.

But are these people right?

Tofu scramble

Let’s take a look at veganism (a diet and lifestyle that eschews all animal and animal-derived food and products, such as honey, gelatin, milk, fish, and leather).

Many believe being vegan is expensive – after all, Whole Foods will rip your head off, and so will living off pricey meat substitutes like Tofurky and coconut milk frozen desserts (which is a true shame considering how delicious they are!).

But do you really need to incorporate such costly products into your vegan diet?

The answer is a hearty no, you don’t!

A varied diet rich in whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, herbs, and so on is all you need. Granted, seeds and nuts have never been cheap, but you need only consume them sparingly, and economical all-natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt, with no hydrogenated vegetable oils, sugar, or any other pernicious ingredients) counts big time.

Vegan patties with potatoes and salad

Buy in bulk

A key tip: the more [non-perishable] products you buy in bulk, the more money you will save. This goes for all types of rice, beans, grains, seeds, nuts, dried fruits, pasta, and so on.

Also, don’t even think about buying organic.

Educate yourself

The trick is to educate yourself to make sure you’re giving your body all the necessary nutrients to substitute an omnivorous diet. And, no, pasta and salad alone will not do — it’s these kinds of vegans that give the rest a bad rep and make omnivores think veganism is the unhealthiest diet they’ve ever heard of!

Sticky vegan cinnamon rolls

Educating yourself need not be expensive. You can take out library books, read copious information online (this is a favorite source of mine), and watch online documentaries (try conducting a search on Google video) — all for free. This is also how you can find myriad recipes (try going here, here, and here).

Cosmetics, toiletries, cleaning agents, etc.

Being vegan also entails shunning products tested on animals and those including animal by-products like casein and gelatin. But there are cheap alternatives to the luxurious green products (e.g., those made by Burt’s Bees and The Body Shop) advertised everywhere you look. For example, Revlon, Avon, Bonne Bell, Jane and CVS Brand products are all cheaper as well as animal-friendly.

Here is a guide to companies that test and don’t test their products on animals to get you started (yes, it’s by PETA, but trust me: even though they do asinine things sometimes, they also do a lot of good and provide plenty of useful educational literature, such as this guide). You can order a free pocket guide to take with you to the store here.

A note on B-12

Because modern agriculture has made it so difficult for us to get vitamin B-12 from produce, it is highly recommended that vegans take B-12 supplements (or just get a multivitamin – good for you anyway! – that includes this nutrient).

Remember

The widespread misconception that greening your habits is expensive keeps many people – too many! – from making the switch to a vegan diet. The largely white and upper-middle class crowd and Whole Foods culture doesn’t help, of course. Just remember: you don’t have to go that route!

Bikes aplenty in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Apart from the ubiquitous bikers spotted across the city, Amsterdam may not appear to be one of the greenest cities of tomorrow (or today). But it is quickly becoming increasingly energy-efficient.

Dutch energy company Nuon, IBM and Cisco last year jointly launched a pioneering energy management scheme in 500 households that is reducing their energy usage by 14% and CO2 emissions considerably.

Thus far, also, certain Dutch banks have given money to some 700 household to purchase energy-saving appliances ranging from light bulbs to roof insulation. The city plans to lower its CO2 emissions by a hefty 40% by 2025.

Another factor making Amsterdam one of the greenest cities of tomorrow is its intent to install several hundred power hookups within the next few years to allow electric car drivers to recharge their vehicles, and to set up solar panels on townhouses. EUR 100 million will be spent each year during the next 6 years to upgrade the electric networks to smart grids that will cut energy use.

Victoria Harbor, BC, Canada

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Victoria is boosting its efforts toward green public transport and building, energy-cutting developments, recycling and decreasing overall waste. It has also set a goal to go carbon neutral by 2012! Swift action’s where it’s at—don’t give me 2025, folks, because 15 years isn’t nearly soon enough…

Insofar as city planning, it supports the creation of a Civic Green Building Policy, which will mandate that the building of all new civic facilities meet the LEED Silver standard. In other words, they must lower energy use by 31% and water use by 22%.

In terms of waste reduction, Victoria has been implementing a program for several years destined to lower and recycle organic materials on a mass scale.

More reasons why Victoria is one of the greenest cities of tomorrow:  it has introduced the first hybrid double-decker buses in all of North America. Plus, the city is covered with so many bike routes it has become known as the “Cycling Capital of Canada.”

More: Victoria’s traffic lights are now energy-saving light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and the lighting in its buildings now feature more energy efficient lights.

Other greenest cities of tomorrow:

Malmö, Sweden
Gothenberg, Sweden
Vancouver, Canada
Reykjavík, Iceland
Portland, OR, USA

Airline food: plastic invasion!

I just flew across two hemispheres. Although I took a trip five months ago, it hit me harder this time: eating airplane food is awful both for your taste buds and the environment.

But is flying green (-ish) not possible?

Sure, flying green is still an oxymoron, unfortunately. But can’t we take little steps to lessen our impact?

I say we can!

I humbly present you with my budding ideas:

1)      Bring your own utensils. No, wait, the security people won’t let us. Okay: if you’re adventurous enough, bring hand sanitizer and eat with your hands. Honestly, I love eating with my hands. Not only pizza, empanadas, sandwiches, and so on, but also…just everything. Not that I ever really get to do it [without being stared at] except in Ethiopian restaurants and at home, but it’s a start! Another alternative could be to bring your own plastic utensils. Better than nothing, no?

2)      Skip the Styrofoam and bring an aluminum bottle for cold drinks and/or an insulated one for hot drinks.

3)      This one’s easy: don’t use paper towels to dry your hands. I always shake the water off unless I have a towel (which in public bathrooms would be gross). Or use your clothes as a towel. Best option: skip using water and towels altogether by using hand sanitizer. That stuff is magic. Love it.

4)      This one is a pain in the behind, but consider bringing your own food from home in some Tupperware. You won’t be generating waste by tearing apart plastic wrappings and so forth.

What am I missing?

Let’s make flying green (-ish) a priority!

What do you think?

Will you do it?

How carbon offsets work - image from Carbon Fund

Carbon Fund’s slogan is “reduce what you can, offset what you can’t.”

Sounds good, right?

But what about those people (most people?) who opt for carbon offsets merely to ease their guilt because they have never lifted a finger to reduce their ecologically destructive footprint?

Or – even worse – what if people buy carbon offsets so they can feel good about polluting more?  “I’m gone all day but I like to leave the AC on so it’s cool when I get back in the evening. Don’t worry – I offset my carbon footprint.” Or, “Honey, let’s each drive both our cars to the store even though we could carpool, just because we both enjoy driving so much!” You get the idea.

Entire companies are perniciously profiting from carbon offsets. Some don’t even follow through with their promises! Shameful.

And certain companies with laudable intentions are picking up on this:

In 2002 Responsible Travel became one of the first travel companies to offer customers the option of buying so-called carbon offsets to counter the planet-warming emissions generated by their airline flights.

But last month Responsible Travel canceled the program, saying that while it might help travelers feel virtuous, it was not helping to reduce global emissions. In fact, company officials said, it might even encourage some people to travel or consume more.

Examples of ecologically irresponsible behavior that irk me:

• Leaving the water on while washing dishes or brushing one’s teeth
• Turning the AC on but leaving the windows open
• Opening the fridge and keeping the door open for 5 minutes while deciding on what to eat
• Printing documents for no good reason
• Taking 20-minute showers
• Setting the AC at ludicrously low temperatures in the summer (or, in places like South Florida, almost all year long)
• Foregoing recycling because it’s time-consuming or inconvenient
• Foregoing reusing because new things are “nicer,” the latest trend, or debatably less work to just purchase new items
• Using the dishwasher, washer, or dryer when nearly empty

And wouldn’t you be much more likely to keep these habits up if you were offsetting your carbon footprint? And wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to offset and modify your absolutely changeable habits?

At the same time…

Back to Carbon Fund’s slogan – “reduce what you can, offset what you can’t” – it is completely possible, or even likely, that many people will choose to reduce, reuse, recycle, and offset.

But, really, how many individuals do you know who are that devoted? Who are already making significant efforts to greenify (it’s a word!) their lifestyle? Are you?

Greenifying ourselves will require changing what we:

• Eat (going vegan and buying locally)
• Wear (no more leather, suede, vinyl, and so on; giving up clothes, shoes, cosmetics, and more manufactured with toxic chemicals; using biodegradable sunscreen at the beach; etc.)
• Buy (opting for biodegradable cleaning products and paint, furniture, boycotting everything disposable and manufactured abroad, etc.)
• How we travel (bike, walk, jog, carpool, travel less, vacation closer to home, etc.)

And, naturally, many more aspects of our lives.

It won’t be easy – but isn’t it our only choice?

Read more about the downside of carbon offsets here and here.

P.S. Find other companies that offer carbon offsets here and here.

Closed off "Turtle nesting site" in the ruins of Tulum

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.

I am writing this post in reference to the last one, in which I began talking about my eco vacation in Tulum. There, I stayed at a largely sustainable hotel that *gasp* did not provide guests with electricity in their rooms (although you did get hot and cold water and wifi was available).

Waking up to the waves in Tulum

Here are 3 reasons not to be scared of electricity-free establishments and vacations:

1) You awaken to the gentle rays of the sunrise – no jarring alarm clock, no missing the cooler hours of the day. Your day becomes longer and …

2) The night lures you to sleep earlier and more smoothly. I cannot even tell you how much earlier I went to sleep when all I had to give me light were a few candles. My insomnia vanished. It was fantastic. It felt organic and peaceful.

3) You practically have no choice but to actively spend more time performing quality activities such as spending time face-to-face with the people you came with (not watching TV or playing video games but actively interacting with each other), reading, living in the moment, feeling more connected to the flows and ebbs of nature, day, and nightfall. And even though I brought along a fully charged iPod, not once did I opt for mp3s over the relaxing swooshes of the ocean.

And the heat? Stay by the coast and the relentless breeze will soothe you. Especially if you’re naked. Try it.

Could it be? A truly eco-friendly jungle haven for those who can afford it you can live in without ruining the local ecosystem? Holy cow.

Selva de Aluxes is 300 acres between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Currently in the works, lots are going at pre-sale prices. These lots are meant to have houses built on them.

And (do you hear the music?) they claim that officials are respecting “eco-friendly restrictions as a way of preserving the environment and natural habitat.” For fresh water, they are drilling into the earth to install a well, which is a lot better than trucking fresh water in every day like other establishments (even “eco” ones) do. Right on the homepage, it reads:

“We are dedicated to preserving the ecosystem with infrastructure standards that include the use of windmill turbines, solar panels, air generators and a host of other environmentally friendly techniques.”

There will be a community center with art shows and live music—ahem, noise and light pollution! (Remember their effects on the endangered sea turtles, anyone?) Well, its impact on the ecosystem would depend on location, noise level, and other factors. I’m still skeptical. And you know why you should be too? Because there will be a landing strip for small aircrafts. Really, it’s right on the homepage.

Sounds like these people have good intentions but they’re not very smart. Or they really don’t care about preserving the tranquility of nature for the benefit of the local ecosystem—and they’re bad at hiding it.

Apart from that, there aren’t many details yet. The wind and solar energy factor is comforting, however. And the drilling of the well instead of bringing in water.

Well, then, I’m hopeful. It is, in any case, some kind of step forward.

But, you know: it’s like all these eco retreats and activities and developments right in the midst of nature—if you were really eco, you’d leave it alone, right? That’s how I feel.

I mean, sure, it’s great to be in nature. I go to my local ecological reserve to paint, read, hang out by the water and hear the river’s soothing sounds calm me. But I’m not going to build a home there, even if my excrement was to exit my super excellent eco sewage treatment system smelling of wheatgrass. I just go, enjoy myself, pick up any trash I see, and go back home without causing any destruction.

But, hey, what are you gonna do? It’s not like we can shoot down everyone who walks all over nature. For now.

(image courtesy of sapdesignguild.org)

Oh, Portland. Home to over half a million people, many vegan restaurants, amazing bands (RIP Sleater-Kinney), bikers, tree huggers, DIYers, and the like. (BTW, check out Havi Brooks, a Portland-based wonderful coach/yoga teacher/inspiration source galore/lots of etc.etc.)

Check it out: by 2010 (2010!!!) Portland will be so green it will supply 100% renewable energy. Had you heard of solar-powered parking meters? I hadn’t. Holy shit that’s amazing.

Of course, this green hub has always been innovative in its eco ways. Back in 1903 it was already trying to get other US cities to heart green spaces in urban areas, for instance. Three decades ago it replaced a 6-lane highway with a waterfront park. (Wow.) Today the city boasts 92,000 acres of green space plus 74 mi. of biking, hiking, and running trails. Portland protects 25 million acres of forest and farms.

More: Portland employs fuel cells that run on waste methane (maybe farms should get on this, since cattle produce so much methane it’s screwing up our planet-ahem, thought about going vegetarian lately?), a micro hydro facility in its drinking water system, and microturbines that run on, again, waste methane. Next time you’re feeling gassy, think about that! (If you’re the gassy type, maybe consider powering your house that way. If only, huh?)

Portland’s the first US city to implement a plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The city helped found the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign and has been touted as a green city for a long time.

50 of the city´s buildings meet or exceed the US Green Building Council’s sustainability standards. The city is pedestrian and bike-friendly (hear that, Florida, Los Angeles, etc. etc.??) About 25% of commuters ride their bikes to work. There is lots of green amidst the drab cement or urban life (hear that New York? Mexico DF? Detroit? Santiago? Sao Paulo? Etc. etc.?)

‘Nuff freaking said.