A view of Jordan Pond in the Acadia National Park of Maine, USA

By Maria Rainier

In the spirit of giving this holiday season, don’t just consider minimizing your carbon footprint during an eco-tour.  Consider what more you can do to give back.  Many tours and travel experiences that encourage you to volunteer—voluntourism, as it were—are much more affordable than their lounging-on-the-beach varieties.  With a carefully planned eco-tour of your own or hopping on the bandwagon with like-minded do-gooders, you can face the new year with your wallet intact, a cleaner conscience, and a cleaner planet.

Cactus at Big Bend National Park in Texas

Stay Local to Mind Your Carbon Footprint

Not only do air fares skyrocket during the holiday season, we leave a hefty carbon footprint every time we step on a plane.  Instead, consider riding a train or even cycling to your eco-destination, depending on your location.  If you call North America home, consider the Big Bend National Park in Texas.  It’s got 800 acres of America’s biggest national park and it’s open year-round, although it may close on Christmas Day.  Rather than driving around and pitter-pattering carbon footprints across the park, get out and enjoy the outdoors and camp in one of the three campgrounds, $14.00 a night after a $10 seven-day pass per individual.

If you’re on the east coast, consider the Highland Lake Inn in Flat Rock, North Carolina, where you can bring the whole family (even the dog) and go hiking and fishing, and relax after a day spent outdoors at its gourmet restaurant with its own two acre organic garden.  During the summer and fall, guests can learn how to grow, harvest, and cook assorted veggies, herbs, and flowers you might find in such a garden.  A room costs $89.00 a night.  If you’re planning a holiday vacation here, consider the Christmas Day Buffet Celebration Weekend Package or the Christmas Eve 4-Course Dinner Weekend Package.

Meanwhile, up north awaits the Acadia National Park, from where you can see the Atlantic coastline and the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.  You can camp for between $14 and $20 a night depending on the site.

Raspberry bushes at a small WWOOF participant farm in Wattamolla Valley, near Berry, NSW, Australia

Give Back to Save Greens

If you’re feeling more industrious and a little bit like pinching pennies this holiday season or in the coming year, consider bartering your way through an eco-tour.  Sierra Club’s Outings program has countless trips ranging from $400 in the U.S. to over $5,000 trips to safaris in Botswana and boat tours in Antarctica.  Be prepared to volunteer your time and your muscle, however, as is the nature of true voluntourism.  Similar programs include Ecovolunteer, which allows you to participate in efforts to protect nature and its inhabitants through local conservation organizations.  Coral Cay Conservation is in the same vein and is also worth a look.

Perhaps the most rewarding and budget-friendly experience is World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), which welcomes travelers across America to participate in their daily goings-on.  The cost ranges between a $20 and $50 registration fee and transportation fees to the farm—that’s it.

WWOOF has counterparts in other countries; you can go to Tuscan wine country and pick grapes for weeks and not only enjoy some of the most beautiful countryside you’ll ever see in your life, but make good friends, eat good foods, and even pick up a little Italian, too.  In this way, you can make this season and 2012 a year of win-wins—for the planet and your wallet.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education performing research surrounding online universities and their various program offerings. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

By Jack Lundee

Discovering new ways to lessen our carbon footprint comes in many shapes and forms, from algae-based fuel substitutes to solar energy. Many 21^st-century findings are aimed at long-term feasibility for increased efficiency so as to compete with oil companies.

Meanwhile, who’s looking into short-term attempts to moderate the rate in which we use energy?

According to Energy Bulletin, US Military energy consumption is the single greatest consumer of energy in the world, outputting thousands of trillions of Btu’s (British Thermal Unit) every year. In 2006 alone, the US Military used nearly 900 TRILLION BTUs of Jet fuel, which can be quite costly.

But, looking at the consumption of military jet fuel over time, we can clearly see a steady decline of consumption:

Similarly, municipal fleets, including buses and other forms of city transportation, use a heavy amount of energy every year. Although, much like the military, we’ve seen a steady decline in the rate at which city transportation consumes fuel. Factors include:

• Manufacturing (technology)
• Fewer people traveling
• People living closer to work
• Hybrid transportation

Ultimately, we can say that these slowly declining numbers are part of a systematic attempt to increase fuel efficiency through technology. One particular method of doing so involves fleet route optimization.

The CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) and Doug band are one fine example of a large collaborative unit of corporations, political figures, and non-profits that are helping in the process of route optimization. Route optimization can be defined as an attempt to locate the fastest route from point A to B, similar to the algorithms found in most GPS’s.

In a partnership with San Francisco, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) — a company that specializes in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) — and NAVTEQ — which creates digital maps and map content — the CGI and Doug Band provide a commitment to incorporate plans to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from fleets in the San Francisco Bay Area through Fleet Route Optimization Software. This will target anything from public transportation to work force vehicles. NAVTEQ actually makes digital maps and content that drives navigation- and location-based services solutions worldwide, including:

• Auto navigation systems
• Mobile navigation devices
• Internet-based mapping applications
• Government and business solutions

Utilizing GIS mapping software, ESRI also helps the user interpret data, further aiding in transportation-based decision-making, reliant on the best information and analysis. Much of this is similar to what the average consumer finds on his/her portable GPS. Furthermore, it’s important to note that this technology has been around and is widely used.

Most of the time, this feature will be labeled as “alternate routes” and will allow the user to view multiple paths, along with other elements like fuel cost, distance, time, and gas station stops. Similarly, developers incorporate mechanisms that permit users to view weather/traffic in their area.

This is GREATLY beneficial to travelers, as nobody likes to get in bad weather, or a traffic jam for that matter! Typically, users will have to pay a little extra for these features, and may even have to attend to a monthly fee for traffic/weather updates.

Both forces hope to provide powerful solutions for technology companies that enforce municipal transportation efforts. Once a seamless integration of communication and navigation has been implemented, transportation will become much more efficient. Again, this is something that has already taken effect and will continue to improve energy efficiency in regards to transportation fuel costs. As technology progresses and becomes more affordable, individual consumers will begin seeing the GPS as no longer just an option, but rather as an integral part of any vehicle.

Jack Lundee is an avid follower of all things green and progressive. His endeavors have lead him to http://shadesofgreen.info where he’ll talk about the various topics he’s been submitting to the green blogosphere for months now.

Siesta Key, Sarasota, FL

Love your beaches

On Monday, June 10, we celebrated World Ocean Day 2010.

On June 26, you can head to your local beach and join hands to oppose offshore drilling and endorse renewable energy. Look up Hands Across the Sand events near you or email everyone in your area and start one up in your community! And don’t worry if you’re not in the U.S. — the event is taking place across the globe!

Read more about the event here.

Be sure to travel green

Remember to do your part and be eco-friendly, whether at the beach or anywhere you travel.

Going on a road trip? Read this.

And if you’re planning to get married, remember that coastal weddings are a no-no!

Further, if you’re looking for lodging, make sure you choose an eco hotel. Learn about eco hotel certifications here.

And finally –

The top 10 U.S. beaches

For the past 20 years, a coastal scholar known as Dr. Beach has compiled a list of the best beaches in the country. Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman is the director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University.

He uses 50 criteria to evaluate the nation’s beaches, including water and sand quality, beach width and environmental management, according to CNN.

Cape Florida Lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida.

Here’s the list:

1. Coopers Beach in Southampton, New York

2. Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florida

3. Coronado Beach in San Diego, California

4. Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks of North Carolina

5. Main Beach in East Hampton, New York

6. Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii

7. Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

8. Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island, South Carolina

9. Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii

10. Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida

By the way, I have been to Siesta Beach (#2) and I can attest that it is amazing! It’s got sand like flour and warm, luscious waters. Hopefully it will remain unscathed by the oil spill currently taking over the Gulf of Mexico…

If spring is coming up for you (and you’re not near the Gulf) enjoy the beach!

A double-decker bus in London

The BBC’s ethical man (I refuse to capitalize this, ha) has written about green transportation and proposed that driving cars is more carbon-efficient than public transport like buses and trains “(maybe).”

Wha? Glad he plugged the “maybe” into his hypothesis!

As a flaming fan of green transportation, which for me constitutes public transport, I was shocked.

The ethical man argues that if you just “pack in extra passengers” into a car, driving becomes a form of green transportation – or relatively green – despite the rise in fuel consumption caused by the increase in weight carried by the vehicle.

I’ll buy that.

Now, he claims buses and trains are not truly forms of green transportation when compared to driving a car chock full of passengers, because buses and trains guzzle loads of gas pollute more proportionally when carrying few passengers. (Read the boring technical details here.)

While he does recognize that a full bus – especially a double-decker – or train generally pollutes less than a car, he notes that for most of the day, buses and trains travel almost empty of passengers.

But back up.

As I have lived in a bunch of different cities, let me bring up some points about green transportation beyond the UK:

In Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; and Sarasota, Florida, this is the case, too (although I am seeing more and more happily hybrid buses). It’s not surprising, though, since public transport is not so popular in most of the U.S. For the most part, green transportation in this country continues to be mostly made up of bicycling, walking, and so forth, as not everyone can yet afford a hybrid or electric car (nor are they readily available yet).

Bus #39 in Capital Federal, Argentina

But in the capital of Buenos Aires, Argentina, for example, subways and buses are, if not always full to the brim (which they are for portions of each day), almost always carry a significant amount of passengers. At night, however, buses are often rather empty (they run 24/7, I am happy to report. Okay, only sort of happy in terms of green transportation). And escalating amounts of people are resorting to bicycling to get around, largely because inflation is driving public transport (and food, etc.) prices up while salaries remain low and unemployment is high.

The good news for Florida is that a bullet train is in the works to take people from Orlando to Tampa and perhaps even down south to Miami. This would be an outstanding form of green transportation, because the only way you can travel up and down now is by car or a filthy Greyhound bus (I’ve taken them!), and it takes something like an 8-hour drive to get from the south of Florida all the way to the north. Although I will mention, I see a lot of “carpool” signs with phone numbers on the highway.

Either way, this is some deliciously hearty food for thought. And at least the urbanites among us can feel good about polluting less than, uh, ruralites?

Anyway, I’ll choose public transport over driving any day. Buses, trains, and subways are going to run anyway, at least for now, so I’ll definitely be lowering my carbon emissions by choosing them over driving.

Green transportation lovers unite!

Hmm, I wonder how subways fit into this. I take them a lot in Buenos Aires, and they are also almost always rather full.

I shall explore teh interwebz for the answers to the universe!

Fly green with British Airways

(Okay, as green as you can fly.) British Airways is taking a revolutionary step as it commits to build Europe’s first facility “to produce jet fuel from waste matter” within the next two years.

You’ll be able to support British Airways’ efforts and fly green by 2014.

The company will take 500,000 tons of crap (probably not literally) annually in its United Kingdom plant to produce 15 million gallons of fuel for its airplanes. As many as 1,200 people will gain work from the operation and countless others will be able to fly green.

Although the company’s plant will produce twice the amount of necessary fuel for all its flights leaving from London City Airport, this will allow just 2% of customers leaving from Heathrow to fly green. At the beginning, the facility will likely not work at full capacity.

But hey, it’s a start – and a kickass one at that!

The idea is that by reducing the amount of waste with high carbon content that reaches landfills by 500,000 tons a year, less methane will be released into the atmosphere. Note: methane is more harmful than carbon dioxide. Speaking of which, cough, don’t eat meat, cough.

United States company Solena Group will construct the plant and British Airways will purchase its output so its customers can fly green and clean (I’m a poet and I didn’t even …).

Here’s how it will work:

The waste is fed into a high temperature “gasifier” to produce BioSynGas.

A chemical process called Fischer Tropsch is then used to convert the gas into biofuel.

Waste products from the process can be used to power the plant as well as supply 20MW of electricity to the national grid.

A solid waste product can be used as an aggregate in construction.

Sweet. That’s a biofuel I can be happy about.

Um, ironically, the fuel is not currently certified for use in the UK, although it is certified in other countries. But fear not! British Airways is positive it will acquire certification so you can fly green by 2014, when Solena Group will begin producing the waste-matter fuel.

The fuel will be used alone or mixed with traditional kerosene.

Hey, I’m excited! I always feel guilty when I fly (and drive, and … a lot of things). Now I’ll be able to fly green, baby! (“Baby” is so silly. But what’s a good alternative? I hesitate to say “dude.” Maybe “sistah”?)

Thoughts? Are you as excited as I am to fly green?

photo by instatravel.org

The U.S.-based NGO Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has conducted research to determine which manners of transportation incur the lowest carbon footprints.

I know what you’re thinking—WALK, BABY, WALK!!

Yes, I agree most sincerely. Bicycling is another fabulous option.

Speaking of which, let me introduce you to a man who traveled throughout New Zealand for 30 days—on a bicycle! While his main intent was to explore the country’s landscapes as cheaply as possible, the grand bonus is his basically nonexistent carbon footprint. Except for the couple of rides he took with his bike on a stranger’s truck, this guy cycled his way through mountains, hills, everything. And he’s blogged all about it here. (He’s not done, so keep checking for updates.)  So. Fabulous.

On to the study.

UCS compared CO2 emissions from different types of vehicles plus emissions per person, per pair, and per family of four. It concluded that the three most crucial factors to help determine the carbon footprint of one’s travel are the type of vehicle, distance traveled, and number of travelers. With these in mind, you can figure out how [un]green your next trip would be.

The researchers found that if you’re traveling farther than 500 mi. by yourself or with one other person, the environment is better off if you take a nonstop coach flight (don’t even think about flying first class) than if you take a car.

Bus trips are most often greener than coach flights and car trips by 55-75%. But what about a fuel-efficient car, you ask? Taking the bus will probably reduce a couple’s CO2 emissions by 50%. If you are taking a car, then, naturally, a hybrid will kick an SUV’s bum.

Considering taking the train instead of driving or flying? Train trips will reduce emissions by 60% per passenger per mile when compared to one-person car trips and by 30% as compared to a 500-mi. small jet flight.

Low seasons are also greener because less traffic means less fuel waste for both land and air travel. Besides, gas and plane ticket prices will be lower too! Here you can read about other ways you can use the study’s results to save money (woohoo!).

Download the full report here.

Let’s review.

Essentially, the “green cities movement” comprises loose groups of cities focused on becoming and remaining sustainable. Green cities, I joyfully report, are sprouting worldwide, albeit only in urban areas thus far.

Their point is, as I’m sure you’ve guessed already, to lessen their environmentally destructive impact. Green cities do this by reducing their waste, recycling it, and reusing materials. Their goals are lowering emissions and increasing housing density, green spaces, and sustainable local businesses.

Remember Gothenburg’s ecotopia?  Same concepts, although Gothenburg’s are more evolved.

Examples

Curitiba

I was surprised to learn that a typical green city is located in Brazil: Curitiba. This city went green back in the 1970s!

Curitiba has a high-tech bus system and has worked to increase population density around transit hubs, enabling other areas to become green, open land instead of stimulating urban sprawl.  I’m not sure why this city counts as green when it has such a long way to go, but if it’s the best Brazil’s got right now, I’ll take it. It’s got a lot more than many cities can boast, after all.

And remember Iceland? Reykjavik relies on geothermal and hydropower for heating and generating most of its electricity. This city has the largest geothermal heating system in the world. In fact, it was ranked 1^st in Grist Magazine’s “15 Greenest Cities” list. On the other hand, it’s got large scale urban sprawl and one of the highest worldwide per-capita ownerships. Public transport consists of an unpopular hydrogen-powered bus system.

Rekyjavik

We should note that Reykjavik plans to go fossil fuel-free by 2050, though. Cheers to that.

Other green cities include Sydney, Copenhagen, Portland, and Seattle. More on that coming up.

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.