Green travel gear for 2009?

How about eco-friendly travel gear that has “style, function and a friendly footprint”? That would be the case of the CORNELL bag by Keen.

The bag is made from 100% recycled:

• Inner tube rubber bottom

• Aluminum components

• Rice Paper

This multifunctional bag could be used for anything from your laptop to an overnight trip. There’s an internal 15.4″ computer sleeve with padded reinforcement. The front lid has a velcro closure with aluminum hook and loop security closure.

For more info, check out Keen online.

Image Courtesy by Keen Canada.

Exotic Green Travel Destinations: Madre de Dios, Peru

Though Peru’s biggest tourist attraction is the awe-inspiring ruins of Machu Picchu, it’s tourism in the the Madre de Dios region that may have the potential to save the country’s rainforests. By promoting ecotourism to the area, rainforest conservation groups hope to create an economy that depends upon the rainforest being healthy and intact. Ecotourism operations abound, with more than 70 eco-lodges that cater to tourists who want to step lightly while experiencing the natural beauty up close. The biggest tourism operator in the region, Rainforest Expeditions, is owned by the community of Infierno, which is mostly made up of indigenous peoples.

(image via: Flickr user Dom Cram)

Exotic Green Travel Destinations: Lebanon

Despite a war, political crises and flare-ups of violence, Lebanon’s fledgling ecotourism business lives on. Areas formerly ravaged by hunters are now protected, harboring birds, wildcats, river otters and other wildlife. Mediterranean beaches, mountains, forests, Roman ruins and gorges are all within a few hours’ drive or walk, and the Lebanon Mountain Trail project connects 75 villages. Classified among the 25 top countries in terms of biodiversity, Lebanon is home to 40 varieties of wild orchids, among other exotic treasures.

(image via: Flickr user alight)

Exotic Green Travel Destinations: Kenya

Kenya may be best known for its lion and elephant-watching safaris, but savannas aren’t all this country has to offer. Home to some 50 national parks, Kenya is also full of virgin rainforests, mountains, lakes and pristine white sand beaches. Kenya has a carefully managed tourism organization called Ecotourism Kenya that promotes sustainable tourism practices, working to ensure the preservation of the environment and the welfare of local populations. Ecotourism Kenya gives ‘eco-ratings’ to businesses in the industry, encouraging facilities to be as environmentally and socially conscious as possible.

(image via: Wikimedia Commons)

Become A Green Traveller

The term 'Green Travel' probably makes you think of unshaven men in bad tracksuit pants taking a month long holiday in a treehouse. But green travel is nothing that drastic, in fact it doesnt even involve much in the way of sacrifice- all it is is a bit of effort into preserving the environment around you when you travel. And with one billion tourists gallivanting around the globe each year, its becoming imperative that as the individual we go the little extra distance to contributing positively to slowing down climate change. Green travel is also about tuning yourself into the local culture of your holiday destination, respecting the way of life there and positively inputting into the community. So what have we got to do to be a green traveller? Well Ive scoured the net and put together a few ideas- you'll be surprised at how easy it is. Lets make 'Green Travel' more than just the latest buzz word.

1. Firstly, when you fly anywhere make sure you offset the carbon emissions of your flight. This is done by paying a minimal amount to a carbon offset company, normally less than fifty bucks.

2. Most carbon is emitted when planes take off and land. Take a 'no flight holiday', or reduce your stopovers.

3. Pack as light as you can - the lower the weight of the plane, the lower the energy it requires.

4. Ensure you have shut down all the appliances in your house that use electricity, such as the central heating.

5. Try to reduce the amount of driving you do. Catch public transport to the airport. When you hire a car, choose the smallest engine possible or a hybrid if available. Walk or cycle where you can!

6. When choosing a hotel, check out their water treatment system- avoid ones that pump their effluent out to sea.

7. Also try and choose a hotel that is locally owned and run. Make sure the staff employed are from the local community, and not foreigners. There should be some element of 'giving back' to the local community.

8.There are eco-friendly hotels out there, you just need to find them. look for energy efficient lighting, solar power units, and toilets and showers with flow restrictions.

9. Go easy on the air con! Only use it if really necessary, and turn it off when you go out. Try save water too- short showers, no baths, turning taps off.

10. Dont get room service- head out to a local restaurant. This way you sample the local culture, support the local economy and take the pressure off the hotel resources.

11. Dont make coffee in your hotel room. This leaves waste in the form of sugar packets, plastic milk containers, plastic teaspoons etc. Head out to the local coffee shop instead!

12. If given the choice, use glass cups or mugs and not plastic ones. Less waste.

13. Unless you ask them not to, your sheets and towels will be washed every day. This isnt really necessary and is a waste of resources, so leave that 'do not disturb' sign up.

14. Turn off any unused lights!

15. Bring your own toiletries instead of using the little plastic, packaged ones in the hotel. If you do use them, take them home and re use them.

16. If you are going on a tour, choose smaller ones because their impact on the environment is not so severe.

17. Make sure your tour guide is local, and find out how the tour gives back to the community.

18. If its a hiking tour youre on, dont veer off the marked trails and disrupt as little vegetation as possible. Give the local wildlife its space.

19. When snorkelling or scuba diving dont touch the coral, or try and interfere with the marine life.

20. Do a bit of homework about the traditions and cultures of the local people in the area you are visiting. Be sensitive to dress and behaviour codes. For instance skirts of a certain length may be acceptable in some parts of the world, but in others they would be considered too short.

21. Learn a few words of the local language. This helps you bond with the people you interact with and is always appreciated by locals.

So there you have it - travelling green isnt going to kill you. Every little bit helps, so even if we can remember to do just a few of the things on this list we are going some way to benefiting the planet. So take it all on board and enjoy your green holiday!

Eco Hotels and Lodges Around The World

The Hotel world is changing and for the first time it finds itself in the impossible position of having to provide comfort and luxury whilst also satisfying the discerning eco-aware customer.

You see it had to happen eventually, recent studies suggest that the classic hotel is regarded as a kingdom of wastage where the average visitor abandons its well-crafted ecological habits in favour of a careless "I paid for this" attitude. The average guest would check-in to a hotel and immediately forget to turn lights off when not needed or would leave the tap running or even the TV on when not in the room, all things that at home seemed to be more obvious.

As time has gone by, it seems that the onus has fallen onto the hotels themselves to teach and be more in tune with the environment so that in time the guest attitude would change.

Whilst this is true of the inner city industry, in the same timeframe the world has seen an explosion of eco lodges and hotels carefully placed in the most ecologically interesting places on the planet from mountains to jungles and in these a new breed of traveller is enjoying the beauty of nature in the knowledge that their stay is not impacting on it.

Of course all this still comes at a price, we know that often in order to get to the unspoiled beauty of some of these accommodations we have to take some long and very ecologically unfriendly flights so it really is imperative to have a good carbon offset company that you can trust and that runs projects you agree with. More often than not these are organised in less fortunate countries so the flip side is that you will be doing something socially positive too.

There is an incredible socially and ecologically facet to travel now that is improving the world and causing people to understand the effects of their old ways of doing things. we have become much more efficient and this is reflecting on the way we book our holidays too. A few years ago the social and ecological statement of a hotel was inexistent, very few understood the value of environmental protection and even fewer clients cared about it anyway. The tables seem to have turned and in around 30% of travelers these responsibility statements are crucial in their choice of accommodation.

Of course with this new-found interest a whole selection of lists and online guides have appeared to try and show the interested public where these new hotspots of eco-entrepreneurship are located.

Traveling To Green Valley, Arizona

When was the last time you could just relax, explore some of the world's most scenic surroundings, and take the time to soak in a beautiful sunset? Next time you need to cut away your busy life's strings, consider a visit to Green Valley, Arizona, a place where time slows down to an unhurried pace and you can get back to nature. Set amongst the picturesque surroundings of the Santa Catalina foothills, Green Valley is a magnet for those with a spirit for adventure and discovery.

Located just twenty minutes south of Tucson, Green Valley offers a wide range of attractions and activities to choose from. For those who would prefer to stretch their legs out a bit, this Southern Arizona destination offers all kinds of great places to hike and explore. For example, the nearby Madera Canyon is a wooded valley right at the base of the Catalina Mountains with a wide range of trails to check out. This canyon is also world-renowned for birdwatchers, where it's easy to spot a wide range of hummingbirds, and frequent sightings of nighthawks, swifts, hawks, golden eagles, flycatchers, owls, and peregrine falcons are common.

At Green Valley, also enjoy natural wonders such as the Colossal Cave, one of the world's largest dry limestone caverns. Discover a new world underneath the Earth's crust with multiple tours throughout the day. If you'd like to dive more into the world of stalagmites and stalactites, try the Kartchner Caverns State Park, which features over 13,000 feet of underground cave formations. The Kartchner Caverns were only discovered in 1972 and have since become one of Arizona's most popular state parks, with over 2 ½ miles of cave passages to explore. The Asarco Mineral Discovery is also worth a visit, with its award-winning exhibit center, open-pit mission mine, and mill tour.

In the mood for a little history and culture? Be sure not to miss the San Xavier Mission, a fine example of Spanish Mission architecture that is known as the "White Dove of the Desert". As for culture, explore the Sonoita Vineyards and Santa Cruz Wineries, where you can sample impeccable wine of the Arizona variety. For a glimpse into America's day of old, venture over to the oldest European settlement in Arizona, Tubac, a vibrant village full of unique arts & crafts. Also, the Tucson Museum of Art is just up the road, featuring pre-Colombian artifacts and a wide variety of arts that help paint the picture of Arizona's rich history.