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Topic : eco-travel

A Colorado vacation shows why environmentalism matters

June 24th, 2009

By John DeFore
Green Right Now

The old-fashioned American road trip — packing the kids up and driving from one motor lodge to the next — may seem less than 100% wholesome these days, what with eco-conscious drivers becoming as sensitive to the amount of CO2 they’re generating as they are to cries of “are we there yet?” from the back seat.

But getting out into the natural world remains one of the best ways to introduce children — and city-dwelling adults, for that matter — to the environment we all want to preserve. And a well planned road trip can provide vacationers with an array of views and experiences that’s stunning enough to make a phrase like “ecosystem diversity” suddenly sound like a tangible good worth fighting for instead of a dry academic concern.

Travelocity guiding tourists to greener destinations

January 23rd, 2009

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

The multi-edged issues facing the travel industry as it moves toward becoming more green are not hard to envision. First, there’s that sticky matter of getting there – by jet? by car?

There’s a certain built-in, un-green aspect at the core of tourism.

But that said, there are many ways travelers can be less consumptive and more supportive of eco-friendly practices. They can stay at conservation-minded hotels; places that don’t wash your sheets automatically every day; that serve local food and arrange low-impact tours for guests.

Online travel company Travelocity has taken its first steps toward helping consumers find and patronize greener destinations by launching an eco-friendly directory. The Green Directory aims to help travelers sort the green from the “green washed,” and so far features more than 200 hotels and resorts many of which already claim to be carbon neutral, according to the company.

Leaving smaller footprints when you travel

January 14th, 2009

By John DeFore

It may not be the best timing in the world — with plummeting 401(k) funds convincing many Americans to give up vacations for a while — but quite a few resources are popping up lately aimed at the green-minded traveler.

Some, like the enjoyable Frommer’s book 500 Places to See Before They Disappear, emphasize the awe-inspiring vistas and ancient towns whose existence is threatened by climate change and human intervention. But others focus on how to see all those wonders while doing as little as possible to hasten their disappearance.

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Related Topics: · Alastair Fuad-Luke, eco-travel, green travel, The Eco-Travel Guide

Defining Green Travel

October 29th, 2008

By John DeFore

The atmospheric effects of airline flights aside, traveling to developing countries and remote ecosystems can have plenty of positive impact. But those benefits also can be wildly overstated by tourism entrepreneurs while the negative effects of flocking tourists get swept under the carpet. A new group is hoping to make the complicated pros and cons a bit easier to comprehend.