100% ecological hotel plans

The InterContinental Hotels Group has mapped out a 100 percent eco-friendly hotel named Innovation Hotel (IH), says Asia Travel Tips website.

Only the plans for the green hotel have been produced, and not the actual construction of IH.

The plans include among other things rainwater recycling, a green roof and solar panels.

"Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at IHG, David Jerome, said, 'We have some excellent examples of responsible tourism already underway in our hotels. Now we're looking at setting company-wide goals for our business to deliver real benefits to the environment, based on clear understanding of where we can make a difference and on guests' needs.'"

Where or when the IH will be built wasn't disclosed.

Read the full story: InterContinental Hotels Group shares ideas for 100% ecologically-friendly hotel

Los Angeles the green city

A recent Brookings Institution study found that Los Angeles is one of the top greenest cities in the U.S., reports the Economist.

The study focused on carbon emissions through household energy use and highway traffic.

The top four greenest cities are:
1) Honolulu, Hawaii
2) Los Angeles, California
3) Portland, Oregon
4) New York, New York

Los Angeles has a temperate climate that doesn't require a lot of heating or cooling, so even though Angelenos drive everywhere, their weather helps lessen their energy use.

Read the full story: And the winner is...

Don't be fooled by "eco" label

Ecotourism is a rising travel sector but travelers must be cautious about eco-resorts that are anything but says U.S.News & World Report.

The article claims that some hotels "slap a green label on everything," just to bring in ecoconscious travelers.

It criticizes online travel giant Orbitz about their new ecotourism site because it doesn't have a good system of qualifying and labeling hotels as green:

"I would not be comfortable directing our members to that site," says [Ayako Ezaki, director of communications for The International Ecotourism Society], while acknowledging that a good ecotourism site takes time to build."

Read the full story: Deceptive 'greenwashing' aims to trick ecotourists

Used oil = carbon-neutral Scottish bus

A Scottish bus company encouraged enough riders to donate their used cooking oil for biofuel production, that they can now go carbon-neutral, reports Environmental News Network:

"For the past six months, Stagecoach has been running eight buses on biofuels made from used cooking oil. That project has the makings of a true bartering scheme; in exchange for used cooking oil, passengers get a reduction on travel fares. The scheme is organized at Ayrshire Council recycling plant and has been met with tremendous enthusiasm of the population. Over 21 tonnes of used cooking oil was handed, marking an 100 percent increase over a period of six months."

Read the full story: Hand over your cooking oils

Sunscreen ingredients bad for coral reefs

Discovery News reports that sunscreen ingredients are a "major cause of coral bleaching."

A study by the European Commission found that sunscreen ingredients start distressing coral reefs immediately and cause complete bleaching within 4 days:

"An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen are released annually in reef areas, with 25 percent of the sunscreen ingredients on skin released into water over the course of a 20-minute submersion."

Sunscreens are recommended to protect against skin cancer.

Read the full story: Sunscreen stresses coral reefs

Controversy over proposed Amazon dam

Brazilian Amazonian Indians are protesting a dam project over the Xingu river that would displace thousands from their native lands, divert rivers and open up rainforest areas to exploitation.

Watch the Reuters report:

Rise in cooking oil thefts

RVtravel.com reports that thefts of used fast-food frying oil is on the rise - due to higher gas prices:

"Now, as the price of gas and diesel has climbed, so has the appeal of stealing vegetable oil to brew homemade fuel in backyard stills. Fast food restaurants across the USA have reported such thefts — the bandits using the recycled oils to power their personal vehicles."

Read the full story: Crooks stealing veggie oil for home-brew biofuel

Plastic bag ban expands in San Francisco

Not only is San Francisco the first to outlaw plastic bags in large supermarkets but it is now widening that law to pharmacy chains too reports the local TV news station KNTV.

Ecotravel News was very disappointed when New York City was exploring a similar plastic bag ban but instead only got the edict for grocery chains to recycle bags; something that California supermarkets have had in place for over a decade.

Now that SF is successful in its attempt at being an environmental leader, hopefully other large cities can be inspired and also pass more stringent plastic bag laws.

Read the full story: SF plastic bag ban to expand

Video about Tasmanian Devil's peril

Yesterday we wrote about the plight of Australia's Tasmanian Devil and how it is now officially endangered.

Here is the Reuters video report on this sad subject:

Tasmanian Devil officially endangered

Australia's endemic marsupial, the Tasmanian Devil, was officially declared endangered by the state government of Tasmania, according to Reuters.

The Devil's population has been decimated by a fast-spreading and fatal facial cancer; that will wipe out the species in 10-20 years if not contained.

Tasmania is Australia's southern most island state that broke off from the mainland 12,000 years ago.

The Tasmanian Devil lives only on Tasmania and is the state's icon.

Read the full story: Tasmanian Devil listed as endangered

For more about this rare animal and how to help save it click on: tassiedevil.co.au

Tokyo: consumers and proud of it

Agence France-Presse reports that residents of Tokyo are least willing to sacrifice their consumer lifestyles to help save the environment:

"More than four in 10 Tokyo residents -- 41.6 percent -- said they "don't want to sacrifice a convenient lifestyle to prevent global warming," according to the poll results published recently by Japanese advertising agency Hakuhodo."

Although this may seem bad, because the Japanese do love their elaborate packaging, they do tend to drive smaller and more fuel-efficient cars, take more public transportation and eat less beef than do Americans.

Read the full story: Tokyoites least eco-minded of rich city dwellers: poll

Starbucks coffee to be served in ceramic

Environmental News Network reports that Starbucks, the global and ubiquitous coffee chain, will serve all in-house coffee in reusable ceramic mugs.

But if you still need to take your coffee to go, bring a reusable container and you might get a discount.

If that isn't "green" enough, Starbucks will also convert all stores to 50 percent renewable energy by 2010 and will also use 80 percent sustainable coffee by 2013.

Although we at Ecotravel News are not Starbucks frequenters (mostly because of the outrageous prices), we applaud the chain for their eco-efforts.

Read the full story: Starbucks goes ceramic

Nissan to build electric cars

National Public Radio reports that Nissan will mass produce an electric car by 2010.

This is according to Nissan a strategy to become a leader in zero-emission vehicles:

"Nissan has not announced a specific model that will be mass produced. But in March, at the New York International Auto Show, the automaker unveiled an electric-powered concept car, the Denki Cube [pictured above], which runs on lithium-ion batteries."

Read or listen to the full story: Nissan builds buzz with plans for electric car

National Parks smoggy views - thanks GW Bush

The National Parks Traveler reports that the increasingly smoggy national park views are due to President Bush's "relatively laissez-faire approach to coal-fired power plants."

The National Parks Conservation Group's recent report points to the Bush administration's weakening of clean-air regulation as the culprit to the poor-air quality and views that are becoming more common over certain parks:

"Already, one in three national park sites has air pollution levels that exceed health standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Most of the air pollution now marring the parks’ scenic views, harming plants, and risking the health of wildlife and visitors, results from the burning of fossil fuels, especially by coal-fired power plants. Worse yet, more than 100 new coal-fired power plants are in various stages of planning and development across the country, putting national parks at risk."

Read the full story: Coal-fired plants obscuring national park vistas

Polar bears, see before extinct

The Los Angeles Times reports on a small Canadian town besieged by polar bear viewing tourists - and because the bear was officially designated as endangered - will most likely see a tourist upswing.

"Tourists come to Churchill, a town about six blocks long, to see the bears; there are about 900 polar bears in the area. They go out on the tundra in buggies, peer at the animals through windows of the specially designed vehicles and get super-close to the bears -- without setting foot in their habitat."

But some tour operators are hopeful that the endangered tag will bring better protection to the bears as well as more recognition of the affects of global warming on melting ice.

Read the full story: Now endangered, polar bears a bigger draw to Churchill, Canada

Explore the world with two feet

MSNBC.com and Forbes report on walking tours around the globe:

"Walkers are generally a committed bunch; they know that seeing the world by foot yields a rare experience. Often travelers bond with interesting locals. They also get a vivid, lasting impression of the landscape. Walking tours can be done in one's figurative backyard, but there are several destinations around the world that expose travelers to the best of nature and culture."

Read the full story: Best ways to see the world by foot.

For some great hikes check out my hiking website: hiking bug

Irwin battles against mining in conservation area

Discovery News reports that Terri Irwin, widow of famed "crocodile hunter" Steve Irwin, is trying to stop mining in the Australian conservation area named after her late husband:

"Terri Irwin said the 135,000-hectare (333,450-acre) Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve on Cape York Peninsula in Australia's far northeast was home to a number of vulnerable species and needed to be protected.

The lease to the site, purchased by an Irwin family company with the help of the Australian government in 2006 and renamed in tribute to the "Croc Hunter", is the subject of an application from a mining company to mine 50 million tonnes of bauxite, she said."

Read the full story: Terri Irwin fighting to block mining in wildlife zone

Tours with preserving the environment in mind

The Houston Chronicle published a Detroit Free Press story on how to choose environmentally responsible tour companies. They also list five tour companies that "aim to provide tours that gently help preserve what tourists go to see in the first place."

It is noted that four of the companies were recommended by Conde Nast Traveler, so luxury is also most likely included. Although Ecotravel News is skeptical that luxury can go along with eco...

Read the full story: Tour companies become more socially responsible, ecofriendly

Rising CO2 threatens koala bears

Environmental News Network reports that rising CO2 levels are threatening koala bears.

The Australian Academy of Science found that high levels of carbon dioxide changes the composition of nutrients in the koalas' main diet of eucalyptus leaves:

"Koalas are fussy about the species of eucalypts that they eat as different species contain different ratios of nutrients to anti-nutrients. Some eucalypt species may have high protein content, but anti-nutrients such as tannins bind the protein so it can't be used by the koala"

Read the full story: Koalas under threat from climate change

More planes = less global warming?

USA Today reports that greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes have actually gone down since 2000; even though there are more planes in the air.

The Environmental Protection Agency report measured the polluting gas from planes and vehicles between 2000-2006. It found that airplane emissions fell by 13 percent while vehicle emissions rose six percent:

"Airlines cut fuel consumption from a record 20.4 billion gallons in 2000 to 19.6 billion in 2006, Department of Transportation figures show. In that period, their planes flew 18% more miles on domestic and international routes. That marks the first extended period in which airlines have cut fuel use while flying more miles, DOT data show."

Read the full story: Planes fly more, emit less greenhouse gas

SF Chronicle ponders green travel

The San Francisco Chronicle tries to answer the question of how to determine the "greenest" form of travel for your specific needs.

They compared and contrasted car, airline and train travel with various carbon footprint scenarios for all.

They determined that: "It's either cut back on carbon emissions in applications where it's relatively easy or decide that our only truly green alternative is to stay home."

Read the full story: No easy answer to "greener" travel mode

Amazon die-off due to cleaner skies?

Is the above picture what the Amazon needs to stay healthy?

Yes according to Reuters who highlighted an interesting conundrum between the reduction of coal emissions leading to drought in the Amazon rain forest:

"The study in the journal Nature identified a link between reduced sulphur dioxide emissions from coal burning and increased sea surface temperatures in the tropical North Atlantic that boosts the drought risk in the Amazon rain forest.

With the rain forest already threatened by development, higher global temperatures could tip the balance, they said."

Read the full story: Clean air could kill the Amazon

Online eco-booking

The Associated Press via the Sacramento Bee highlights two online travel websites that now have eco options.

Orbitz and Expedia now have sections making it easy to book green hotels, hybrid rent-a-cars and carbon offsets.

Read the full story: Web watch: 'Green' trips easier to book

Campaign for camel health

Cameron Oliver, an 11-year-old South African boy living in Abu Dhabi, wants to save camels from the unnatural death of ingesting plastic bag litter.

Reuters recently produced a video report about the young man's campaign that tells people they are directly responsible for killing camels by littering and what they can do to prevent it.



For more on this please visit the website: cameronscamelcampaign.com

Electric vehicles made in Canada not allowed in Canada

The Economist magazine reports on the ban of electric vehicles (EVs) on Canadian roads... even though there are three EV manufacturers in Canada.

The cars produced by ZENN Motor Company, Dynasty Electric Car and the third company (an unnamed yet-to-be-produced-EV) are all exported to the United States. These cars are all low-speed-vehicles meant for urban use, not long-haul.

Canada's road regulatory agency, Transport Canada, says EVs are not safe enough to be driven amongst larger gas vehicles:

"It is true that the [electric] cars are made from lightweight metals and plastics. But the manufacturers allege political bias: Stephen Harper's conservative government has much support in oil-rich Alberta.

Backed by thousands of would-be buyers, [EV manufacturers] are campaigning to reverse the agency's decision.

'It's a ludicrous regulatory situation. All you can point to is oil and the big guys and think there's a conspiracy somewhere,' says Danny Epp of Dynasty."

Read the full story: Not on our roads

For more on electric vehicles in Canada check out evcanada.org

More Amazon should be cut down for food says Brazilian leader

Reuters reports that the governor of Brazil's largest soy producing region wants to help stem the so-called global food crisis by clear-cutting more of the Amazon rain forest for farm land.

Blairo Maggi of Mato Grosso state (in western Brazil) said in a local paper that as the global food crisis grows it will be "inevitable to discuss" either growing food or protecting the environment. He goes on to say that as a solution his country has the "space to raise [agricultural] production."

Mato Grosso has the distinction of being the most deforested state in 2007 but its northern half is still covered with Amazon rain forest.

Images above from NASA compare deforestation in Mato Grosso from June 17, 2002 center and June 28, 2006 top

Read the full story: Brazil "soy king" sees Amazon as food solution

Green travel dilemma essay

Eco-conscious traveler Jennifer Bernstein ponders "how easy is it really to travel green?" in her essay on the Brave New Traveler website.

Anyone can go to an eco-lodge and offset their carbon footprints, but what does this really do for the local habitats and people who live there?:

"Green means asking complex questions about what is right, and these questions get increasingly challenging in the context of an unfamiliar culture.

Plus, travel is about movement, which means you visit somewhere and then leave. Better travelers are environmentally and socially responsible, and make a genuine effort to learn about and appreciate the area they visit."

Read the full story: The inconvenient truth about green travel