http://www.neutralexistence.com/index.php/begreen/ en bjmcconnell@alltel.net Copyright 2008 2008-05-01T15:21:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/green-goes-on-vacation/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/green-goes-on-vacation/#When:14:21:00Z What does vacationing mean for those out there with a green conscience? Unfortunately for travel lovers, the ultimate in green vacations may simply be to stay home this year.  Little to no travel is the ultimate in carbon natural. But, if wanderlust has the best of you and your family, there are more and more ways every day to lessen your impact along the road. The most obvious and talked about of course is the carbon offset, where travelers pay a certain amount to an organization that “offsets” the carbon emissions generated from vacation/business travel by investing it in green ventures, like wind farms, tree planting etc.  (See other posts on Neutral Existence on offsetting travel.) Should you choose to offset, do your homework. There has been some controversy over the true ecological value of some of the projects benefiting from offset credits, and in some corners fraud has been reported.  Don’t let you good intentions get high-jacked by someone who sees only a different sort of green. That said, here are some other ideas and options to get you started planning a more neutral vacation. Creature comforts Travelers used to a certain level of luxury can breathe easy – many major hotel chains have made major commitments to greening their operations and properties, including Hilton and Marriott.  Even discount chains like Best Western, Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Holiday Inn and Travelodge have been busy greening their hotels.  Check out www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com to find a green hotel in almost any major city or resort around the world.  The site offers detailed information on how it ranks hotels, and what environmental programs they have in place.  For instance, Alexander’s Inn in Santa Fe, New Mexico uses non-toxic fertilizers in its landscaping, and powers its property with wind.  Disney’s Boardwalk Resort in Orlando has implemented a procurement system that requires amenities, fixtures, supplies, etc, are environmentally friendly. The Rain Forest Inn in Puerto Rico was built with recycled timbers. Love the great outdoors?  Enjoy Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Colorado – 5,000 acres of Wild West living to explore and appreciate.  Open all year, Devil’s Thumb uses geothermal heat to power its buildings and cabins from the inner power of the earth.  For an economically and environmentally friendly option, consider checking in with your state’s parks department.  Many offer low-cost, bring-your-own-amenities cabins in maintained park areas, where you can learn more about regional wildlife, flora and fauna.  Think of it as the vacation equivalent of buying locally grown foods. Want to explore American History? Hotels, inns and bed and breakfasts listed on the National Register of Historic Places are a great way to green up your vacation – after all, many of these exquisite properties were saved from the wrecking ball by someone or some group with the ultimate sense of “reuse and recycle.” Consider the Montclair Bed and Breakfast in Virginia, which engages in programs to save energy, reduce waste, and conserve water, or the Lenox Hotel in Boston’s Back Bay, one of the first offset 100 percent of its electricity use. There’s even hope in Sin City. The MGM Mirage’s City Center in Las Vegas, is said to be one of if not the biggest green building project in the country right now.  It will recycle more than 80 percent of its construction waste, and – in a city not always known for easy walking to other attractions – is building a walkway to the neighboring Bellagio. Waste and energy management on the road Toiletries have become a travel nightmare, considering flight regulations and the like.  If you’re traveling for pleasure, cut down on waste by packing full-size health and beauty products in your checked luggage, instead of using hotel-supplied items.  Make sure to pack them well to prevent leakage.  If you’re embarking on a road trip, taking your own shampoos, conditioners and soaps is a must. Avoid the in-room coffee maker – it’s actually more eco-friendly to grab some joe at a café or coffee shop. (Extra points – get the Fair Trade blend…) Buying coffee cuts back on electricity use in your room, and reduces the waste from all the individually wrapped and sealed coffee, filters and utensils. Most hotels and lodges now have in-house recycling bins, and some are now offering special in-room recycling bins.  Use which ever is available to recycle plastic beverage bottles and other items you’d recycle at home.  If you can’t find a good method, keep a bag in your vehicle (if you’re driving) and add items you can recycle upon your return home. Some hotels are investing in major energy saving devices – some you won’t even have to think about.  The Westin Convention Center in Pittsburgh has installed a lighting system that turns the lights off for you after your leave the room. It reads your key card to know when you’re not in the room, and automatically turns some lighting on for you when you return.  Carry a small night light in your luggage if you need some level of in room lighting during the night. It should go without saying, but it seems that even in this day and age, we need to hear it. DON’T LITTER.  Make sure to place all trash in provided receptacles as you sightsee and visit.  If none is provided, hang onto garbage until you can find one.  Put recyclables in the proper place as well.  Nothing ruins scenery and mars the environment like litter – ask any of the gazillion maintenance workers at Walt Disney World.  People today have a strange tendency to equate “big/corporate” with un-environmental, but one of the most consistent compliments about the House of Mouse over its decades of regaling visitors is that it’s virtually litter-free. Also, teach children to put trash in its place, and make sure nothing is ever tossed from your car windows. Think Finally, as with anything environmental, use your head.  If you’re considering eco-travel, be sure to think about your trip as thoroughly as possible.  Regardless of lodging, waste management and those types of amenities; is it really necessary for you to visit elephants and wildebeests in their natural habitat?  Or is that kind of travel really more invasive than necessary for animals that are already severely threatened by human existence?  Research the outfit offering your trip as closely as possible.  Look at practices related to transportation, energy use, and fair trade with locals.  Often, vacation packages labeled eco-something, sadly, are nothing of the kind. If you decide to trim your carbon contributions by kicking back at home, look for ways to enjoy it and foster a love of nature among your children.  Take nature walks.  Visit local and regional environmental centers to learn about wildlife.  Get a butterfly net and play catch and release with some of summers most beautiful visitors.  Plant a native flower garden, nurture it and watch it grow.  Fish. Bird watch. Grow your own vegetables and try out new recipes to show them off. Green Your Travel 2008-05-01T14:21:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/tree-planting-carbon-offsets/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/tree-planting-carbon-offsets/#When:22:50:00Z Tree planting offsets are one of the most controversial types of carbon offsets, and for good reason. Tree planting offsets include planting new forest and re-planting forest. Although these types of offsets sound good, they are vulnerable to allot of criticism. The overall principle of tree planting offsets hinge on the idea that trees sequester carbon through photosynthesis, where they intake carbon dioxide and water and turn them into oxygen. Unfortunately the supporters of tree planting offsets fail to mention that when a tree dies or if the forest is cleared in the future, all of that stored carbon would be returned to the atmosphere. This actually makes tree planting offsets more of a carbon storage plan or carbon postponing plan as opposed to an actual carbon sequestration offset. As long as the forest stay alive then it would effectively be making the buyer of the offset,carbon neutral. This can be good as it postpones the effects long enough for our ingenuity to kick in and actually start making some changes in the way we generate and harness energy. Unfortunately according to the IPCC the estimated potential of bio-mitigation options can only offset approximately 10% to 20% of the projected fossil fuel emissions by 2050. Another interesting fact about tree planting offsets, is that the planting of new forests may initially release some of the terrain’s existing carbon stores into the atmosphere. Specifically, the conversion of peat bogs into oil palm plantations has allegedly made Indonesia the world’s third largest producer of greenhouse gases. You will not see this type of information on any tree planting carbon offset company website as most tree planting offset strategies to date have taken only the first effect into account. Trees which are planted outside of tropical zones grow three times slower than those planted in tropic zones. Also, because the trees grow so fast in tropical zones, they release more water vapor into the air causing more clouds thereby creating a measurable net cooling effect. unfortunately, trees planted in temperate zones have little or no net global cooling and very little carbon sequestration. This means that any tree planting offset programs which plant trees outside of tropical zones are not very effective in global cooling or carbon sequestration. According to Ken Caldeira, a study co-author from the Carnegie Institution, “To plant forests outside of the tropics to mitigate climate change is a waste of time. It is only by transforming our energy system and preserving natural habitat, such as forests, that we can maintain a healthy environment. To prevent climate change, we must focus on effective strategies and not just ‘feel-good’ strategies.” It is with all of this information that Neutral Existence can NOT recommend any type of tree planting carbon offsets. Instead, we do recommend and buy renewable energy carbon offsets, as they have a much more value and very little, if any, negatives. Green Your Travel 2008-01-01T22:50:00-06:00 http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/green-your-travel-with-carbon-offsets/ http://www.neutralexistence.com/site/green-your-travel-with-carbon-offsets/#When:03:43:00Z Traveling, weather by plane, train or automobile is a very carbon and pollution intensive activity. While many hardcore environmentalist will say not to travel except by train, sometimes that is just not an option. When not traveling is not an option, it’s best to offset your traveling emissions with some sort of carbon offset. Carbon offsets can best be described as an environmental credit which someone can buy to “offset” their own greenhouse gas emissions, when one is unable to or unwilling to reduce their own emissions. The best known examples of carbon offsets are tree planting and clean energy offsets, which compensate for car and air travel emissions. A wide variety of offset methods are in use, however tree planting has been the mainstay of this industry. While tree planting has been the most popular and most used offset, it has also come under the most scrutiny. Here at Neutral Existence, we do not believe that tree planting carbon offsets are a valid form of offsetting carbon emissions simply because trees are carbon neutral not carbon negative. We discuss this in much more detail in the following article: Tree Planting Carbon Offsets The social push to become carbon neutral has drastically increased the popularity of these voluntary offset programs. Carbon offsets are cheaper and easier alternatives to reducing one’s own carbon emissions, which has created a bit of tension in the environmental community. Many environmentalist object to the entire principle of carbon offsetting, while others only object to particular types of offsets and certain individual projects. We at Neutral Existence do NOT believe that carbon offsets are the answer to our problems. Offsets should not be used to buy off ones responsibility as a citizen of this earth and to continue to live an inefficient lifestyle. We believe that carbon offsets should only be used to offset any remaining emissions after trying your best to reduce your own emissions. In other words, offsets should only be used to offset things out of your control. For instance, if you have to go on business trips and you must fly, then sure buying an offset in this circumstance is recommended and not frowned upon. However, buying offsets so one can continue to live the way they were living before is basically a cop-out, as no attempt has been made to reduce ones own carbon emissions. When choosing a carbon offset company, it is very important that you choose a reputable company. Unfortunately, many new “scam” companies are popping up every day ready to take you money but not follow through with the promised use. Find companies with transparency, companies that openly show and list their many different carbon sequestration projects. This way you will know exactly where your money is going and trust that it will actually be making a difference. As a service, we at Neutral Existence will research new offsetting companies and keep an up-to-date list of “legitimate” carbon offset companies. Our criteria for inclusion will be primarily based on the types of projects that these companies finance. We do not believe that tree planting offsets bring much value, therefore we will not include any tree planting offsets in the list below. Legitimate carbon Offset Companies: 1: Terra Pass - number one on our list simply because they are involved in very diverse and helpful projects, most of which deal with clean energy, biomass and industrial efficiency. 2: Easy Being Green - Easy Being Green is an Australian company that has a little different approach. They actually do home and commercial building abatements, in which they reduce the effects that homes and buildings have on the environment. Green Your Travel 2008-01-01T03:43:00-06:00