Whole green resources on cruises, resorts, voluntourism, transportation, adventures, travel gear and more.
It’s no small irony that one of the best ways to appreciate the magnificent diversity of our planet is also contributing to its demise. Travel is a double-edged sword. There are ways to reduce the greenhouse gases that are nasty byproducts of our travels—flying during the summer instead of the winter, for instance. But green travel isn’t just about minimizing and offsetting your carbon footprint. It’s also about choosing travel companies that are socially and environmentally responsible.
LEARN ABOUT IT
Voluntourism 101
So you’d like to take a volunteer vacation, but you want to make sure your money and time are going to a useful, well-run project. A good place to start is www.VolunTourism.org, a site that aids organizations developing voluntourism programs and lets travelers find the right one for them. The site’s pages will help you figure out if a volunteer vacation fits your needs, identify what you want to get out of the experience, prepare for your trip, and even evaluate your post-trip emotions. If you follow the site’s steps, you’ll ask yourself the hard questions that will prepare you for the trip, such as “How good are my people skills—do I feel comfortable speaking with anyone, anywhere?” The site also produces weekly webcasts and a quarterly newsletter with additional tips.
FEATURED
Here are three of the more than 1,000 Whole Green resources you’ll find in the catalog:
LONELY PLANET’S PICK & MIX SYSTEM
Waste Not, Want Not
Ever dragged a continent-wide guidebook on a trip, only to use small sections of it in each of the countries you’re visiting or to ruin the entire volume by tearing out a few pages…
THE PATAGONIA FLEECE
Green Garb
Patagonia’s number-one priority has long been the environment—at times to the detriment of its bottom line. Back in the early 1970s…
OSPREY RESOURCE SERIES OF TRAVEL BAGS
Style and Substance
Long known for making unbeatable mountaineering packs, Osprey has designed a line of bags made mostly from recycled materials— ground-up plastic bottles…
Before you leave for a trip, unplug your TV and other appliances that drain electricity. If possible, adjust your refrigerator a few degrees warmer.
