Whole Travel Blog

Starting next week, the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Environment and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards will be revised and require building owners to submit data about how much energy and water they use on an annual basis, and seek re-certification every two years. The USGBC says the data collected by annual reporting will help improve future revisions to the LEED standards. Senior Vice President of LEED, Scot Horst, said in a press release Thursday, “[this information] will bring to light external issues such as occupant behavior or unanticipated building usage patterns, all key factors that influence performance.”

Bloomberg today announced that Zipcar, the world’s largest car-sharing company, is gearing up for an initial public offering in 2010. Over the past 9 years, Zipcar has grown from an idea conceived in a Cambridge, Massachusetts to a single lime-green VW bug to a fleet of more than 6,500 autos. 

Zipcar helps you go green when you rent a Prius.

Unlike traditional rental car agencies, Zipcar allows members to swipe a card over a dashboard reader, which unlocks the car with the keys already inside. Members can take cars by the hour or for a few days, leaving them at different drop locations based on their online reservations. Even Hertz’s CEO, Mark Frissora, talks about Zipcar: “It’s a cool technology. My two sons use Zipcar. They said, ‘Dad, you have to get into this.’”

At Whole Travel, we’re excited to see Zipcar doing so well. Whether you don’t need a car too often or if you just don’t want to own a car, it’s a great way to reduce the overall number of automobiles produced and reduce our consumption of natural resources. Here’s to hoping the IPO market keeps heating up for green businesses, and way to go Zipcar!

In anticipation of the United Nations climate conference COP 15, global business leaders came together at the World Business Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen last month. There, the World Economic Forum presented  a report titled “Towards a Low Carbon Travel and Tourism Sector” that was a collaboration between the United Nations and several key organizations. The study opens a discussion on how to shift progressively towards a sustainable low-carbon lifestyle and analyzes the impact of the travel and tourism sector on carbon emissions.

Direct and Indirect Carbon Emissions Sources in Travel & Tourism

The expected growth of the tourism sector is 4% annually through 2035, and without further emissions reductions measures, carbon output may outpace that. The study points out how governments, industry stakeholders and consumers can collectively improve the sustainability of travel, which will enable the sector to be a point of sustainable economic development for much of the world. There’s an opportunity to fix environmental and social problems while we fix this economy, let’s hope they get it right this fall at the meeting. To read the full report, click here.

Finding alternatives to plastic has been difficult at best over the past few decades. The problem is that oil is traditionally derived from oil, which both consumes fossil fuels and produces greenhouse gases. Recently, however, scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory announced a simple process that turns cellulose (plant fibers) into plastic.

Making Plastic From Plants 101

While this process is still quite a ways off from commercial application, it shows promise as a way of creating alternative plastics. With so many of today’s products packaged in some form of plastic, finding a sustainable way to replace our fossil fuel-derived types would have a large impact on the environment, both consumption of fossil fuels and emission of greenhouse gases.

The City of San Francisco launched a revolutionary online mapping project last week, Urban EcoMap. The site tracks the amount of carbon emissions by zip code, and even breaks down the information to the source of the greenhouse gases: transportation, energy use or waste. It was announced by Mayor Gavin Newsom on Earth Day, and it’s finally up and running. We’re excited by the many tools this site has to empower you to evaluate and reduce your carbon footprint.

Which San Francisco neighborhood is greenest?

The overall goal of this project is to reveal San Francisco residents’ bad habits and lower the City’s emissions back to 20% below their 1990 levels (as per the Kyoto Protocol). If this takes off, it could provide a great case study for local action providing a global impact. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.

Good morning! My name is Brandon Hensinger, owner of Ascent Adventure Consultants. It is an honor to be able to start contributing to the Whole Travel Blog. Whole Travel is a great site that I believe will have far reaching impact on the eco tourism/sustainable travel industry, as well as in promoting the importance of sustainable travel and green living. I am going to post every once in a while to inform people of environmental issues, whether it is good news or bad news. I hope you find my short posts helpful!

A few months ago, I read an article about the state of North Carolina allowing mining and development that will greatly impact the state’s streams and wetlands. Many people and organizations protested, but to no avail. It looks like the permits will be granted. Read the info here.

Then, like a breath of fresh air, this morning I read an article on USA Today that was very encouraging. In West Virginia, the EPA has decided to hault all mountaintop coal mining permits so that they can evaluate the projects’ impact on streams and wetlands! They even denied permits that the Army Corps of Engineers was requested to fill streambeds and wetlands with mining waste!

It is great news to see that the wilderness and resources that we love are finally being protected by the government rather than being destroyed. West Virginia is one of the Eastern United States’ best resources for outdoor adventure and wilderness experiences, and it would be sad to see the mountain tops blasted and the streams filled with waste. I think that with the government becoming “greener”, and with the push of eco tourism in the travel industry, we will see our natural resources, and our outdoor adventure opportunities protected and increased over the next several years.

Anyone who is reading this blog should consider becoming part of an organization that lobbies and promotes sustainability and green-living. One of my favorite all around resources is WeCanSolveIt.org. Check it out.

Thank you and Happy Climbing!
Brandon Hensinger

Ascent Adventure Consultants- Sustainable North Carolina Rock Climbing and Mountaineering Guides

Many cities have set up initiatives that reach out to lower income homes to help them become more energy efficient.  Haya El Nasser writes in USA Today that houses in lower income areas often use older, less efficient appliances and are not well insulated.  Some of the most recent efforts to lower energy consumption have come in more affluent areas and public buildings.  In several cities organizations have been giving free energy audits, CFL lightbulbs, and other energy savings devices.

In Denver an initiative called Greenprint Denver was started by Mayor John Hickenlooper.  The director of Greenprint, Michele Moss Weingardener, states that a look at utility data and found that the “highest energy-using neighborhoods [were] the [the ones with the] lowest income.”  Volunteers have travelled around the areas supplying people with CF bulbs, programmable thermostats, and insulation around doors, windows, and water furnaces.  Obviously, energy usage goes down, but it also helps these indivuduals save money.  To read more about these intriuging programs, click here.

*photo by connor.molloy

This Thanksgiving try altering your traditions to be kinder to the environment.  A couple of articles offer suggestions to make your Thanksgiving celebration more “green”.  Many of the articles focus on some common themes such as: buy local, organic ingredients, avoid using disposable dinnerware, compost your scraps, and minimize your travel.  But some of them offer some things you may not have thought of like using soy candles, not buying special decorations that you will throw away afterward, and do a vegetarian Thanksgiving.  Check out a few of the articles we found…

Tree Hugger

US News and World Report

Planet Green

Earth First

An eco-cabin near Seattle, WA.

There’s a new trend emerging across the United States - eco cabins. Now, this isn’t what you’re thinking - some tent shack in the woods - it’s more of an experience that blends old with new, traditional styling with modern materials and design. Recently reported in the NY Times, these types of cabins are becoming more and more popular as people search for a retreat from their usual city routine. Author Michelle Kodis was quoted in the article saying:

“Given our busy, techno-heavy lives, people are seeking places where they can rejuvenate and connect to nature.”

That’s how we picture an ideal vacation, and for those people who don’t have their own eco-cabins, or just want to explore a new part of the world with this type of experience, there are quite a few places to look. There’s duPlooy’s in Belize, Crescent Valley Eco-Lodge in New Zealand, and Barahona Coralsol Resort in Dominican Republic. We’re looking forward to seeing more and more of these types of cabins becoming available around the world - what a way to experience local culture and appreciate all that nature has to offer!

Taiwan's "Peculiar Peak" - Mt. Dabajian

More than 200 summits over 3,000 meters (10,000 ft.) in elevation, world-class mountaineering & rock climbing, thousands of kilometers of alpine trekking, lush evergreen forests, breathtaking valleys – an amalgamation of features that describe the likes of the Canadian Rockies or the French Alps, right? True, but what if I told you that you can find all this and more in… deep breath… Taiwan!?!? That’s right, Taiwan! Often noted for its extreme population density in urban areas and progressive architectural escapades, Taiwan also boasts an unbelievably gorgeous countryside that would leave any outdoor enthusiast foaming at the Nalgene. From the “rooftop of Taiwan,” Mt. Yushan (3,952m) – Northeast Asia’s highest peak – to the Sea of Clouds in the Central Mountain Range, Taiwan has a diverse expanse of rich terrain and stunning vistas. So… When you’re planning your next open-air adventure, take a gander at what Taiwan has to offer – you’ll be amazed!

For more information on the titillating Taiwanese terrain, check out the following links!

Taiwan’s National Scenic Areas & Parks
Taiwan Tourism Bureau