Whole Travel Blog

In New Orleans, Louisiana, there will eventually be a 100% Cradle to Cradle Flow House. The design plans were unveiled by William McDonough & Partners last week, the first in a series of duplexes that hopefully revitalize the Lower 9th area of New Orleans that was devastated during Hurricane Katrina.

Cradle to Cradle Design: The Flow House in New Orleans

The entire philosophy behind Cradle to Cradle design is that the materials can be reused for other projects or recycled into the environment if and when the current structure completes its useful life. The local community in the Lower 9th provided substantial input during the duplex’s design to make sure it reflects the true need and desires of the local culture. There is ample daylighting and passive ventilation to keep energy needs low, and photovoltaic panels on the roof can hopefully completely power the structure and put power back into the grid.

If you’re in Long Beach, California, check out the M/V Auriga Leader. It’s docked at the Port of Long Beach and hosts an amazing 328 solar panels that provide up to 10% of the ship’s power.

Auriga Leader: powered by the sun

The ship is part of a demonstration by Toyota and Japan’s NYK Line, and it directs solar power into the ship’s main electrical grid, helping to power the thrusters, hydraulics and steering, and provide 10% of the ship’s electricity. While 10% may seem nominal, supertankers can require enough energy to power 5,500 homes while at port, so even small percentage improvements are huge savings for the earth.

Each year, from May through October, you’re bound to find a few brave souls heading out to India for some spectacular trekking. Darjeeling is a region in the far east of India with amazing natural beauty. At an altitude of 8,500 m (28,000 ft), the Darjeelings are the highest mountains in India. Buddhist monasteries and tea plantations dot the landscape as you hike through dense alpine trees, beautiful orchids, natural lakes, and remote trails. A day’s hike up Tiger Hill provides a panoramic view of Mt Everest.

Sunrise at Tiger Hill, Darjeeling

If you’re looking for a softer adventure, you can visit the Kalmatia Sangam Himalaya Resort, a year-round tourism destination that offers low-altitude trekking in the winter and higher-level excursions during the spring, summer and autumn months.

Telefonica, the largest company in Spain, is constructing a 12-building complex to bring 40,000 employees to one main campus in Madrid. The buildings are using a special type of glass to reflect the hot Spanish sun, and panels stick out from the building to act as sun visors. Each of the buildings is to be connected by a covered walkway that will be the world’s largest rooftop photovoltaic installation with 15,000 solar panels capable of producing 4 million kWh annually. Landscaping will be native vegetation which requires minimal water, and that amount of water will be provided by rooftop rainwater collectors.

Distrito C - Telefonica's New Madrid Headquarters

On Monday, Richard Daley, mayor of Chicago, spoke to an audience in New York and said he aims to make Chigago the “most environmentally friendly city in the world.” Much of his plan involves “green roofs”, which usually entails putting plants and even a few trees on top of buildings. Aside from giving nearby skyscrapers a nice view, these roofs help keep the building cool and filter stormwater.

Green Roof

The biggest hurdle for green roofs to overcome is their cost. New York City’s sustainability office found that street trees are more effective than green roofs. Over time, many groups hope to be able to offset the cost by adding bee hives and other sustainable aspects to green roofs, making them more economically viable and broadening their positive impact on urban life. You can read more about Chicago’s campaign for sustainability here.

Because the past 8 years has left public land managers and forest managers with meager funds to maintain trail management teams, search and rescue teams, and more, there has been limited access to some of the country’s most beautiful and precious outdoor recreation resources, for activities such as hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing and camping. Understandably so, since without the infrastructure to support this type of land use, the land managers have no choice but to restrict the activities. This is something that the Access Fund specifically targets and works on with these land managers, however the Federal Government has made it extremely difficult because ultimately they are the ones providing the lack of funding.

BUT NOW THE GOOD NEWS….

Barack Obama, along with promoting an excellent energy plan, and making the oil companies use their windfall profits to help consumers, is also planning on increasing appropriations for public land….and therefore will most likely help to give access to many, many areas.

Their administration needs our support to get this done. Please visit Outdoor Alliance and choose to Take Action, and send letters (via the website) to Barack Obama, to help open up access to these public lands.

Along with a better energy management and energy use system, the funds that are going to be provided to these land managers will help conservation of our natural resources, including “roadless areas” that will be protected. This country is taking a turn in the right direction!

Thank you and Happy Climbing

Brandon Hensinger

Ascent Adventure Consultants- Sustainable Rock Climbing in North Carolina

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!

While many celebrities practice green living and have lent their name to the green cause, whether it’s arriving at the Oscars in a Prius, taking commercial flights (Leonardo DiCaprio), promoting solar energy (Robert Redford), or advocating oil independence (George Clooney), Hollywood itself hasn’t been quick to adopt the green movement.

In an effort to change this, iHollywood Forum is hosting its second annual “Hollywood Goes Green” event in which media, entertainment, and advertising executives will converge to learn how Hollywood can “increase its profitability and at the same time plan a meaningful sustainable strategy.”

Visit their site to find out what specific topics will be discussed.

Instead of packing a battery-powered travel alarm clock for your next trip, consider investing in a clock that gets its power from only salt water. In its November 2008 issue, Travel and Leisure reviews 10 new gadgets meant for the eco-minded traveler.

Ranging in price from $16 for the water-powered clock to $2,000 for a biodegradable laptop partially made from bamboo, these gadgets are compact, economical, and easy to use, and are particularly useful if traveling somewhere remote where electricity isn’t a 24-hour commodity.

Some highlights include:

• a solar-powered battery that replaces phone, camera, ipod, and computer chargers
• USB-charged rechargeable AA batteries
• speakers partially made from recycled cardboard

Which gadgets do you plan to pack for your next adventure?