ECOCLUB Blogs™

Ever noticed how many travel brochures don’t show the hordes of people you’ll be sharing the beach with? The water is inviting, the sand looks free of bugs (they don’t show the chemical sprays that make it so) and there are few people in sight. Just sign up for your all-inclusive holiday and you’ll find yourself in beach bliss! Well, I’ve tried those trips and been bored to tears. Fortunately, there is a better way to experience the ocean.I recently took a trip with Baja Airventures. I stayed at a yurt camp where the only neighbors were the ten people who arrived with me on a private air charter (no need to worry about security line-ups here). We finished the week off with some mind-blowing whale watching and made sure our spending stayed with locally-run businesses. This was a week at the beach worth writing home about. To see the difference, visit my You Tube video at http://www.14dd5266c70789bdc806364df4586335-gdprlock/watch?v=0bTa3XTsZ-M and http://www.14dd5266c70789bdc806364df4586335-gdprlock/watch?v=KwwJJ9h9GhMCarol

ever wondered why you have to *pay* an intermediary to 'offset' your emissions? Offset them yourself without paying, by walking to work, not eating meat, by not buying useless items, by giving directly to a green cause of your choice!It seems it is getting harder for them to sell these days: we received a spam email which offered us to "create an offsetting product of our own"... Which means that these folks are propagating themselves like geraniums, pyramid-scheme like. So next time you try clicking n offsetting at a website, imagine how many irrelevant profit margins and administration costs you will be covering. (see, if you spam many people what happens? you may end up annoying the wrong person). Oh, yes, and the funny part is when the spammers mention you must keep the email content confidential Don't worry, don't worry.

Farewell to our friend and member Kostas Papastathopoulos who suddenly passed away. The happiest and most positive person who had achieved many professional goals but also found time for his beloved wife, two young children, his ancestral village and vineyard, always with a smile. Why do good people have to die young? Why are billions wasted on means of destruction and not spent on much needed cures?

I had the opportunity to interview Lotay Rinchen, Senior Travel Manager of Bhutan Expeditions, recently. He shared some very interesting insights on tourism in Bhutan and the changes that may occur as the country moves towards its first demogratically elected government. To see the interview, please check out my newsletter at http://www.kalahari-online.com/win08.pdfCarol

Greetings,Our CCS Winter Newsletter is up! It includes news from our fields, upcoming seminars and seasonal recipes.The link: http://www.cookingincrete.com/CCS-Newslett...inter-2008.htmlBest regards,Nikki

Greetings,CCS has posted photos from Crete on flickr. The link is here and also on Planeta's Rural Tourism page.http://www.flickr.com/groups/cretesustainabletravel/Best regards,Nikki

a thought: animals spend most of their time foraging, while humans spend most of their time working, allegedly so that they can indirectly forage (buying food with money), but also so that they can be seen from their peers that they forage, as idleness is taboo. An evolution leftover? How about leisure & free time management in primates? Precious little can be found online on this.Somewhat related research:http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalog...isbn=0521858372http://www.unisci.com/stories/20021/0218021.htm

Travelodge is taking hotel recycling to a new level. They are building a pop-up hotel in West London using the large metal shipping crates that are ubiquitous at every shipping port. Many crates sit idle and can be a waste disposal problem so finding a new use for them is a win-win situation.In China the crates have been modified to include bathrooms and windows and furnishings will be added in England once the hotel is assembled. The hotel chain feels this construction method and the flexibility to dismantle the hotel will allow them to meet the fluctuating demand levels that accompany major sporting events like the Olympics.The 120 room hotel will be 10% cheaper to build than comparable hotels and cost only 19 pounds a night - a deal in London. I think reusing shipping containers is a great idea and may provide some positive spin-offs if the technology can also create affordable housing in urban centres. It remains to be seen how people like living in shipping crates, but I've stayed in hotels where a clean crate would have been a step up so lets give it a try!

A consultant friend sent this as a holiday greeting SEASONAL GREETING MEMORANDUMFrom us ("the wishor") to you ("hereinafter referred to as the “wishee”), please accept without obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, politically correct, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all...and a financially successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but with due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures or sects, and having regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform or dietary preference of the wishee.By accepting this greeting you are bound by these terms that:1This greeting is subject to further clarification or withdrawal2This greeting is freely transferable provided that no alteration shall be made to the original greeting and that the proprietary rights of the wishor are acknowledged.3 This greeting implies no promise by the wishor to...

I got the chance to tag along with Santa today when he delivered his presents to the elephant, red panda and tiger born this year at the Calgary Zoo. My first introduction to ecotourism was at the Calgary Zoo and I was on the board for a number of years so I’m always thrilled when I get the chance to visit. This was the first time I’ve seen the baby elephant and she is adorable. She was particularly fascinated with Mrs. Claus (perhaps she knows where the real gift giving decisions are made….)If you like animals at all you’ll enjoy this video clip http://www.14dd5266c70789bdc806364df4586335-gdprlock/watch?v=crKHWiNXQYUHappy Holidays!Carol