As conscious traveling Paupers we must always be concerned about our dear Mother Earth. If you think about it, you travel across her face, and She is the host to your journey; without Her we could not find the unfolding adventures that attract and feed our souls.
I have found some valuable resources for us to use and publisize, all of which are dedicated to responsible travel and care of our environment.
International Ecotourism Society
202-347-9203 www.ecotourism.org
A well-established nonprofit group which conducts research, publishes articles, provides consumer information, and has a directory of members around the world. With Rainforest Alliance, it recently started an ecotourism certification standards program.
Sustainable Travel International
720-273-2975 www.sustainabletravelinternational.org
Formed three years ago to bridge the gapbetween research and ocnsumer information and to promote sustainable development and eco-friendly travel. Offers a carbon offset program and last month started an eco-certification program that will follow standards laid out by the International Ecotourism Society.
Responsible Travel Handbook
www.travelearning.com
Created this year for the Educational Travel Conference meeting, this lengthy guide has a wealth of contributors and information. (Click on responsible tourism to download).
Lonely Planet Code Green: Trips of a Lifetime That Won't Cost The Earth
by Kelly Lorimer- Lonely pLanet Publications
The first "green travel" book to be published by Lonely Planet includes dozens of "responsible travel experiences" and provides traveler information on responsible and eco-travel. Lonely Planet also runs a discussion board on responsible travel at http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com
Better World Club
866-238-1137 www.betterworldclub.com
The environmentally conscious alternative to the American Automobile Association, offering auto and bicycle road assistance, has resources on hybrid car rentals, green lodging, and carbon offsets.
Let us join and use these groups when planning our trips. By raising our level of consciousness and employing 'green' tactics and travel itineraries we will, each in our own small way, be contributing to a healthier world where we act as stewards to the environment while discovering the rich and breathtaking rewards of travel.