Comments on: Green Travel or Greenwashing?

By: Michael Winkler

Michael Winkler — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 00:39:19 +0000

Air travel is fundamentally unsustainable and emits massive quantities of GHG’s at an altitude where their impact is multiplied X3. By comparison, the impact of what you do once you get there is much less important. Except in the cases of dire family emergencies I never fly. As individuals and as a society we have not been even remotely committed to making the fundamental changes necessary to live sustainably. We all need to again get used to vacationing within our own regions and if we really need to travel long distances take the bus or train.

By: Talon Windwalker

Talon Windwalker — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 10:37:34 +0000

In reply to Cora. I absolutely agree every little bit helps. Unfortunately, with green washing we get lots of places simply claiming they're green to capitalize on that group of travelers without actually doing any of the things that would make them more green.

By: Cora

Cora — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 20:58:32 +0000

I agree with you. I’m trying to be as green as possible but the act of travel in itself is not the easiest way to be green, let’s face it. Still, I think that every step is important, every small gesture can make a difference. Even greenwashing in the end, because whoever is staying at the ecolodge you mentionned is basically saying to the whole tourism industry “I want green accommodations”, so that’s still better than not going, right ? 🙂

By: Tourists’ Tastes Craft Culture| VRAI Magazine

Tourists’ Tastes Craft Culture| VRAI Magazine — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 21:20:34 +0000

[…] examples), I also see a massive amount of negatives and agree with the general thrust of articles such as this. While the tourism economy injects a massive amount of money into local communities, might it […]

By: Tourists' Tastes Craft Culture

Tourists' Tastes Craft Culture — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 14:41:50 +0000

By: Talon Windwalker

Talon Windwalker — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 11:46:59 +0000

In reply to Katie @ The World on my Necklace. Totally agree. And if a lot of us doing even small things, it all adds up.

By: Katie @ The World on my Necklace

Katie @ The World on my Necklace — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 04:47:24 +0000

It would be nearly impossible to be 100% green but I agree that there are definitely lots of small things that you can do to make a difference. I walk between places as much as possible and take public transport when it is too far to walk. I never waste food. I don’t buy bottled water unless I am in a country where the water is unsafe to drink. I choose overland travel rather than flying when I can. My next step is to cut down more on eating meat.

By: Talon Windwalker

Talon Windwalker — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 01:49:19 +0000

In reply to Jeremy. I don't think most people are going to be willing to radically change how they live. Hell, just a state banning one-use plastic bags for grocery shopping has caused a massive controversy. BUT that doesn't mean there aren't small things they we can all do. Even a bunch of small things can have a huge impact if enough people are doing them.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 21:15:25 +0000

I wonder how many dolphins we’re killing through ocean acidification via the act of traveling alone. (Gotta just go straight to the core of all controversies in one sentence). I mean, just one international flight per year is a significant amount of CO2 pumped into the environment that leads to ocean acidification and death of just about everything. That is before we even get to the topic of what we do when we get there.

I do appreciate when resorts try and be “green”, and I’m not talking about a chain printing 50,000 signs saying they won’t change your towels every 48 hours, either. (I’d love to see the life-cycle analysis on that one). Short of closing down altogether (which would stop all of those pesky flights), I like to see hotels doing what they can to limit their own impact on the environment. If people are going to come regardless, it is better than nothing.

But although I’m all for going green and being ethical, I know that my lifestyle is anything but. I think this post is going to force me to put together my environmental piece sooner rather than later, because I’ve been meaning to publish one since this is what my college education was (somewhat) focused on.

By: Talon Windwalker

Talon Windwalker — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 20:04:17 +0000

In reply to Nomadic Matt. Thank you for that recognition!