Five Tips for Nurturing Trips

Travel practices tested enough to hold up to a deep greenie’s scrutiny and nurturing enough to hold up to a comfort-seeker’s good taste need to go beyond superficial suggestions. For me, they better keep green on the planet and in my wallet.

Travel represents one of the biggest ticket items in your annual spending and also offers the opportunity protect the planet and your loved ones. You vote with your dollars every day—supporting businesses that share your values—and you can do the same on vacation. More than ever before, it is possible to take a green vacation without compromising your lifestyle or your values.

If the idea of green travel gives you greenfatigue, take a vacation that supports your health and the health of the planet without all the guilt and marketing hype. The world of green travel is no longer limited to “eco” safaris, camping, and yurts. There’s an array of options from eco-cheap to deluxe, combining modern amenities and principles for social responsibility. World-class standards now come without the loss of local character and care. And here's how to spot them:

1. Avoid the Bird's Eye View. Take Staycations
2. Look for Truth in Travel
3. Small is the New Big
4. Expect a Sense of Place
5. Get Breathing Room

1. Avoid the Bird’s-Eye View. On a staycation you can drive, take a bus or rail - not fly. One flight can produce as much carbon as an entire year of driving a Toyota Camry. This is one reason many travelers choose to vacation close to home, as opposed to jetting off to exotic destinations.

If you're driving from California, Utah, and Arizona--the Candlewood Bed and Breakfast Retreat in Clarkdale, AZ offers an ideal staycation with it's sweeping views of the Black Mountains and services to pamper--including massage and the opportunity to see, first-hand how going green does not have to compromise your lifestyle. Owners Rennie and Andrea went further than a light green amenities—they show true eco consciousness by protecting the natural landscape with permaculture and operating their meeting and guest rooms completely off the grid. Twenty years of walking their talk in the healing arts and architecture makes them the ideal hosts for a family eco holiday.

Stoneman Lake Lodge in Flagstaff is also completely off the grid and nestled away in a wilderness setting next to the national forest with a lake that draws wildlife for miles. With giant decks and spacious rooms, the lodge offers plenty of privacy. You may feel you have the run of the place yourself. Make sure to ask if the lake has water, some seasons in the desert it can dry up.

One has to look no further than the directory of Small Luxury Hotels or Andrew Harper’s Top Hideaways to find nurturing accommodations going green within driving distance of many major cities. Dr. Michael G. Matthews recently visited Paws Up, a ranch resort in Montana–posh enough to make both SLH and Harper’s lists and concerned about protecting the local economy and environment. “Kyle and I are cowboy types who do rugged, outdoor things but at the same time we're also all about luxury and being spoiled too. Paws Up offered the best of both worlds."

2. Truth in Travel. “Eco” destinations often do more harm to the local economy and environment than the good they do educating us about nature. And many hotels have jumped on the green bandwagon simply by posting signs for guest towel and water use programs. While compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) can cut energy use, they alone do not a green lodging make. Plus the bulbs contain mercury, more of which we don’t need leaching out of landfills into the water supply.

The practices of many companies fall short of the images and claims and ultimately, are more about greenwashing than they are about responsibility. Truth seekers may need to look a little deeper to see what shade of green the travel vendor wears--the almighty dollar or true responsibility.

Ask what makes the lodging green. Responsible accommodations can usually demonstrate five or more ways that they reuse and recycle waste and reduce energy use and consumption. This is often called the “three Rs,” Reuse, Recycle, Reduce. An establishment that is serious about health and responsibility will have written policies, see a good example on my website or use the checklist from the National Geographic Society Office of Sustainable Tourism to pick out what’s important to you.

3. Small Is The New Big. Smaller footprints mean bigger savings, sometimes for you and definitely for Mother Earth. Think boutique hotel instead of a chain. Think vacation home instead of resort. Using the Internet to find an eco-friendly vacation rental turns up private home owners and vacation rental sites, including VRBO and Vacation Rentals 411. HomeAway offers guarantees for the properties listed—protecting renters from disreputable home owners, allowing you to go green with peace of mind.

4. Sense of Place. Deluxe can be predictably cookie-cutter, could-be-anywhere, with corporate furnishings and marble bathrooms. Look for lodging that offers genuine atmosphere without losing its connection to the environment and community— in the post-modern world, luxury goes local.

Los Poblanos Inn, in Albuquerque, New Mexico with its 25 acres of lavender and organic vegetable gardens, ponds, stone walkways, and flawless comforts is just one of many travel companies revising the standards of excellence upwards by including responsible practices.

The policy at Poblanos lists 12 practices demonstrating their commitment to “ecological consciousness,” including hosting a CSA (community supported agriculture). No surprise this destination tops many lists for the best B&B in Albuquerque and took Sunset Magazine’s Best of the West award and is one of my top five places to sleep, other than my own bed.

5. Breathing Room. Go green by staying in healthy homes and hotels that use green cleaning practices, provide RO (reverse osmosis) filtered water, and are designed with natural finishes and furnishings. One of the hottest amenities in hotels is “pure” rooms that are hypoallergenic. But you don’t have to have allergies to benefit. Indoor air is two times more polluted than outdoor air. It lurks in flame retardants in mattresses, upholstery, and electronics, and in carcinogenic and respiratory irritating VOCs (volatile organic compounds). It oozes formaldehyde out of drywall, plywood, and carpeting, and emits phthalates from products including shower curtains. These pollutants can cause nausea and dizziness or harm the liver and kidneys.

Even if you don’t have allergies, avoiding this stuff can only be a good idea. You can sleep soundly knowing the air and bedding is pure at places committed to health environments like Joie de Vivre hotels in California and EcoLuxury Lodging in Florida. Or check listings on the website Smoke Free Hotels.

This blog is for bottom-up dispensers of cool who enjoy eco-travel deals and healthy living. We feel that "the small, the slow, the local, and the personal" will build the new economy. Your comments will help enrich this information for all of us.

Conscious Holiday Consumer: Real or Fake Christmas Tree?

Is it more responsible to buy an artificial tree you can reuse again and again or to chop down a tree for Christmas?

Last year, I bought a tree and planted it. But there is no more room for planting trees in my area, so this year, I was "stumped" ho-ho, about what to do for a Christmas tree. I went looking for answers that matched my concerns for the environment and my family's health. What I found surprised me.

I discovered most artificial trees on the market were made in China and contain lead and can out-gas hazardous chemicals into the air. Given that indoor air is likely to be two times more polluted than outdoor air, I figured why add to that risk?

I also learned that I'm not really taking a tree out of the forest when I buy a cut tree. US farmers grow Christmas trees as a crop, replanting the trees every year. No forest is cut down. If I find a tree that isn't sprayed with green spray paint (yes, they do that to make it more uniform in color) or sprayed with fire retardant, I can avoid exposing my family to more toxins. And if I chip the tree up after Christmas for mulch or reuse it in another way, a cut tree is my greenest choice.

In our guest homes, we don't put up religious or secular decorations out of respect for the many cultural backgrounds of our guests. You will find festive lights twinkling and a box of decorations made of natural materials for guests who will celebrate solistice or Christmas. The box includes a sparkly tree made of repurposed wire and crystals that don't out-gas. Now I can start worrying about whether or not the wire has lead in it...

Green Your Living Space With Style

Bau-Biologie,™ a term that originated in Germany, is used to describe a movement promoting the use of healthy building principles as a means to improve living and work spaces and the health of people who occupy them. We use principles like these to design, furnish, and greenovate the vacation rentals in Arizona and Florida.

25 Principles of Bau-Biologie, By Anton Schneider, PhD

1. A building site shall be geologically undisturbed.
2. Residential homes are best located away from industrial centers and main traffic routes.
3. Housing shall be developed in a decentralized and loose manner interlaced with sufficient green space.
4. Housing and developments shall be personalized, in harmony with nature, fit for human habitation and family oriented.
5. Natural and unadulterated building materials shall be used.
6. Walls, floors and ceilings shall be diffusible and hygroscopic.
7. Indoor air humidity shall be regulated naturally.
8. Air pollutants need to be filtered and neutralized.
9. An appropriate balance of thermal insulation and heat retention is needed.
10. The air and surface temperatures of a given room need to be optimized.
11. A heating system shall feature radiant heat using as much (passive) solar heat as possible.
12. The total moisture content of a new building shall be low and dry out quickly.
13. A building shall have a pleasant or neutral smell. No toxins shall outgas.
14. Light, lighting and color shall be in accord with natural conditions.
15. Protective measures against noise pollution as well as infrasonic and ultrasonic vibrations need to be human oriented.
16. Only building materials with little or preferably no radioactivity shall be used.
17. The natural balance of atmospheric electricity and ion concentration shall be maintained.
18. The Earth’s natural magnetic field shall not be altered or distorted.
19. Man-made electromagnetic radiation shall be eliminated (or reduced as much as possible).
20. Cosmic and terrestrial radiation is essential and shall be interfered with as little as possible.
21. Interior and furniture design shall be based on physiological findings.
22. Harmonic measures, proportions and shapes need to be taken into consideration.
23. The production, installation and disposal of building materials shall not contribute to environmental pollution and high energy costs.
24. Building activities shall not contribute to the exploitation of non-renewable and rare resources.
25. Building activities shall not cause a rise in social and medical costs.

Toxic At Any Speed

VOCs from indoor air pollution don’t just make you sick at home or in a hotel, your car may also cause respiratory irritation or worse.

See how bad your car might be at HealthyCar.org, better yet, find one that is low toxin. Here’s what they recommend to reduce exposure:

Reduce Your Exposure

· Since heat and UV-rays accelerate the breakdown of toxic chemicals, we recommend that car owners use solar reflectors and park in the shade whenever possible.

· Car owners should ventilate their cars before entering them by opening doors and rolling down windows.

· Car owners can also reduce exposure by spending less time in their cars. We recommend walking, riding a bike or using public transportation whenever possible. This also helps reduce tailpipe emissions.

“As environment-friendly Martha Stewart might know, that new car smell is not a good thing. In fact, inhaling the fumes from your new car can be toxic and are created from a literal soup of chemicals such as arsenic and formaldehyde, which can take years to completely be "out-gassed" from your new car's interior materials.” Read more

Do "Green" Cleaners Really Work?

After my August 13 post about the dangers of house cleaning, a few of you, including one of our house cleaners, asked me if green cleaning products really clean, can green cleaning sanitize surfaces like toilets and countertops? I say yes, because our homes can't be sterilized anyway, no surface stays santized for long.

If that's not enough for you, consider the alternatives. "Disinfectants can be poisonous--they're regulated as pesticides..." says Lori Bongiono, author of Green, Greener, Greenest.

~Water evaporating--air drying, is actually a good way to get rid of germs. I clean with hot water to increase the odds. Studies show air dried dishes have 74% less bacteria and germs than towel dried dishes.

~A super-hooked microfiber cloth and hot water is an affordable choice that works on 90% of household messes. Rubbing alcohol and baking soda work on tougher stains.

~I confess, I keep a caustic cleaner on hand, outside in the shed, for the remaining 1% I can't remove with my green cleaning methods. But almost all of the time, my house is fragrance and chemical free.

~The toilets get baking soda for scrubbing and vinegar for sanitizing.

How to Protect Your Health--Beware Deadly House Cleaning

Staying in a clean vacation rental, classroom, office, or home should not increase our risks of sinus problems, asthma symptoms, reproductive harm, damage to our lungs, and exposure to carcinogens (causes cancer). But it does.

Toxic Teddy Bears? Everyday, we use products that expose us to toxins that impact our health, indoor air pollution, and water quality. For me, going green means making better choices about how I take care of myself and in turn, my loved ones, which includes the planet.

The Law of Diminishing Returns. I focus 80% of my green choices on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). I avoid smoke of all kinds, VOCs, toxic cleaning products, chemical pesticides, and toxic building materials.

Toxic Building Materials. Many conventional building materials contain formaldehyde, carcinogens (cause cancer), and radon. I stay away from the biggest offenders, granite counter tops, paint and all other finishes with VOCs, carpet and flooring glues, treated wood, drywall. I use "no VOC" paints and finishes, glues, and flooring adhesives. If I have to use drywall or thinset mortar for tile installation, I make sure the house is unoccupied for the period of time the material is outgassing icky formaldehyde and other poisons. Check with the manufacturer for specifications--usually tile related materials take 48 hours. Carpet and other glues can take up to one year.

Fuming Furniture. The majority of affordable cabinetry and furniture available at Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Ikea, and similar stores is made of MDF, Medium Density Fiberboard which is loaded with toxic VOCs. While it is exciting to find the low prices on these prefab bathroom vanities, dressers, bookcases, and entertainment centers, we end up paying a higher price with our health.

VOC-free MDF is available, but none of the stores I've checked can determine if their manufacturers use it. Tony Spinelli, of Cabinets by Sun Ray informs me that his supplier carriers a VOC free MDF for about the same cost as the toxic MDF. I can't wait to get my new kitchen cabinets now that I found a source that won't break the bank.

Clean Green Breathing Machines. The U.S. EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Program states that aerosol sprays, cleaners and disinfectants, moth repellents and air fresheners contain dangerous VOCs.

All purpose cleaners, glass cleaners such as Windex, tub, tile, grout cleaners and sealers , degreasers, carpet cleaners, stain removers, floor strippers and cleaners, metal polishes, and oven cleaners contain endocrine disrupting chemicals such as butoxyethanol and other glycol ethers.

Laundry detergents like Tide, multi-purpose cleaners, floor care products and carpet cleaners, non-chlorine sanitizers, toilet bowl cleaners and deodorizers contain harmful APEs. Look for products that use alcohol ethoxylates (sometimes listed as ethoxylated alcohols) instead.

Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs) are surfactants found in laundry detergents, stain
removers, and all-purpose cleaners, which have been found to reduce embryo survival in fish and alter tadpole development. APEs contaminate rivers and streams, and have also been found in household dust.

Over Exposed. School children and janitorial and domestic workers show a much higher prevelence of asthma than those who are not exposed to cleaning chemicals on a daily basis according to numerous studies. Monoethanolamine (MEA), a surfactant found in some laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners and floor cleaners is a known inducer of occupational asthma.

Ammonium quaternary compounds, disinfectants found in some disinfectant sprays and toilet cleaners that have been identified as inducers of occupational asthma.
Phthalates, carriers for fragrance in glass cleaners, deodorizers, laundry detergents and fabric softners, and are linked to increased allergic symptoms and asthma in children.

A 2004 report from the National Center for Health Statistics states that the incidence of asthma among preschool-aged children rose by 160% between 1980 and 1994, accounting for 14 million missed school days each year and $3.2 million in treatment expenses.

Air fresheners usually contain VOCs such as xylene, ketones and aldehydes as well as benzene and formaldehyde, both of which are known carcinogens. Air fresheners may also contain fragrances--irritants associated with watery eyes, headaches, skin and respiratory irritation, asthma and allergic reactions. Exposure to phthalates, which carry the fragrances in these products, usually aggravates asthma and is linked to reproductive harm, specifically reduced sperm count in men.

UW engineering professor Anne Steinemann analyzed of some of these popular items and found 100 different volatile organic compounds measuring 300 parts per billion or more -- some of which can be cancerous or cause harm to respiratory, reproductive, neurological and other organ systems.

Some of the chemicals are categorized as hazardous or toxic by federal regulatory agencies. But the labels tell a different story, naming only innocuous-sounding "perfume" or "biodegradable" contents.

"Consumers are breathing these chemicals," she said. "No one is doing anything about it."

Industry representatives say that isn't so.

"Dr. Steinemann's statement is misleading and disingenuous," said Chris Cathcart, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Consumer Specialty Products Association, in a statement.

"Air fresheners, laundry products and other consumer specialty products are regulated under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and subsequently have strict labeling requirements," he said. "Companies producing products that are regulated under FHSA must name on the product label each component that contributes to the hazard."

Okay, so the label may tell us it's toxic and researchers have numerous reports of people -- particularly those with asthma, chemical sensitivities and allergies -- having strong adverse reactions. I'm one of those people. That's enough research for me!

When restaurant owners and airplane cleaners use air fresheners, or when vacation rentals wash towels and sheets in scented laundry supplies its a problem for me. And even when the concentrations are low in individual products, I'm exposed to multiple sources on a daily basis. That's why at home and on the road, I do my best to hang out in healthy homes owned by people who:

~Change HVAC air filters at least once every three months
~Use Permanent or high allergen filters
~Open the windows for a minimum of 45 minutes a day for fresh air
~Eliminate or minimize use of products with synthetic fragrances. This includes "essential oils." Being an "essential oil" does NOT mean it is healthy. Most oils have synthetic fragrance additives.
~Don't bother with HEPA filters on vacuums and other equipment unless you change them regularly. Most filters don't work, especially when they're filled with dirt.
~Never allow smoking of any kind.
~Eliminate or reduce materials made of MDF, particle board, glued woods, carpet, or vinyl
~Eliminate pans with Teflon
~Ventilate and leave the house for at least 48 hours after applications of StainMaster, StainGuard products and installation of drywall and other building
materials.
~Use no or low VOC paints, sprays, adhesives whenever possible
~Cross ventilate or exhaust fans in use to minimize mold growth
~Do not allow pets on soft materials, upholstery where dander cannot be removed
~Burn only unscented, beeswax or chemical free candles. Many wicks contain lead and candle waxes have carcinogenic scents and additives.

Photo by Steve Beinhorn

Dictionary for Eco Newbies

Eco. Prefix referring to ecological terms.

Eco-tourism. Defined in Wikipedia as a form of tourism appealing to ecologically and socially conscious individuals; focuses on personal growth and learning new ways to live on the planet; typically involving travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions.

Responsible ecotourism includes programs that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment, and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, an integral part of ecotourism is in the promotion of recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, and creation of economic opportunities for the local communities.

Ask what makes the destination "eco" or green. Green washing is common, not only because people want to jump on a hot trend, but most often because they're uninformed. My properties are certified by the Green Vacation Hub which has fair, but deeply green certification standards. You can use their list to ask businesses about their green policies or initiatives. Just being in the jungle or have a recyling been doesn't make it "eco" in my book.

Eco-luxury. A high comfort, low impact way of life promoted by yours truly. In my home it means a natural home that is easy on me & the environment WITHOUT compromising my gracious standard of living. We use only fragrance free cleaning products, furnishings & building materials. Low-toxin environment, no harmful out-gassing, no chemicals. I'm not talking yurt with a composting toilet. I don't wear earth shoes, I eat meat (occassionally) and I'm into my "soft surroundings."

GHG. Green House Gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2), the leading green house gas contributing to climate change. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon into the atmosphere. During the combustion process, the fossil fuels are turned into carbon dioxide.

Green or Sustainable Design, Green Building, Green Remodel. The goal of green building is to minimize the impacts on people's health and the environment and the efficient use of energy, water and materials during construction. For homes, this includes architecture, landscape and renewable resources. For example, a green home might use a cistern to capture grey water from indoors and rain water outdoors. This prevents polluted dishwater, laundry wash water, and runoff from pavement from entering the streams, lakes, or ocean . The cistern water is then used for drip systems in landscaping to water plants.

IAQ. Indoor Air Quality. Mold, bacteria, allergens and carbon monoxide are among the many elements that can negatively affect a home's IAQ. Cleaning products, fabric softeners, air fresheners, scented candles, and other household products with synthetic fragrances usually contain harsh chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic-most of which irritate respiratory systems.

The EPA reports that about 70% of indoor air is more polluted than the air outside. To help you evaluate your exposure to household pollutants and find tips for improving indoor air quality see the information at the American Lung Association. Switch to unscented cleaners or better yet, replace them with white vinegar or baking soda and water.

LEED. Stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which is a rating system created by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED awards points based on fulfilling requirements in six major areas: Sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design. New buildings can earn certified, silver, gold or platinum awards based on how many points it achieves. LEED is mostly used in new construction and to rate a project on its level of greenness and does not apply to remodeling. A few states have green certified remodeling certifications based on LEED criteria. Even if contractors in your state cannot be LEED certified for remodels, they can use the project checklists. Items included would be:

• Recycling or reusing packaging and materials removed from the home during the remodel instead of adding to the landfill.
• Use of wood furnishings and finishes that are either recycled, reclaimed, or from harvested in ways that did not threaten old growth or rain forests.
• Water Efficiency. Low volume toilet and shower head. Showerheads that remove chlorine. Most chlorine exposure comes not from drinking water, but from our skin while bathing. Use filtered water in the shower and you may notice your hair color lasts longer (if you get it from a bottle).
• Energy Efficiency. Use Energy Star rated appliances and heating, air conditioning units.
  

For more easy tips download 16 Easy Ways to Green Your Home.

Slow Movement/Slow Food/Slow Travel. The cultural initiative, SLOW FOOD has burgeoned into a whole way of life known as the Slow Movement, which emphasizes connection — connection to food, connection to families and, in the case of travel, connection to local peoples and cultures.

Slow travel is not so much about the transportation on your vacation as it is your mindset. It can mean renting a cottage for a few weeks or hiking and biking while at your destination to get a feel for the land. A slow itinerary gives you a break from the blurring pace of American or business life. Slow travel is also kinder to the environment and your wallet, as vacation rentals are less expensive than hotels and resorts with comparable amenities. Staying in one place often reduces transportation costs and by cooking instead of eating out for every meal, you save even more.

VOC. Volatile Organic Compounds found in many building materials such as dry wall, paint, wood, glue, or carpet, paints and finishes. To avoid them, look for construction or remodeling from reclaimed or untreated wood, upholstered furniture that has long since out-gassed sizing and other chemicals, no carpeting as most carpet padding and glue contains toxins, including formaldehyde. Xenoestrogens and nanoparticles are the latest offenders. More on those later or send me links to articles about it! 5/10/08 by Dana Ghermine Mayer