India--Right Here, Right Now

If 25% of the people in India with the highest IQs exceeded the total US population, which it does--wouldn't you want to click here to watch this and find out what's going on?

This blog is for bottom-up dispensers of cool who enjoy conscious travel and healthy living--conscious of our spending and our impact on our bodies and the world. 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. Please share your tips and experience.

Green Travel Resolutions

Ecocondundrums have prolonged my deliberations about my 2009 travel resolutions. For example, when I consider the report from Mother Jones on where carbon comes from and how to cut it, I concluded that after switching to solar and sharing a car--not many other efforts have an impact (less than 1 percent). Most carbon comes from coal burned for electric power and cars. If I've cut back my use of both, it seems the best I can do is help others do the same.

Or does it? Reexamining my travel resolutions for 2008 gave me some ideas for research and experimenting in 2009.

No More Offsets? I used to encourage guests to offset their flights to Sedona or Florida for their vacations. And in 2008, I resolved to buy offsets for all my flights (the only carbon left in my footprint). But this year, I've come to see offsets as a surcharge that is not my responsibility. Why should the consumer offset companies' garbage and let them cash in our conscience?


Christopher Elliot explained it this way in Newsweek, "Think about it: Would you be willing to voluntarily pay an extra $30 to your pharmaceutical company to clean up one of its toxic dumps? If anything, you would think twice before buying another one of that company's products. Which is exactly what travelers ought to do when faced with an offset option: run to the competition."

In a post-carbon world, we'll have to figure out new ways to get around on our travels. Instead of spending on offsets, this year I'm going to spend on efforts to reinvent transportation. I'll keep you "posted" on how my thinking evolves as I try it out.

Terrepass sees carbon offsetting as a path to the solutions, but I'm not yet convinced. Click here to read more about their position.


No More Luxury. I used to write about eco and luxury in the same sentence because consumers associated eco-friendly with backpacks and roughing it. But since then, green has gone mainstream and hippie is hip. People realize they can be green without comprimising their lifestyle. Being responsible is expected, not an extra.


With the word "luxury" becoming synonymous with the word "greed," I want to be clear my homes do not reflect excess or a lavish lifestyle. They're about comfort. And who'd be comfortable breathing VOCs and wasting electricity?


No More Recycling. Its a design problem, not a recycling problem. Recycling is too expensive. We need to use products that don't need recycling. Instead of promoting recycling programs, we're providing bags and bottles so guests can experiment with giving up plastic bags and water bottles altogether.


Focus on the Process Not the Product. Yes, essential oils are labeled "natural." But how is the aromatherapy made? Most essential oils are extracted using a chemical, the residue can trigger allergies and asthma. When I travel, I'm going to pay more attention to how people do business and less attention to the "labels." I'll look for More Wise, Enlightened Deals, avoiding the big, super, and mega. and rewarding the small, the slow, the local, the personal. As Kalle Lasn, Editor-in-Chief of Adbusters puts it, "Drive the evolution of capitalism, transforming it into a healthier, more just, more grassroots affair."

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.

Slowly But Surely Green?

American Airlines plans to acquire 42 new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. This shows me the power of the consumer. It's actually a big deal because Boeing designed the 787 Dreamliner from the passenger perspective, thinking that people will book travel based on the plane.

I realize many of you won't fly anymore because it isn't green. But many of us have to fly to see ailing family or conduct business. If you have to, it's good to go as green as you can and as comfortable as this Dreamliner with improved air and water purification systems, as well as new humidification techniques and lower cabin pressure, which are expected to reduce passenger fatigue.

For the environment, the 787 advanced engine design provides a quieter operation, with an expected noise footprint 60 percent smaller than other aircraft of similar size, benefiting those in the air as well as those on the ground. The plane's lower overall weight and improved design means we also will reduce our impact on the environment by burning less fuel. The 787 aircraft also has the largest overhead bins in the industry – approximately 30 percent larger than comparable aircraft bins. The large 19-inch windows are designed to make the cabin feel more spacious.

Going For the Green: Thoughts on Guilt and Greenwashing

"These days, it seems just about every business is finding a way to go green, making it that much harder for well-intentioned consumers to distinguish companies with green products and services." --Entrpreneur Magazine

Green guilt, extreme green, green washing—the over-exposure to green messages leaves me feeling eco-fatigued. Businesses greenwashing in hopes of getting attention has created a backlash of cynicism against the green trend. What's an easy going green gal to do?

I confess, I'm not a purist, I find it to be rigid and confusing. Twenty percent of going green requires expensive, complicated, difficult choices about which most people disagree. I focus on the 80% that has clear impacts instead of giving up because of the debatable and often painful 20%.

The way I see it, lots of people doing 80% makes a bigger difference than a few zealots doing 100%. I set a rational, reasonable example that people can follow, rather than condemn those who are unable or unwilling to adopt a perfectionist’s all-or-nothing approach.

Is that a cop-out? Is that nurturing? Economists say it is the law of diminishing return. The last 20% isn't worth the trouble it takes to go after.

Having said all that, I lose respect for businesses that claim to be green for common sense things like recycling. I find lodgings that claim to be green because they ask guests to use less water or because they switched to flourescent light bulbs laughable.

I give my business to those who assert their green-ness in writing. Certification from third parties that verify eco-friendly practices also offer credibility and I have a few for my business just for that reason. But the field of listings is so crowded, most consumers can't tell one from the other. What it seems we can tell is that it takes a variety of efforts to support local residents and protect the environment and no light coat of green can cover up for lack of substance.

World of Good Launches at eBay

Earlier this year I toyed with the idea of online selling the hip, green furnishings that our guests love to buy from our vacation rentals.

But my market research didn't support launching an effort with only 100 guests a year. My research did show it was a good idea for a business with a broader audience. And eBay must think like me cuz they just launched a beta site for socially responsible sellers.

If you wanted me to sell through EcoLuxury Lodging, I encourage you to try it. As for you shoppers, I'll keep you posted if I see the fab wash cloths, soft linens, green cookware, and other stuff we stash in our vacation homes for sale on World of Good, especially if it seems eBay has worked out the kinks in the beta site. You can shop for green gifts, fair trade handicrafts, delicious gourmet foods, unique arts and more at eBay's new WorldofGood.com online marketplace.

Connecting With People Who Share Your Passions

You want to live the good life – but you also want to make the world a better place. Finally, you can do both. Learn how to green your business, or if your business is already green, how to grow it, at the Co-op America Green Business Conference, November 12-13, 2008, in San Francisco. www.coopamerica.biz. And consider setting up shop at the Green Festival immediately after – www.greenfestivals.org

Top Ten Things Vacation Rental Owners Won't Tell You

1. It's a renter's market, so let's really make a deal. The number of vacation rentals in some areas like Florida have doubled in the six months. Owners can't sell or rent, so they're looking for quick cash from a vacation rental. When supply exceeds demand you can not only get better rates off-season, you can negotiate perks in-season. Ask the owner to pick up the bed tax or cleaning fee. Or see if they'll have a bottle of wine or supplies for you at check in. Ask questions to be sure you'll be booking with experienced owners. No point in taking a break from work just to break in a new owner.

2. You Can Get a Guarantee, Free. HomeAway offers a gaurantee for properties listed on their website. Amateur owners won't stay in business for long if they can't meet tough standards that guarantees like HomeAway demands. This is one reason I list my properties with HomeAway. And I don't make any money for saying so.

3. A Picture Isn't Always Worth A Thousand Words. For an example, see the picture in my July post showing a vacation rental promoting their view and outdoor dining. The table is actually in a driveway. Another picture shows the view, it is actually a photo from the Chamber of Commerce, not the view from the property.

4. "Sleeps Four, Must Eat Out." You can't save money eating-in if the vacation home is furnished with a cafe table that seats two. New owners often focus on getting beds and sofas and skimp on the dining. I visited one rental that used the outdoor furniture for the dining table.

5. Good Rate, Lot's of Extra Fees. Owners sometimes lower the rent and add a key fee, a parking permit fee, bed tax, security deposit, or a processing fee. Stick with owners who disclose fees upfront or better yet, book with owners who include fees in the rent.

6. Extra Paperwork. Do you really need a complicated lease, more forms for key pick up, and an extra stop at the management office when you want to relax? Make sure the hours for key pickup aren't limited, you may not want to rush your drive just to make the office hours. Look for rentals where you don't have to deal with a third party and the owners keep things simple by handling paperwork online. New laws mean you don't have to use fax or mail for signatures and credit card payments mean you have added security from your financial institution if something should go wrong.

7. Great Views, And Road Construction. Highway 89A in Sedona, AZ will be under construction for nearly a year. The heavy equipment, trucks, and traffic jams echo in the canyon walls, amplifying already ear crushing noise. Add a house on the hill with a view and you've got round the clock headaches and dust. Always ask owners about nearby construction.

8. What's an Air Filter? Indoor air is usually more polluted than outdoor air, especially in homes where the heating and air conditioning filter isn't changed regularly. Manufacturers recommend changing standard air filters every 30 days, but many owners cut costs by stretching the life of cheap filters. I've stayed in 12 vacation rentals in the past two years and had to buy or request a new filter at each one. Ask that the filter be changed for your arrival and support owners who spend the extra for permanent or HEPA filters changed on a regular basis. Who needs to go on vacation and get sick?

9. We Spray. You get respiratory problems. Bug spray, pest control may get rid of roaches, but it also aggravates allergies, asthma, and can weaken your immune system.

10. Lots of tennis courts, pools, and golf--NO ACCESS. Make sure you don't have to wait for play time. Find out how crowded the pool gets and what availability is like for recreation sites.

Fly and Still Go Green?

Environmental groups say people need to fly less. Sites like Carbon Responsible can calculate the footprint of your trip, plus show you how long it takes to make the equivalent carbon saving by cutting down on car journeys or using low-energy light bulbs. My recent flight from Florida to Arizona has the same impact as driving a Toyota Camry for one year. What's a globe trotter to do?

Some of us use carbon offsetting to ease our conscience, avoiding, of course, the suspect services. Green gurus insist that's not enough.

If business and travel lovers like myself won't give up flying, the least we can do is ease the impact of flying in these ways:

1. Book daytime flights. Flying at night or in the winter is more environmentally damaging. The reasons are complex and to do with condensation trails trapping heat at night, but reflecting it away from the earth in the day. Researchers found that, although night flights only account for 25% of air traffic, they contribute 60% to 80% of the global warming caused by flying.

2. Travel in a lighter plane. The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, for example, is made from lightweight plastic, which supposedly makes it 20% more fuel efficient.

3. Plan side trips by rail or ferry instead of short, commuter flights.

4. Stay in green accommodations. Avoid ones that greenwash. Look for ones that do more than put out recycling bins and switched to fluorescent light bulbs. Ask specific questions about what the lodging does to conserve energy and water and minimize waste. Don't just accept that the use of the word green means they have sustainable practices. The more people who ask, the more hospitality management will listen.

"Already the word 'eco' has lost all power and meaning,' says Guyonne James, senior projects manager at Tourism Concern, a UK charity which campaigns against exploitation. 'If a bed-and-breakfast has a garden, they'll call it an eco-lodge. There has been such a proliferation of claims and green labels that as a tourist you really have no idea what's going on."

5. If you spot someone with bad practices, write a review on irresponsibletourism.info.

6. Take your habits from home on the road. Recycle, turn off lights, take public transportation, bring your own water bottle and maybe even your coffee mug. Use organic sunscreen to limit contamination at beaches and swimming holes.

For easygoing green travel tips, check this list or add your suggestions here with a comment.

Photo by Greg Lepera, St. Augustine, FL.