Eco-Travel

Freebie of the Week: B & B by the Sea

RiverWired.com — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:08:45 -0400

Need a restful, organic vacation? How does this sound -- five nights at a Bed & Breakfast overlooking the beautiful Mendocino Coast of California. And breakfast comes from the certified organic gardens. Stonyfield Farm will not only pay for the stay at the Inn, but the air fare to get you there -- for you and a guest. No purchase necessary. Start clicking.

Freebie of the Week: Caribbean Eco-Vacation

RiverWired.com — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:53:32 -0400

Are you ready for a free eco-vacation? How does five nights on an island next to the US Virgin Islands National Park plus two $500 airfare vouchers sound? (Total Value: $2760.00) Somebody has to go relax in a green way, why not you? Deadline: Enter by July 14, 2008.

http://www.redbookmag.com/sweepstakes/4620

Gas Prices Got You on the Subway? Read This!

ellen — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:14:00 -0400

With gas priced at over $4/gallon, maybe you can no longer afford to drive and you're new to mass transit? Maybe you're a subway veteran who needs a refresher course...

If you have been reading my posts lately you know I have a very young baby. One thing that struck me was how incredibly difficult it was to get a seat on the subway even when I was enormously pregnant. The subways are only getting more and more crowded (ironically, with fewer drivers, the MTA in New York City projects less annual revenue from tolls which means they will continue to defer much needed maintenance and improvements throughout the system).

I have been riding the subway for over 20 years (way before they were air conditioned!) This is my short list of things you should do and not do when riding the rails.

Politeness issues: Basically, we're all in this together.

1. If you see a pregnant woman, or old person, or a person with a cane or crutches or a parent with small children standing - or even just a really tired looking person, ask politely if they'd like a seat and stand up (this also has the benefit of giving you karmic credit for when you really need a seat).

2. Go to work slightly after rush hour for a saner, quieter trip.

3. Bring something small to read that you can hold with one hand so you don't smack your fellow travelers when turning the page. Read the Times online, not on the subway...or try an audio book. I'm on the fence though about reading over someone's shoulder. Don't think people don't know you are doing it. I sometimes let folks finish the page of the magazine I'm reading before turning it.

4. Don't hold the door open - what may save you a minute, delays the rest of us.

5. Don't throw trash on the platform or the track. If you see teenagers (or anyone else for that matter) littering, feel free to ask them to clean up after themselves.

6. Don't put your feet on the seats or on the pole. It's hard enough to keep gross shoe stuff out of our house when it's on our shoes, let alone all over us.

7. If you happen to be the unfortunate soul sitting below the map, do lean over to let folks see where they are going. If it takes them more than 30 seconds, offer to help them figure out their route because they are obviously not from here.

8. This is what is supposed to happen when the train comes into a station: People on the platform near the door step aside so the people exiting the train can leave peacefully. People inside the train who may be blocking the door step onto the platform to allow the people who are leaving the train an easier exit.

9. I'm now going to tell you the secret code of riding the escalators: If you want to stand still and ride, stand on the right. If you want to walk, walk on the left.

10. Increase the peace: Try to smile at one person on the subway per day.

Proximity issues: Except for on an elevator, we never enjoy each other's company so closely as on the subway. Here are some things you can do to make it a more pleasant trip for your neighbors and avoid unwanted physical contact.

1. Wear deodorant. If you have just come from an all-day outdoor basketball tournament, don't grip the overhead bar so that your armpit is just above someone's face. Keep your arms down and hold onto something else.

2. Please don't sing or pray loudly, most likely no one wants to hear it. However, if someone near you is singing or praying loudly, just ignore it, don't mutter under your breath in a passive-aggressive way.

3. Don't get angry at crying children. They're kids, they can't help it. Similarly, if you can't deal with noisy teenagers, don't ride the train at 3pm.

4. Don't lean on the pole on a crowded train so that strangers have to touch you just to avoid falling down.

5. Don't stare at people (this goes for everywhere - not just on the subway).

6. Men: don't spread your legs to take up more than one seat. One tush - one seat!

7. Be aware of where your bags are. It's easy to forget how far your profile extends with a backpack strapped on or a big briefcase hanging on your shoulder

Be safe out there!

[brooklyn green] www.ehapc.wordpress.com

www.ehapc.com

Green Free Stuff: Check out this Freebie of the Week

RiverWired.com — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:36:22 -0400

The only catch is that you have to play to win. But who doesn’t love free stuff or the chance to win big? Freebies are the silver linings that those @#$%*+ optimists tell us to look out for. They are life’s little reminders that, despite what cynics say, maybe there IS such a thing as a free lunch.

Here’s this week’s green freebie:

Numi Tea is holding a contest for a free trip to China (valued at $8,000).
And second prize is a trip to California to visit their Tea Garden in the Bay area.

Good luck!

Airlines Can Save $$Millions in Fuel—By Adding Minutes

susan — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Sometimes all it takes is a tiny action to make a big difference. If you’ve been worrying about how much your carbon footprint grows whenever you take an airplane trip, now there’s a solution. Fly an airline that is flying a little slower. You know you get better mileage when you take your foot off the gas pedal in your car. Now the airline industry has figured out it works in planes, too.

Jet Blue is now flying a little slower, adding an average of about two minutes to each flight—and saving about $13.6 million a year in jet fuel, according to a recent report in The New York Times by the Associated Press.
Southwest Airlines projects that it will save $42 million in fuel this year by extending each flight a mere one to three minutes.
Northwest Airlines is adding four minutes to its flights to and from Hawaii – for a savings of $600,000 a year.
Northwest is also slowing down from 542 m.p.h. to 532 m.p.h. (not exactly a snail’s pace) on its flights from Paris to Minneapolis – which adds only 8 minutes (you’ll hardly notice on a flight that is close to nine hours anyway) and saves 162 gallons of fuel, over $500.

So if you don’t mind spending a few more minutes in the air, to reduce your carbon footprint, let the airlines know you think it’s a good idea. And you might ask them if this means they could cut that extra fuel surcharge they’ve started tacking on to the cost of every flight.

To find out more about reducing your carbon footprint:

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint From Travel

What Exactly is a Carbon Footprint?

The Quest for the Perfect Carbon Calculator

Carbon Footprints

Spring Break! WHOOO!

akronheim — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:47:15 -0400

This Spring Break, I went home to Philadelphia to hang out with my boyfriend (who normally resides in Los Angeles, CA), my family, and friends in D.C. In the past, I have participated in Habitat for Humanity trips to Georgia where ten or so colleges compete to see who can build a house first in one cul-de-sac, and went to Miami to visit my aunt and friends. I've never done the college Spring Break to Aruba, Cancun, or Daytona and freaked out with every other college student. I went to a ten-day Europe trip with my college friends, and a recent cruise to Mexico with my boyfriend and his grandparents, but those are the craziest trips I've ever taken during college. How lame am I?

Many college students went to those typical places for Spring Break, but others did the Habitat trip to Georgia, some went on an Alternative Spring Break to New Orleans to help rebuild, some went to Seattle and even Hawaii to visit their significant others, and others rented houses in places like North Carolina (kind of cold, but cheap!). These kinds of trips obviously utilizes plenty of plane miles; but college students are really starting to catch on to sustainable Spring Breaks. Environmental Spring Break is offered from the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, and a student from Dartmouth has even decided to forgo a traditional spring break and went to the arctic for an environmental conference. Schools like Michigan State University offer Alternative Spring Breaks focused on environmental building and stewardship in places like Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and the Everglades. The bonus is that these trips aren't just restricted to Michigan students, anyone can participate. These trips have the ability to unite students and create relationships that last throughout the rest of college. So maybe these trips don't really include drunken debauchery, but at least when someone asks you about your spring break, you'll remember what you did.

I know Spring Break plans are already made for this year, and mine is almost done, but college kids should think about these kinds of things for next year instead of an extravagant vacation to Cancun where the point is to get wasted and laid. It would be more valuable to sustainable thinking and action and ultimately themselves. Hey, if students from the University of Texas are doing it, anyone can!