Travel Green

by Erik Olsen on

My guess is most travelers are already pretty green. Not in the
inexperienced sense, but in the we-give-a-damn-about- the-globe sense. But it’s always nice to be reminded of what you
can do to make the earth a better place when you set out on your adventures. And so
Budget Travel has got this fine primer on how to be a better global
citizen while you travel. The key points? I knew you were goiing to ask. Simple stuff, really. Among the
recommendatioons:

Select a green hotel. There are lodges and hotels that have received the Green Seal Certification for
environmentally responsible practices. Choose one.

Think twice before buying certain souvenirs. You don’t need ANYTHING made of ivory, right? Or teak.
Or fur. And by all means, don’t put that endangered lizard in your pocket.

Take pictures, not petals. A no brainer.

Don’t litter. Ditto

As I say, basic stuff, but there are times we forget, and it never hurts to be reminded how to be good.

American Trails

by Erik Olsen on

I’m going to guess that most people had no idea there was such a
thing as the  Millennium Trails
program. Well, there is, and according to the government copy writers who get paid to describe this stuff the MTP
“is a national program that will celebrate, recognize and be a catalyst for creating trails to “honor the past and
imagine the future” as part of America’s legacy for the year 2000.” How nice.

The project is supposed to build, enhance or recognize (hey you! yeah you, you’re a trail, aren’t you? I thought
so.) approximately 200 trails. From the Mississippi River Trail to the Freedom Trail (you know, through Boston) the
project is now underway. So if you’re interested in what the project is doing, or are just eager to read some
scintillating bureaucratic prose, go to the government site. If you want a
site with a better interface that describes the trails and the project, go to
Altrec’s site.

Putumayo Music

by Erik Olsen on

Would you describe your musical collection as eclectic and well-rounded, or are you stuck in a corporate-music, pop
culture rut?

If the former, then the folks at Putumayo will help you expand your
repertoire and introduce you to some of the world’s wonderful beats, strums and vocals that you have likely never heard
before. If you’re a long-time traveler, the chances are you’ve heard Putumayo music, or at heard of it from some
bedraggled backpacker slacker toting a Walkman. But I suggest you go to the site and give a listen to some of the stuff
there.

I’ve been a fan for years and am buying some CDs for gifts this year. You can take a listen to samples before you
buy, but once you do, I’ll bet you buy something, because the music is good, and once you listen you’ll probably
realize how limited your collection and appreciation of music really is.

Shark Nets or Not?

by Erik Olsen on

It is now summertime in Australia which means the beaches are teeming with sun fiends and surfers, which means only
one thing to Great Whites lurking off the coast: snack time. And the
attack of a surfer last month
has raised the question of whether to put up shark nets on some of the best surfing beaches.

Conservationists argue the nets have a negative effect on marine life, but the fact is, they are a proven deterrent to
sharks seeking surfers for lunch. According to
the peice, in the past 40
years there has only been one fatal shark attack at the 134 beaches protected by shark nets. Yet there have been 15
deaths in South Australia, 12 in Western Australia, and 7 in Victoria—all states that lack shark nets along their
beaches.

Seems like nets are a pretty good idea.

Vacation Volunteer

by Erik Olsen on

We’ve posted about how to do things like archeological digs before with groups like Earthwatch, but there was an
article in the
LA
Times today about other volunteer experiences that Americans are embarking on to broaden their horizons…broaden
them past simply sitting on a beach sipping mai tais, anyway. It’s a good little piece, and give the horror of the
recent tsunamis, I think we all feel a bit like we ought to help out more in the world. I do, anyway.