Tender American buttocks cause more environmental damage than Hummers

by Catherine Bodry on

Squat toilets: love them. Toilet paper: love it, too. My ideal bathroom experience nixes both the Western sit-down toilet and the non-Western, left-hand, bucket-of-water wiping method, so that I combine what I consider the best parts of both bathroom experiences.

It might be time for me to adopt the bucket-of-water method, however.

That extra-soft, two-ply toilet paper I buy by the 50-pack at Costco is made of virgin forest. Though I realize I should have known better, I was shocked and dismayed at an article by The Guardian that reports that more than 98% of toilet paper sold in America comes from virgin wood: “The tenderness of the delicate American buttock is causing more environmental devastation than the country’s love of gas-guzzling cars, fast food or McMansions, according to green campaigners. At fault, they say, is the US public’s insistence on extra-soft, quilted and multi-ply products when they use the bathroom.”

The article points out even more American excess: three-ply and lotion-infused tissue. You read it right: lotion-infused toilet paper.

While I’ll certainly be switching to recycled TP, I just might dip into the bucket-of-water method. Tips on how to use this technique are appreciated.

Photo of the Day (5.16.09)

by Brenda Yun on

The Gadling crew is here in Chicago for a team summit and the weather is working in our favor! There’s a Cubs game this afternoon, and then several cool events going down this evening, including a meet-and-greet with our team.

WHERE: The Goose Island Clybourn Brewpub, 1800 N Clybourn
WHEN: Saturday, May 16th, around 10:30 or 11PM
HOW YOU WILL FIND US: We’ll be the loud ones.
This is my first time in Chicago and, having been here for less than 24 hours so far, I can say this town really rocks out! I hope some of you will join us in the festivities this evening.

This photo, which comes to us from urbanwonder, really captures the electric and vibrant nightlife here in the Windy City.

If you have some great travel shots you’d like to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day!

New travel site Voyij.com offers comprehensive deals and user-friendly innovation

by Brenda Yun on

Launched just a few days ago, Voyij.com, the newest travel site whose crew brought SideStep to the world wide web, is hoping to bring fresh and creative deals, offers and sales for the flexible traveler. Voyij fills a void on the web that people want: the best bargains for travel. Users can explore and discover travel sales they never knew existed, independent of origin, destination, or dates. Voyij was developed to bring the “best of the best travel bargains” to users in the easiest, most time-efficient way.

Here’s how Voyij works: Simply enter where you are and Voyij will present the most comprehensive list of travel deals on the web at any given time. Not every destination or date is always on sale every day, but Voyij allows you to find what is on sale at the time you search. In the process, you can explore other, new travel possibilities from a variety of other places. It’s similar to Kayak, but offers more field options to get the kind of results you’re looking for.

In addition to finding new and unexpected travel possibilities, you can opt to select by criteria. Voyij provides complete filtering for what is important to each individual person, including travel dates, accommodation ratings, location, activities, price, and more. It is not uncommon for travelers to visit over a dozen sites before finding just the right travel deal to fit their travel needs.

Voyij does all the navigating for you. All you have to do is enter in your travel criteria. From one central hub, Voyij searches the web’s deals and sales to offer exclusive last-minute specials and promotional rates to bring its users the widest selection of offers from any one site.

I’m always looking for the cheapest fares from Honolulu to the mainland, and now I can find out when I can go that will provide the best deal rather than searching for arbitrary dates and destinations. It might take a little getting used to initially, but Voyij definitely has the potential to make travel that much cheaper, easier and more hassle-free.

Give a little to get a little at RockResorts

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Is it really goodwill if you’re getting something in return? Well, maybe we’ll call it a fair trade, then. This summer, RockResorts is offering a “Give & Getaway” package across all nine of its resorts. In exchange for an incredibly low room rate, you just have to chip in some time to help the environment. Projects include trail restoration, working with sustainable local farmers, and supporting local stream an driver ecosystems. Depending on your appetite for saving the world, you can work for a half-day, full day or even several days: there are plenty of projects available.

“The Give & Getaway package has been a successful initiative to promote conservation of the spectacular environments of our Colorado resorts and help our guests find even more value in their vacations,” said Stan Brown, President of RockResorts. “It is just one valuable extension of our company’s commitment to the environment and philosophy to preserve it in a rewarding and interactive way. We know that especially in today’s economy, guests want to feel good about the vacations they take, and this program guarantees an exceptional hotel experience with a unique opportunity to positively impact the environment. This way they can make a contribution that they can enjoy on a return visit to the destination.”

Interested in participating? The “Give & Getaway package” is available on the following dates:

The Arrabelle at Vail Square: July 11, August 15, September 12
The Lodge at Vail: July 11, August 15, September 12
The Pines Lodge: August 15
Hotel Jerome: May 30
Snake River Lodge & Spa: May 31-June 6; September 20-26
La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa: May 26
The Osprey at Beaver Creek: August 15
The Pines Lodge: August 15
The Landings St Lucia: Ongoing beginning May 1
Keystone Hospitality: May 16, June 6, August 15

Rates start at an absurd $99 per person per night (for a two-night stay). Several resorts are extending the rate to before and after projects, as well.

Vail Resorts and RockResorts have raised more than $1.2 million (including matching funds) for non-profit conservation organizations in the White River National Forest in Colorado and the Lake Tahoe Basin in California and Nevada. Guests have the option to pay an extra $1 on ski season passes, lift tickets and room nights, with the National Forest Foundation kicking in an additional 50 cents per dollar.

The new W Hotel in Washington, DC

by Annie Scott on


Just steps from the White House, behold the new, the glorious, the totally awesome W Hotel in Washington, DC, opening in July. Yes, you can make reservations now.

There are so many jokes I could make about “W in Washington” that I don’t know where to start — I’m just glad they waited until we had a new president so I don’t have to.

So, what’s special about this new hotel? Well. Start with the very first W Hotel in DC. Then add DC’s first Bliss Spa, a three star Michelin chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s J&G Steakhouse. Put it in the old Hotel Washington, and then throw in designer Dianna Wong, who has “reimagined the historic Hotel Washington, infusing bright colors and contemporary design while preserving the building’s Beaux Arts architecture.”

The hotel features 317 rooms, including an “Extreme WOW Suite,” the W’s reinterpretation of the classic “Presidential Suite.”

Wait till you see the terrace. Click through the gallery!
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