tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496643951266428308.post485342644351352699..comments2008-03-25T18:39:26.494-07:00Experiencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863885619501269926noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496643951266428308.post-71172530039012458102008-03-25T18:39:00.000-07:002008-03-25T18:39:00.000-07:00I like your ideas, especially about voluntourism. I avoiding addressing the carbon offsets question on this blog entry, simply because I haven't made up my mind yet whether they are a good idea or not.Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02969093557615875660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-496643951266428308.post-4043032413425778262008-03-24T16:02:00.000-07:002008-03-24T16:02:00.000-07:00Not only should we be concerned about leaving a minimal environmental impact on the communities we visit, but we should also be concerned about the PEOPLE in those actual communities. Some ideas: If you are travelling domestically, see if there are any short term projects that you might be able to help out with. Internationally, there are many options for "voluntourism". Just type that into google and see what you get. If you are travelling with a tour operator, try to make sure that they are responsible in the areas you visit. Many operators give a portion of their proceeds to local causes. And if you have to fly, of course there are carbon offsets (which there has been much controversy over lately) Instead of offsetting your carbon by buying credits, try changing the way you do things at home. Can you ride your bike to grab the "milk" you forgot at the grocery store? Can you take public transportation even two days a week to work? How about reusable shopping bags? An area in Ireland now charges 22cents per plastic bag in the grocery story, and guess what, they've nearly eliminate the use of plastic and paper bags. Shop at local farmers markets, get involved in your own community. There are so many little things that people can do to mitigate their carbon use that entire shevles at the library and bookstores are dedicated to it. Oh, and has anyone ever though of an active vacation, where your transportation is only human powered. You can have fun, see new places, and get in shape to boot!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com