For example here in Helsinki, Finland, there was a trend to save water. We don’t have shortage of fresh water and due the people trying to save water, the water company now has to run water straight to the ocean to maintain the quality of water in the pipes. Perhaps we could lower the standards but it’s kind of stupid just because people are doing the wrong things because they feel it’s the right thing to do.

It’s very similar thing about electricity. The local electricity company is owned by the city and a major source of income. If we save energy, the income from the electricity company will go down and our local taxes will raise. During the night Finland sells electricity to Norway. Why? Because our nuclear plants cannot be stopped for the night anyway and Norway will use the electricity to pump the water back up. During the day that same water will flow through the hydro plant and generate “green electricity”. It’s not that green but it’s smart thing to do.

Our forests grow faster than we use them. If we don’t use the wood for anything, we will end up with overcrowded, unhealthy forests.

There are local greenhouses that grow tomatoes and other vegetables during the winter. When it’s dark most of the day. When it’s down to -30 C cold. But they can be called “locally produced, organic”.

In our case, “ecology” isn’t in our travel vocabulary. We prefer to travel smart, do things that make sense from the local perspective.

PS. When people are worried about the ecological footprint from flying, why is military flying always forgotten? Just saying

I’m not suggesting that people should not travel or that they should not try to be conscious of reducing the impact that they have when they do. But, we need to be honest with ourselves and recognize that no matter how many seasons we wear out recycled Patagonia high-loft jacket or how much we eschew big fancy hotels, the simple act of being somewhere other than home (with the lights off) is unsustainable in very real ways.

Anyone who has ever watch a busload of tourists (ourselves included) clamber over the ruins of Machu Picchu has to recognize that the problem is us. If we are there to witness it, then we are contributing to the consumption of resources, destruction of wilderness and wearing down of precious cultural icons. Does this mean I won’t travel? No, but I won’t try to kid myself into thinking that reusing a towel or eating from a street cart has a meaningful impact on the environment when I got there by jet and saved the money to travel in the first place by participating in the first world economy.

I agree with you on the green washing. I am a strong beleiver in Sustainable Tourism, and hopefully world will go that way. The government needs to make a stronger call for each country to make things better.

Vineeta

Education is definitely important and hopefully through differentiation between short term and long term efforts we can arrive at some sort of feasible solution. I hear more and more that people are moving away from the big gas guzzling hotel chains and are opting for staying amongst the locals and using local produce. I just hope this trend continues…