By Victor Block
As Daniel and Martha Everett and their two children enjoyed a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida, their focus was on entertainment and excitement rather than the environment. When Barbara and Andy Allen checked into a Boston hotel, they were thinking about the many sites they wanted to see during their two-day visit. They gave little thought to how their stay might impact the ecosystem.
Even if they weren't aware of it, these folks were combining a bit of R&R with examples of efforts to help preserve and protect the earth's environment. Little did they know that entertainment venues, lodgings, tour companies and others are taking steps large and small to lessen any negative impact of human activity on Mother Nature. Some efforts, such as replacing high-energy light bulbs and heavy-flow showerheads, are well known. Others are more imaginative and can be even more impactful.
The Walt Disney Co.'s commitment to environmental stewardship goes back to its founding almost a century ago. Current activities range from the mundane, like eliminating single-use plastic and using non-potable water when possible, to running excursion trains and riverboats on fuel made from recycled cooking oil and installing a solar facility intended to power two theme parks in Orlando. Also, people interested in hydroponic farming come there to study that activity.
Hotels play a leading environmental role, and the Saunders Hotel Group in Boston has long been at the forefront of that effort. It has implemented more than 115 measures to reduce the environmental footprint and raise awareness among staff, guests and local communities. One imaginative project is tending beehives on the roof of its Lenox Hotel and serving the honey to guests.
Saunders' latest project is constructing a five-star Raffles Hotel and Residences, the first of that renowned company's properties in the United States. It will be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold building that will further demonstrate why this company has won a Presidential Gold Medal and other honors for its programs.
Smaller places of accommodation also have boarded the environmental bandwagon. Efforts at the 33-room Boulder Hot Springs Inn, Spa and Retreat in Montana fit its goal of "living with the planet instead of destroying it or using it up."
In addition to common conservation projects, others include remodeling the heating system to take advantage of local geothermal waters and studying possible use of the waters to generate electricity. The inn also is restoring the adjacent natural wetlands, which were drained to provide pasture. This has resulted in the return of moose, antelope, deer and other wildlife to what had been a protected sanctuary.
Although the Disney company has been an environmental pioneer, it's not the only entertainment business that has a green thumb. Destiny USA is a mega-mall near Syracuse, New York, that in addition to places to shop and dine has a variety of entertainment options. The 26 million annual visitors produce a torrent of trash and other waste with which the center deals responsibly enough to make it the largest commercial building in the world to have won LEED Gold certification.
Efforts there got underway during construction, when they used more than 90% materials recovered from landfills and made some flooring out of rapidly renewing crushed cork and walnut shells. A solar-reflective "cool roof" conserves energy and harvests rainwater to save 4 million gallons of water annually.
Speaking of water, cruise ships have instituted a variety of measures to lessen their environmental impact. New passenger vessels employ state-of-the-art waste-management systems that shred trash, compact glass and metal, and incinerate paper and plastic.
One leader in this area is Un-Cruise Adventures, whose ships travel to the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Hawaii and Central America. As a member of the Passenger Vessel Association's Green Waters Program, the company adheres to its "leave no trace" motto on all voyages. Every effort is made to reduce fuel consumption, conserve energy and drinking water, and decrease the use of harmful chemicals.
Land-based outfits observe many of the same self-imposed rules. Overseas Adventure Travel, part of the Grand Circle Corp. family of companies, connects customers with the people and cultures of destinations it visits around the world. It seeks to instill knowledge of and respect for local communities and supports a variety of enterprise, philanthropy and entrepreneurship projects.
OAT stresses sustainable transport to natural areas such as the Galapagos Islands and the Serengeti region of Tanzania with emphasis on environmental conservation and improving the well-being of the people. The company supports water and sanitation projects in communities it visits, helped to fund construction of a women's center in Morocco and assists co-ops, orphanages and other facilities around the world.
The TravelStride.com website is a source of information about group tours and other trips, and a search for "ecotourism" turns up a choice of alternatives. For example, Global Basecamps takes participants to Costa Rica, which has been called the birthplace of environmental travel. From bird-watching and seeing tiny turtles hatch and race toward the water to experiencing the magnificent Monteverde Cloud Forest, nine people get a greater appreciation of the world in which we live and added impetus to protect it.
Whatever it's called — ecotourism, environmental travel, responsible travel, sustainable tourism — the trend is here to stay. Whatever your preferences, there's a good chance that the hotels and transports you use are working to make the world a better place.
WHEN YOU GO
www.dpep.disney.com
www.saundershotelgroup.com
www.boulderhotsprings.com
www.destinyusa.com
www.uncruise.com
www.oattravel.com
www.travelstride.com
Victor Block is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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