Wangari Maathai’s Movement is Built on the Power of Trees On a winter day in 1999, Kenyan environmental activist Wangari Maathai was doing what comes naturally to her: planting trees. As in Thailand, where a Buddhist monk who protected trees by ordaining them was thrown in jail, Maathai’s activities made the authorities uneasy. The seedlings […]
Jerry Russell Illustration The United Nations declared 2002 the International Year of Ecotourism to promote this fast-growing segment of the $3.5 trillion travel industry partly because of the great potential it has for helping the world’s economically depressed areas. The UN also hopes the industry will take stock of how well it is doing so […]
In 2002, the International Year of Ecotourism, Will We Set New Standards for Green Travel?
Beyond Good Hospitality Ten years ago, the Sheraton Rittenhouse Square didn’t even have smoke-free rooms. Now the Philadelphia hotel has air that’s swept clean of such pollutants as mold, pollen and bacteria every 34 minutes. What’s more, the cut-glass front desk is 100 percent recycled, there’s a stand of oxygenating palms in the atrium lobby, […]
Ecotourism is an idea whose time has come, but it’s too early to declare victory. For the traveling public, the challenge is to find the environmentally and socially responsible companies that can provide a great holiday. And that’s where the concept of certification—eco-labeling—comes in. All tourism certification programs are voluntary, market-driven initiatives, which means companies […]
Progress and Protest QUEBEC CITY—"Ecotourism operates in a fragile environment," said Klaus Topfer, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). For the delegates from 132 countries gathered for the World Ecotourism Summit in the lovely capital of Quebec City, Topfer’s words carried considerable understatement, as well as several meanings. The conference touched on […]
Through a new partnership with ecotourism operator Manaca (www.manaca.com), E: The Environmental Magazine is able to offer its first-ever environmental travel opportunity, a 13-day visit to Europe guided by E Editor Jim Motavalli. While there will be plenty of opportunity to relax and sight-see, the theme of the trip (including visits to England, France, Austria […]
Ecotourism Destinations That Go the Extra Mile If you’ve ever wanted to try an eco-tour, this is the year to get up and get out. Never has there been a better opportunity to see nature up-close and personal while also giving something back to the communities you visit. This is not a "Best Of" list—there […]
Natural Alternatives to Toxic Coloring Agents I was born to be a redhead, but that’s not the color I got. The first time my hair dried to the glorious shade of red on the box of dye, I was hooked. I’m not alone: more than 50 million women in America dye their hair on a […]
The Growing Confusion About Eating Soy Foods While it may still be a newcomer to American diets, the soybean is an old friend in China: 5,000 year-old records show that it was a staple in the Chinese diet even then. During the U.S. Civil War, soldiers brewed the beans as "coffee berries" when real java […]
