Following on from my Ten Tips to save money on a Winter Sports break. Here are my Top Ten Tips for protecting the environment when taking to the slopes
Avoriaz Shuttle
on skis or snowboards. Winter Sports are one form of travel most under threat from Climate Change. Lets take responsibility for our travel:
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Choose a resort that makes the environment a priority. Mountain Riders publish a guide that rates each resort on a number of environmental criteria. You can consult it online when making your plans.
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Try to avoid flying to the resort. You can go by rail, or even bus to most resorts in Europe. If you go by car, then it is best to take a fuel efficient one with 3 or more passengers.
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Use public transport instead of your own car at the resort. Many resorts have free shuttle buses. Make use of them.
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Don’t leave the heating on full when you are not in your apartment, chalet or hotel. Rooms are fast to heat up, once you return.
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Short showers use less hot water and therefore energy than long baths.
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Buy local produce when shopping for food. The energy expended getting exotic food to a ski resort can be huge.
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Don’t litter use the bins provided. Get a portable ash can for cigarettes – one cigarettes stub can pollute a cubic metre of water.
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In many of the French Ski resorts the supermarket chain Sherpa offers to take back unused tinned and boxed food. Preventing waste and saving money.
waste and saving you money.
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Try to purchase environmentally friendly, ski and snowboard equipment and clothes. Also use environmentally friendly waxes. Don’t throw away your gear at the end of the season. Sell it on ebay or give to others to help cut down the waste.
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Segregate your rubbish and use the recycling facilities provided at most resorts.
I could add some more, like; share a shower with someone sexy, but this list is a Top Ten!
Tags: 10 tips, environment, sustainable, Winter Sports
To travel to Chamonix, from Brussels, I booked a seat on a Eurolines coach, boarding by Gare du Nord. One of the main advantages of travelling by bus, is the low carbon footprint. Buses are generally light and do not use much fuel per person. They can also be quite cheap. I noted that the tickets from Brussels to Chamonix start at 9 Euros one way, shame mine wasn’t quite that cheap, I actually paid 90 Euros return, but had no extra fees for baggage etc.
Eurolines coach
I departed the Euro lines bus station at 18h00 on Sunday,after checking in a good sized bag and a snowboard in a bag. From what I read on the website for Eurolines Belgium, they don’t accept skis and snowboards, but the crew stowed mine in the baggage locker. Just don’t go turning up expecting them to accept your winter sports equipment in Belgium. If you are travelling from the UK then it is no problem. It all boils down to the fact that each country has a different coach operator badged as Eurolines operating their part of Europe. The journey was uneventful. We drove out of Brussels and on to Lille in France, a DVD was shown as we left Brussels, then another DVD on the leg from Lille to Paris.
Most of the passengers alighted at Paris and new passengers boarded, some with skis in carry bags. It was now about 11h00,so now more DVD’s were played. The coach then travelled down the Autoroutes headed for Geneva, but stopping for a break every 2 hours or so. Fortunately the coach was half empty so everyone had two seats each to try top get comfortable on for the night. I did manage to sleep in a number of unusual positions before waking after about half an hour each time.
As we went through the Jura, I noticed that the scenery looked very white, I was having difficulty making out why as I had removed my contact lenses for the night. It soon became apparent that it was snowing heavily. The bus stopped at the border at Switzerland and all passports were checked. There was a short stop at Geneva and then we headed back for France and Chamonix.
Chamonix, my destination
It was just getting light as we entered the Chamonix valley. It looked magnificent with its new covering of fresh snow. The coach had difficulty with the build up of snow on the streets of Chamonix, but managed to get to the bus stop outside the railway station.
I was tired most of Monday and slept really well on Monday night. Would I travel by coach again? Yes, in fact I have to on my return leg. It would be good to find some of those 9 euro seats and may well look out for them.
Tags: brussels, bus, chamonix, coach, Eurolines, low carbon footprint
While waiting to be served at a Cardiff Restaurant last week, I couldn’t help overhearing the large party on the adjacent table, discussing the merits of European cities they had visited. They were talking loudly, probably because they wanted the rest of the group to hear. One woman said “I did Prague”. The expression grated with me.
Charles Bridge, Prague
Prague is a wonderful city. It deserves more than to be “done”. Hearing this made me ponder why I travelled there in 2003.
It was a period of my life when everything seemed to be going wrong. I went because it had all but beckoned me through books, films and even pop videos. The experience was truly therapeutic.
I stayed in a cheap hostel with Soviet Era plumbing in the communal wash room. I walked, took the metro and trams all over the city. I ate with locals at cafés in the suburbs avoiding the tourist restaurants in the Old Town and city centre. I had many conversations with Czech locals and Russian Ex pats living in Prague. I even went to the Opera twice.
But did I do Prague?
My week in the city gave me a very small idea of what life was about in the city. The Museum of Communism gave another another insight. Inside in a display case were little lumps of lead and other heavy metals. The explanatory caption explained that the quantities shown were the average mounts breathed in over a year by a Czech inhabitant.
Shocking!
But is it any more shocking than flying out to Prague for a drunken Hen / Stag Party or flying there just to be able to say; “I did Prague”?
Currently, I am spending a lot of time in Brussels. You could say I am on permanent vacation here. You do not need to travel far to gain a rewarding travel experience. To illustrate my point, this last weekend, there was two Street parties within 200 metres of my apartment in Brussels.
The first was the Czech Street Party held in the street by the Czech Embassy. This took place on Friday night. The street was closed off and a stage erected, along with a number of tents highlighting what the Czech Republic has to offer. There were samples of Czech beers, wines, cheeses, sweets, and goodies given away at the stands representing the various regions. Of course there were brochures and help available for potential visitors to the Czech Republic. I really enjoyed the Czech Music although the young Mandrage and Clou were more to my taste than Mig 21 and the headline act Kristophe. Czech nationals made up the largest contingent of the crowd which completely filled the street up to the front of the stage by the time the headline group was playing.
This is a video clip of Clou, a band from Prague in action.
The second Street Party was Matongé en Couluer. This took place on Saturday and Sunday on Chausée de Wavre and parts of rue de la Paix and even the junction of Chausée de Wavre and Chausée d’Ixelles. Like the czech Party, this is an annual event with stands selling African Foods and goods, filling the streets. Again a music stage showcased African music and dance from across the African continent as well as from Brussels. In addition small bands were playing at other locations on the streets as well as a few DJ sets providing music for street dancing. In common with the Czech Party there was no entry fee for any of the events. An excellent opportunity to immerse myself in the sounds, colours, smells and tastes of different cultures without going more than 800 metres from my front door.
Tags: brussels, bruxelles, Czech Republic, Matongé, Matongé en couleurs
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Thirty nine years ago a number of organisations with diverse goals, yet all concerned with a sustainable future on this planet got together. The first Earth Day was held in in 1970. The event has become mainstream. It has been interesting reading surfing the net today as some of the news items have varied from positively helpful ways to secure a sustainable future on the Earth to pure Greenwash.
Using Earth Day to sell airline tickets
One company selling cheap airline tickets even tried to get some Earth Day Green points, by focusing on eco hotels, spas and even some green travel tips. Instead of being honest and saying that you shouldn’t take the flight unless there is no sustainable alternative. They simply say green issues shouldn’t stop you flying. Of course they say you can offset. Offsetting though, is the last resort, as the flight will still produce carbon dioxide, as well as burn up a portion of irreplaceable fossil fuel.Of course the answer is to travel to the destination slowly using buses, trains, cycling or walking. This takes time and that is not compatible with the life we live. There is hope though, I will try to provide some inspirational examples in future posts.
Eco villas
Another company was promoting its eco villas. Some of the ones advertised were huge with their own swimming pool. Of course they had rainwater harvesting but usually for watering the plants not for flushing toilets. Solar panels, ground source heat pumps were on offer. I am not negative about the efforts made, but surely there is still lots of room for improvement. A private swimming pool maybe a luxury, but it consumes lots of resources in their construction, upkeep and that’s without all the fresh water they consume in areas that are often water stressed. Its better for the environment to use the sea or failing that communal pools.
Frivolous Earth Day Posts
Another site had a video post of Celebrities approach to Earth Day. I found it fairly shallow. OK, so the presenter pointed out that to be a green celebrity, you need to do more than drive a Toyota Prius (actually there are less polluting cars available), use reusable shopping bags and the like. I suppose the only test is to look at someones complete ecological footprint this is impossible without being intrusive, although one Hollywood film star who produced a green quote for Earth Day has a fleet of private jets, so I agree that we can’t take him too seriously. I certainly am far from green, but I am taking action that reduces my footprint month by month.
Why does Luxury Travel claim the Green credentials?
I find it just a little disconcerting to note that it is luxury travel that is claiming to be eco friendly. Often often long haul flights are required to access the location, the facilities occupy large amounts of land compared to indigenous homes. Whereas budget travel staying in small easily heated rooms with showers instead of Jacuzzis do not use anywhere near as much in the way of resources. Combine this with small family run hotels with locally sourced produce and your impact is going to be a lot less. Or perhaps you don’t agree?
Tags: Earth Day, greenwash, travel
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Restaurants during Earth Hour
On Saturday evening I made my way to Poelaert, by the Palais du Justice in Brussels. I waited until 8:30 pm and watched as the lights of Grand Place in the near distance and the Atomium on the horizon, were extinguished for Earth Hour. I was in a position to see many houses and blocks of flats switch off their lights and use candle power for an hour.
I then walked over to Grand Place. The area of Brussels I passed through has numerous Art Shops, bars and restaurants. All were open for business as usual and appeared to have made no effort to turn the lights off for Earth Hour. Upon arrival at Grand Place, the lack of lighting was instantly apparent. Once my eyes had become accustomed to the low light, the Hotel de Ville with its tall fine spire stood out against a dark navy blue sky across which dramatic clouds passed slowly. It looked more imposing than if it had been floodlit. Of course there were two or three bars and restaurants open in Grand Place, all using electric lights. It seems that when it comes to preventing catastrophic Climate Change businesses just don’t get it.
Last week, I had looked for bars and restaurants that were celebrating Earth Hour with a function, but to no avail. While Earth Hour was taking place, I walked in vain trying to find a candle lit bar or restaurant to have a drink, but instead passed establishments lit up like Christmas. What a shame, that a restaurant or bar couldn’t join in the vote for a safer future and provide a wonderful ambience for an hour at the same time.
Tags: Add new tag, brussels, Climate Change, Earth Hour, restaurants
Saturday is the last day of World Water Week 2009. I have ran out of water saving tips for travellers for now, but look to the future for even more water saving schemes by accommodation providers. Here in Belgium, we have a toilet that is even more efficient than dual flush. I’m not exactly sure how it works internally, but all you have to do to activate it is depress the flush button. If you don’t touch it again it will empty the cistern. However depress it again before the cistern has emptied the flushing action is immediately stopped. The user can then judge how much water is required at each flush. The cistern also has a house brick in it to limit the amount of water used in a full flush. This system is backed up with grey water saved from showering or bathing. When having a shower the first few minutes of water tend to be cold. Instead of letting this water go down the drain, it is caught in a bucket and used for watering our plants. Soapy grew water is transferred to the bucket and used to flush the toilet. It would be good to have a plumbed in system to use this grey water, perhaps supplemented by water caught on the roof. Hotels, apartments, villas and chalets can easily adopt water saving measures such as these. I urge them to do so now, as even in areas with no water shortages, it still consumes significant amounts of energy to pump water around. Other steps could be a return to earth composting toilets and dry urinals. These are a little more of a cultural change but will gain acceptance.
Water is a big political issue as I among many others, feel that access to safe water is a basic human right. Privatised companies can only charge for purifying and transporting clean water as well as removing waste water and treating it. I am not against Private Water Companies, but they should only be a contracted out service of governments and councils and must be answerable to them and the electorate. There should always be an ample supply of free safe drinking water to those that cannot afford to pay, even if it is from standpipes.
As I wrote in my first post, safe drinking water and effective sanitation is something that is not universally available. One in eight people do not have safe water to drink and over 40% of the world’s population live without adequate sanitation. Non Governmental Organisations such as WaterAid do a great deal to provide solutions to the crisis and get actively involved in affecting political change. I have supported WaterAid in the past and am doing so this week by giving a charitable donation at www.wateraid.org. Of course there are other water charities including Just a Drop and Charity:Water.
Tags: water
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Its Thursday on World Water Week so here are tips seven and eight,
Tip 7
Be careful with what you purchase while on holiday/vacation. For example take your own reusable water bottle and order tap water in restaurants. You will save energy, resources and even water over buying bottled water. You can also make a donation to the Back2Tap Campaign to help the developing world build new water and sanitation infrastructures. Buying products such as out of season fruit and vegetables that have been grown in water stressed parts of the world will probably cause some suffering in another part of the world. Avoid excess packaging as its resource hungry in its manufacture and can pollute water courses after you dispose of it if it is not dealt with properly.
Tip 8
Swimming pools are popular attractions at tourist resorts, hotels and apartments. They can also consume large amounts of drinking quality water. If it is a warm climate then swimming in the sea is probably a better option. Its one of my favourites if the water is warm enough and the sea is not full of jelly fish. If you are going to use a swimming pool, then how about trying a salt water pool. Like the sea they are easier to swim in as salt water is denser and gives better flotation.
Tags: packaging, products, swimming pool, World Water week
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Wednesday of World Water Week so time for two more water saving tips for travellers.
Tip 5
Report any leaks to your accommodation provider immediately. It could be a leaking tap or a toilet cistern constantly dripping water, but the water wastage over time is significant.
Tip 6
Do not support golf courses, theme parks or ski resorts that consume excessive amounts of water. You as a consumer have the final say as to whether or not a business thrives or fails. Golf courses are often an oasis in a desert. This is because they consume vast amounts of water keeping their greens and fairways irrigated. Often this is at the expense of local agriculture and inhabitants. Golf courses regions with a water scarcity should be looking at using strains of grass that do not require much water. Sure they may not look as attractive or be as soft to walk on, but they can be sustainable, whereas some of the oasis type golf courses certainly are not sustainable. The same applies to landscaped gardens in attractions such as Theme Parks. Finally ski resorts now increasing use snow cannons to supplement natural snowfalls with artificially made snow. An additive is used to stop the snow from melting as easily. This all ends up in the mountain environment. The process also consumes vast amounts ‘of water potentially straining local water supplies. Mountain-riders.org produce a booklet that compares the eco performance of many of the world’s ski resorts. Check whether your resort relies heavily on snow cannons.
Tags: golf courses, leaks, shortage, snow cannons, water
World Water Day is on Sunday 22 March and World Water Week is the following six days. WaterAid, one of my favourite charities, has conducted a survey and found that most visitors to restaurants would prefer tap water. Expensive ‘lifestyle’ water is often pushed by restaurants, making diners uneasy about ordering tap water. WaterAid has just launched their ‘Tap into WaterAid’ campaign, where they have got a number of restaurants to donate some money when they order tap water. I think this is an excellent idea, as it not only reduces the strain on limited resources but saves the consumer and also funds WaterAid. Even in the 21st Century 884 million people in the developing world are without any clean water, something that WaterAid and similar NGO’s are trying to tackle.
Buying these ‘lifestyle’ bottled waters that have been heavily promoted by advertising and peer pressure over the years is very costly to the environment. The video in this post is by Back2Tap and has a fun quiz about plastic bottle / bottled water. It shows exactly what drinking bottled water means in environmental terms and even the difference in financial cost. It suggests that we purchase stainless steel water bottles for use when outside the home.
TNS surveyed 2,018 people aged 16-64 between 10 to 16 March 2009 using an online survey.
WaterAid’s survey revealed that:
- 38% of respondents always ask for tap water in a restaurant
- 25% of respondents prefer to ask for tap water, but sometimes feel pressure to order bottled water in a restaurant.
- 37% of respondents always ask for bottled water in a restaurant
Tags: bottled water, Tap into Water, tap water, WaterAid, World Water Week 2009
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