Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Jul 9

We all know Cod is seriously threatened across nearly all of its range – so why are we still eating it?

Cod and Chips and Cod Fish Fingers: we can’t get enough – but it’s not healthy for the cod.

Obviously, it isn’t good in the sense that the individual fish get eaten – but the entire species could be seriously theatened by our ‘stereotypes’ and assumed behaviours.

In the same way that we have to have mustard with beef, cranberry with turkey and peanut butter and jelly; we seemingly can’t eat any other fish with our chips!

There are plenty of alternatives out there, but we have just got used to this one – and it is causing some serious problems out on the waves.

Fishing Quotas:
You might think that the recent fishing quotas introduced are helping out a bit. I mean they are limiting the number of cod brought into harbours, factories and then into our local chippies or ‘finger’ factories, aren’t they? Even if they have put the price up a bit…..

But we were all so happy that something was being done to ‘save’ the cod, that we all just carried on eating it anyway; well the cod we eat must have been caught inside the quota, so the oceans are still alive with ‘saved’ cod.

But no – sadly – this wasn’t true.

It only meant that any cod over the quota couldn’t be taken to shore by the ship. But (not so) secretly, they were still catching them.

Fishing nets aren’t species specific, they don’t let cod escape but keep the pollack or coley trapped inside, do they? Fishing nets aren’t even FISH specific, they kill all sorts of crustaceans, jellyfish and mammals as they lay in the water.

But by the time the net is collected, raised and emptied by the trawlers, the cod (and others) are dead, and there is nothing they can do about it.

Taking the cod back to shore could ensure a fine for the captain; staying out at sea until all the cod had been eaten just wouldn’t be cost effective; and so the only option left is for the accidently caught and killed cod to be thrown back into the sea to rot.

Not nice.

photo credit: llamnudds

How You Can Help:
Well, for starters, you can try to reduce the demand for cod by opting for other fish species when shopping or eating out on your travels. And if you end up visiting a traditional Fish & Chip Shop in a town or village on route – then try to order something else with your chips instead.

By choosing different fish, you are letting the shop know that people will pay for other fish, and so will encourage them to order in more alternatives to cod. It may also help them to reduce their cod demands overall and so naturally help wild cod to be less atrractive to the trawlers in the first place.

And, if trawlers don’t need to fish cod all the time to make a profit, then they won’t go over their cod quotas so quickly, and then any cod bycatch can be safely taken to shore to be made into fish fingers!

Visit FishFight.net to see if you can make your local Chippy into a revolutionary Mackeral & Chips outlet!

posted by Catherine on Apr 27

Would you know what to do if you found an unconscious person while out on a walk?

How about if a friend of yours just suddenly fainted, cut themselves, feels unwell, or had a burn? If you said no – or aren’t sure, then you should think about going on an Emergency First Aid course.

Many people only do a First Aid course because they ‘have to’ for work or volunteering – but why should we be forced to do it? Why haven’t you thought about saving your family and friends in an emergency rather than having to help a random person who happened to visit your shop or office?

Why do we wait to be asked to learn such and important skill – we should be climbing over each other to get on a course!

And it isn’t about what to do with the casualty either – it is about assessing your needs as well as those of the patient. And your actions also affect the emergency services and complete strangers who could be 30 miles away from you.

How? Well think of the larger picture as well as just your little part in it.

Just You:
Before helping anyone in an emergency situation – you should check that you are safe to help in the first place – there is no point you getting injured, electrocuted, trapped, burned or drowned as well as the casualty! And if you do get hurt – who will be there to help you?

Don’t forget that 999/911/122 calls will get routed through to the emergency services even if you are in an area with no mobile coverage – so if in doubt about your safety – call them first for advice.

The Casualty:
If you can get to them safely – then you need to assess them before you call the emergency services – as you will need to know a bit more about them. For example, if they are not breathing at all – then those first few minutes could be vital to their survival, so don’t waste them trying to make a phone call!

And you might find that they are not that seriously hurt or were just sleeping! Needless to say that if you do call out a helicopter or ambulance for someone who ends up telling you that they were just sleeping or drunk – you have wasted a lot of peoples time and resources.

photo credit: Artotem

The Complete Stranger:
He was just in his garden at home when he started getting chest pains – they didn’t go away when he laid down so he struggled to the phone to call an ambulance as he thought he was having a heart attack.

He speaks to the emergency staff and they tell him that they will be there as soon as they can – but they know that their last ambulance is on its way to that collapsed casualty in the woods 15 miles away.

Your casualty turns out to be hung-over while that complete stranger is getting worse! There are a limited number of emergency vehicles in any one area – so make sure that you don’t waste their resources by calling them for a non-emergency.

The Emergency Services:
Obviously if you find an unconscious person anywhere who is not responding to your loud voice or a firm shoulder pat (as they could be deaf) – then you should clear their airways and make sure that they are breathing and then call the emergency services for advice.

However, you must assess their situation first to be of most help to them. They have been trained to save lives and have the equipment to do so – but if they are 20 miles away from the casualty then they can’t do their job.

There are also alternative emergency advice solutions – particularly if the casualty is conscious and not in a life-threatening situation. Taking them to one of the many minor injuries or illness clinics is a great first option, calling NHS Direct (UK only) can answer many of your questions and advise you of the best course of action.

But nothing beats getting your own skills in Emergency First Aid – that way you can help your friends and family immediately – and offer the correct help to others in need.

You’ll never regret taking the course – only not taking it.

posted by Catherine on Apr 10

Throw out that traditional ‘city’ guidebook – write your own eco adventure guide!

We all try to make sure that we see the oldest church, tallest tower, biggest fountain or a giant shoe – but what about the landscapes surrounding us? Do you find out where the local wildlife lives? Where the local people go and relax or where the more remote landscapes off the tourist trail are?

If not – then you aren’t having an eco adventure – you are having the same ‘adventure’ as a thousand other tourists who passed by.

By finding out a bit more about your destination first, you can discover so much more when you are travelling – and will have a better eco holiday that you ever imagined.

The Landscapes:
It might sound boring to research the rock types and weather patterns of your holiday destination – but by finding out things like whether the rock is ‘hard’ (granite) or ‘soft’ (limestone) you would know whether there would be a lot a water on the surface, the likelihood of caves and what plants and animals you could see.

photo credit: DaveBleasdale

For example softer more porous rock types like chalk and limestones don’t hold water so will be reasonably dry landscapes and any water features will usually be seasonal or man-made. And this affects the wildlife and plants you will find.

Other rock types might produce totally different effects and environmental diversity – which could make for some very interesting places to visit on your vacation.

The Locations:
By looking at the niche habitats and weather patterns – you could find out where the most pleasant places to visit are.

You may well avoid India in the monsoon, and the Caribbean during the hurricane season – so why visit a desert at the hottest time of day, or a tropical coastal location before the afternoon sea breezes come in?

Locals know all the secrets to making the most of the day – so if the locals don’t go out until the afternoon – you know to copy them! What do they do instead and where do they do it?

I remember when I first went to Malta I was back in my flat by 6pm and stayed in all night as I was totally knackered from all that sun. But 1 night I needed something important, so popped back out to the shop and found the entire local population out on the boulevard socialising!

Kids on bikes, couples, babies in strollers and games of chess all going on – there wasn’t a single seat free for about 2 miles of promenade! I had wondered why the prom was so wide with so many benches when I hardly ever saw anyone there – but of course it was too hot during the day to sit in the sun!

Learning a bit more about somewhere isn’t so hard – and then you could find you get a lot more from the experience.

posted by Catherine on Mar 17

If you are taking a long eco holiday – why travel alone?

When heading off on an eco adventure anywhere around the globe – there is no need for you to spend the whole time travelling on your own – why not meet up with other singles along the way?

If you are planning an epic journey or a working holiday covering large distances overland – then where is the harm in finding like-minded people to travel with – or to meet at destinations for a week or 2 along the way.

Infact, I find that this is the best way to meet people with similar ideas and outlooks to yourself. I mean if you are signed up to 6 weeks humanitarian work in Africa and you meet someone there – you know the type of person they are.

Same goes for people helping wildlife, raising money for certain charities, or just teaching overseas. These types of people are the same as you – so why not search them out and make friends?

Where Can I Find Them?
There are many websites, blogs and social network sites which allow you to talk to other people with similar interests, experiences or plans – and you can hop on board with them and their ideas.

You can also find many more companies simply offering great holidays for singles along the same lines – to introduce people and to share travel experiences.

Such companies offer to help match up people on the road, in resorts or during charity work or wildlife expeditions. Maybe after 8 weeks trekking, you want to put your feet up in a beachside bothy or rainforest retreat – and you want to take that time to meet others.

There are plenty of opportunities to find out about these types of organisations and chat to people who have been there already.

photo credit: [casey]

Why A Singles Holiday?
Well, for a start – there won’t be a single supplement for these places – they won’t expect you to pay extra money for an empty bed!

There are also many people who want to travel but are a bit worried about getting on alone – and these holidays can be just the thing needed to kick start your confidence – a great place to start off from.

All the other travellers at these locations are single travellers too, and so are more likely to chat to you too – so instant conversations can spark up – and maybe even long-term friendships.

Alternatively, you might be a seasoned traveller who just wants to be in great company for a few days at a time inbetween long solitary stints. A nice place to relax where you know you will be welcomed – and won’t be feeling the odd one out with other couples or family groups.

Whatever age, whichever country you are in or from and for however long you want to visit – there will always be something for everyone.

posted by Catherine on Mar 9

Does booking an eco holiday really mean you have to pay more for everything?

We all know that you can’t find a great eco holiday package for less than a ‘short hop to the sun’ type holiday, because you are comparing 2 different things: you either want to respect the environment and the people living in it, or you want to spend as little as possible to get somewhere warm.

But if you are planning to find travel deals that can help you to plan a more independent holiday – then you shouldn’t have to pay more to get there and back for example.

If you are planning to spend 3 months travelling across Europe, or spend a year moving around South America – there is no need to pay full price for your transport if you can get it at a reduced price.

I mean why would you offer to pay full price for a train ride from New York to Los Angeles if the person behind you in the queue was only paying a fraction of that cost? There is nothing you can do to stop a company from offering a promotional rate – however you could always refuse the offer and pay full price if you want – but I’m sure nobody would really do that!

Your Long Trip:
So if you are planning a long vacation somewhere – you may still want to search for the best deals on transport, food and accommodation – so that you can travel for longer.

You will of course still have your normal eco standards, like no ‘bush meat’ or no meat at all; no consumer products from giant stores; no hotel chains; etc – but you can find the best vacation discount for whatever it is that you are looking for.

You still need to sleep somewhere, buy products, eat food and travel from A to B – so why not use the Internet to help you find what you are looking for with link-filled sites like TravelFinders.co to help you find specific travel websites that could help you.

People you meet will also have reduced prices to offer you when you arrive somewhere – maybe 1 night free if you stay a week, half price trip if you book another trip through the same agent, etc. Deals are all around us and taking advantage of them doesn’t need to go against your eco thinking.

If you saw 6 free range organic eggs for sale for half the price of another brand of free range organic eggs – I’m sure you wouldn’t opt for the more expensive ones. Same thing with everything in life.

And there may be times when you do need to book a ticket on a plane for those longer journeys or in times of trouble – so why not look for a cheap flights going the same way?

Being eco friendly doesn’t mean you have to pay more – it means you won’t settle for less than what you believe in.

posted by Catherine on Feb 22

Why not take an extended eco holiday to a part of your past?

These days you can buy yourself a genome-realted DNA test that may well help you to see where your ancient ancestors came from or travelled through on their journey to becoming you!

It is currently believed that around 60,000 years ago the first humans started to move away from their original homeland. Theories still abound as to why they moved and how they managed it – but basically from those first steps – they sowed the seeds for all the thousands or cultures, languages and peoples that we know today.

Some of these groups are still very isolated such as island communites, whereas others are now highly mixed up including many capital cities like London and New York.

Over thousands of years of migration, settlement, working and trade; cultures have met, mixed and moved on. But where does your history come from – where has your distant family been living all this time?

Genome Testing.
It is now possible to buy a testing kit for yourself or a friend that will tell you about the journey of your ancestors as far as we know it.

There have been many studies over the past few decades that have found certain ‘markers’ in human DNA which can be plotted on a map of the world based on where these markers are found within indigenous populations still living in those locations.

For example, certain markers found in indigenous people living on Island A will be identified as different to all other marker combinations, so if your DNA is found to have most or all of those same markers, then you can almost guarantee that your ‘family’ were there too at some point.

And as humans moved from Africa across Asia, Europe and the Americas, they left a trail of these similar markers – and it is these markers that the DNA test can highlight for you.

These markers can be found for both your maternal linage – through your mother and then her mother and then all the mothers for ever; or paternally through your father, then his father, then all your family’s fathers (however only males can follow their paternal lineage due to the ‘Y’ chromosome – as ladies don’t have one!).

This tracing backwards doesn’t give you a list of all their names and addresses of course, it just tells you whether your markers are found in certain populations over time and in which areas and countries.

Wow!
This is of course something that could change your life. Especially if you have no idea what your ancestry is and find out that most of your past relatives were from a totally different continent to what you thought.

I know skin colour and your direct relations might give you a clue to more recent family ties over the past 100 years (like the last 3 generations of my family were all from Europe) – but they can be hiding a whole host of other relatives over the past 59,900 years that are hidden within our genes!

And finding out that your history is focussed in a whole new landscape could be the very input you needed to find a new path in life. What if you could travel back to that place for an extended period of time; learn about who still lives there and past events.

And if it is still a developing region – there may be volunteer or teaching opportunites close by so that you could actually be helping people still living in that very place who share a similar past to you.

If you are interested in learning more about yourself, then maybe take a look at one such Genome Project and take it from there?

photo credit: Lordcolus

posted by Catherine on Nov 19

Rather than investing in gold or oil – why not invest in the planet?

When you have some ‘spare’ money – you tend to run to the bank with the best APR or whatever – planning for your future obviously.

But aren’t you forgetting about what ‘investment’ actually means?

If the money at the end of your pension is all you want to invest in – then I hope you don’t mind giving up a few things along the way; like rainforests, rural communities, biodiversity and everything else that we are trying to save at the moment!

What sort of holiday do you think you will be spending all your savings on when you retire in 30 years if the sea levels have risen, all the coral has died, countries are at war over resources and people in the developing world can’t afford to eat?

The Baddies?
Well, that would be you wouldn’t it?  Big ‘Bad’ businesses still need to go on - I mean we still need oil and coal to run just about everything we own at the moment (just think of everything you need that doesn’t need or run on electricity or petrol/diesel)!  So at the minute they are not baddies through choice – but you are.

You can make a decision to spend your money on green and eco investments and technologies – and by doing so you are helping to make the alternatives the new mainstream.  If people want change then businesses will make changes.

We take care to only buy things that we approve of, and check whether it’s sustainable, fair trade or organic – but we seem to forget this all when we use banks! 

Think Ahead:
By asking your bank or financial advisor where your money will be invested – or actually seeking out an eco investment in the first place – you could actually be making your future a whole lot better.

Like with timber schemes.  By using your ‘spare’ money to grow hectares and hectares of young trees for timber you will not only be making a nice return on your investment – you will also be preserving that woodland and the animals and plants that live there and creating a carbon sink (where the growing trees absorb and store CO2 from the environment).  It will also be creating a sustainable and natural supply of building materials as well as a whole host of employment opportunities.

And of course, if you are using this land for wood production – then you don’t need to raid wood from actual forests.  By growing a variety of soft and hardwoods from scratch – you can divert attention away from illegally logging ancient woodlands and raiding pristine forests.

Kerr-ching!

posted by Catherine on Oct 22

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Spring is in the air – and you might not ever have to be again!

One of the largest and most comprehensive adventure travel shows is back on the schedule – and gives you plenty of time to start your own research into your next eco adventure!

If you are thinking about a volunteer Gap Year, a few months independent green travel, starting a career in travel writing or just trying something totally different – then the Outdoor Adventure Travel Show 2011 in London is the place you should really be planning for.

Not only are there travel companies galore to visit, but there are also writing and photography seminars, travel clinics and discount clothing and equipment all waiting in 1 place for you.

Who Can You Ask?
If you are thinking about trying something a little bit ‘new’ or stepping out into the wide world for the first time, then you should really get several opinions on locations, projects and transport from experts.

Not just a travel agent – as they tend to sell package deals and flights only – if you want a real eco adventure or to try out some green travel packages, then you need to speak to the people who specialise in that.

In the same way that a car salesman can’t give you the best advice to drive around the world and an estate agent can only give you a few general tips on how to spot an eco home - a high street travel agent can’t really offer green advice based on experience.

You need to weed out the ‘generalists’ and look for the specialists.

The Plan:
Needless to say – if you just turn up to this event on a whim you will still have a great time and gets lots of great information – but you won’t really be gleaming the best of the best.

As the show isn’t until January 2011 – you have 3 months to get researching yourself.  Find out what possible dates are for travel; which countries or regions you are hoping to travel to – and how you plan to get there.

That way you have a rough plan in mind before you come face to face with the experts!  What if there is a great deal on a trip to Asia – but you hadn’t looked into opportunities in that area before – you might go away feeling like you have to start all over again.

What if you had been thinking about travelling from A to B to C – but then find out that you had the seasons all wrong and it will be the rainy season in the tropics - or the dry season when you arrive at fjords or great waterfalls!

If you have your plan already set out in your head, then you can bend and twist that plan once you have discussed a few things.  If you have no plan at all when you arrive then you could be quite overwhelmed – maybe even coming away from the show with 15 years worth of travel ideas rather than the 6-month trip you were hoping for!

The Dates:
Well, the show isn’t until the end of January, so you have plenty of time to get some of your basics together.

Whether it’s toying with a new language, thinking about a route across the globe or worrying about your carbon footprint – start putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) and get some sort of structure to your plan.

Check on the Adventure Show website and see what’s on offer and which lectures or workshops might be of use to you in advance and start to give your eco holiday a backbone.  Maybe even set out a budget in advance and plan to buy the things you need at bargain show prices!

posted by Catherine on Oct 12

Would you rather donate a few pounds now – or be left at sea?

Did you know that UK lifeguards are not paid staff? Did you also know that they receive no Government funding at all?

And, did you know that they offer their services to people in need absolutely voluntarily? 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!

As a result, they can only buy, run and maintain their lifesaving equipment with funds raised from public and private donation.

Your Eco Adventures:
Now it’s not just people on boats who might need the services of the coastguard – they help rescue all sorts of people from all sorts of places.  I mean you don’t even need to be in the water!

Day trippers on the beach might get caught out by a fast incoming tide, pets and people can sometimes slip over the top of a low cliff and get caught on a ledge, rock pool dippers might slip and twist their ankle or people might just happen to get ill while out on a pier.

If the land-based emergency services can’t get their transport to you – then the coastguard gets called in!

Now – we all take our ambulances for granted.  If we get ill when we are out and about, we just assume that a paramedic will get to us in just a few short minutes.  But when you are in a place with no roads near by – they just can’t come.

So if your eco adventures could take you off the beaten track and anywhere near the coast, harbours, large rivers or out to sea – then you need to think about your health and safety.

photo credit: Reiner Schubert

Make It Safe:
Obviously, there are plenty of things you can do to make sure that you avoid having problems in the first place by planning ahead and learning how to maintain your boat or other equipment – but there is more:

1) Make sure that you have had training in using all the equipment you are going to need for your adventure that day.

2) Make sure that all your equipment is correctly fitted for you.  If you are borrowing someone else life belt/boat/ropes etc – make sure that you have checked them before you leave to fit you personally.  You move the mirrors and seat when you borrow someone else car – so check that everything else you borrow fits before you start out.

3) Make sure that someone on land knows where you are going that day.  Not only when you are leaving, who with, where from and with what – but also how long you will be, where you will end up and how they can contact you if they need to.

4) Plan to be back on dry land or away from the water/coast before the tide comes in or it gets dark.  If you don’t know exactly what time it gets dark, or exactly what time the tide changes – then don’t go!

5) Make sure you take all precautions necessary – don’t forget that something you might think is ‘fun’ could end up dragging over 30 rescue workers out to sea to come help you – when you could have just planned to do that next time when you had more planning.  Spontaneity at sea or on cliffs is plain stupid!

See Into The Future:
Know how to guess things in advance!  Now I know that all accidents that the coast guards attend are not always through direct human error – but there are signs when something is about to go wrong.

If someone on your boat starts to become ill, feels unwell (other than sea sick), the weather changes, you notice a small problem with the boat, a friend isn’t quite as good at navigation or boatmanship as they told you – head for home.

Regardless of whether you think you will be fine – think of the worse case scenario.  Could that person become really ill soon and you are even further from safety?  Is that small problem your emergency back-up?  So what happens if the main part fails now?  Your friend took you too far to the right or left, or too close to that shingle bank or cliff edge.

You have all seen programs on TV and in the movies where you can see whats about to happen, but everyone just wants to have fun – no body wants to be the person who turns home early on – but no doubt, they have never had to call out the coastguard!

Your Eco Friendly Insurance Policy:
When you go abroad, you take out an insurance policy to make sure that paramedics will come a help you if you get injured.

When you drive a car – you take out insurance and get a recovery policy to make sure that someone can come a fix your car if you get in an accident.

So why not pay out for a coastguard policy if you like to have fun around water or the coast?  If you donate a few pounds (or more) a year – then you are helping to guarantee that there are always men and women around the country who will drop everything – even in pitch black and bad storms – to come and help you out.

And all for free!

It’s all well and good thanking them after they save you, and raising money as a ‘Thank You’ – but if we don’t support them BEFORE we need them – they might not be there anymore!

If they don’t raise more in donations than the cost of keeping their boats on the water and helicopters in the air – then the boats will have to go, and it will take them longer to respond to your 999 call – and longer to get you to safety.

So how long do you want to be floating in the cold sea – Or clinging to that steep ledge?

posted by Catherine on Jul 3

It can be eco friendly to take less medicines on vacation, so pick your destination well!

If you are hoping to go to a far flung travel destination, it’s not all vaccinations and tablets – and in fact these can add to your eco footprint along the way.

Now I am not saying don’t take medication if it is available and recommended by your doctor or travel clinic – but maybe by choosing your destination with some care – you can avoid the potential for disease and so reduce your chemical uses!

All medications – even the contraceptive pill and paracetamol can leave chemical residues in the environment so lets not be silly here – but if you choose from malaria-free countries, you could have a less stressful holiday too!

So here is just a simple list or the main malaria free holiday destinations by continent that you could consider:

Continental Europe:
Every country in Europe (2010) does not have any malarial risk, including the whole of Russia.

Africa:
The only countries currently listed as malarial-free destinations are Tunisia, Lesotho and Libya as well as the Seychelles.  However seasonal variations mean that many other destinations will be declared ‘malaria free’ for months at a time – as will certain cities which are above a certain height.

The Middle East:
Due to the harsh dry climate, countries like Jordan, Israel, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, United Arab Emirates (Dubai), Bahrain, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon and Qatar are all declared as malaria-free countries – so no worries here!

Central & South East Asia:
The islands of Japan, North Korea and South Korea are free as well as the expanse of Mongolia, but all other tropical areas and islands are at risk virtually all the time.

However, there are 2 cities in south-east Asia that do remain malaria free amid the jungles and swamps – Brunei and Singapore.

North America:
The whole of North America (including Hawaii) Canada and Greenland are not in any way at risk of malaria – so any vacations here will not require malarial medication.  The area though does still have other illness in the more remote areas – so don’t think any destination is completely safe!

The Caribbean:
The islands making up the Caribbean are as good as free of the disease, apart from the island that makes up Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  But do check for local reports if travelling to swampy areas.

Central & South America:
Unfortunately these areas are dotted with various patches of malaria in all the forested and wetland areas – so you need to be specific about where you travel to.  The only countries in Central or South America that are completely free of malarial risk are Chile and Uruguay.

Other Destinations:
The delightful Maldives in the Indian Ocean are always a popular destination not only due to their dazzling beauty, sandy islands and azure dolphin filled waters – but also because of their malaria-free situation – unlike neighbouring Sri Lanka!

Needless to say; Australia, New Zealand and all affiliated islands are completely risk-free for this disease – but of course have plenty of other things to worry the tourist!

However, bite avoidance is an obvious first step in any holiday destination – as insect bites can pass on many such debilitating diseases! 

Just make sure that you are aware of all the risks in all the destinationsyou are considering before you use this guide to choose your next eco holiday!