Eco-tourism catching on in mainstream hotels, parks

Accommodation providers offering everything from cabins nestled in woodland settings to urban backpacker hostels have caught onto the eco-tourism movement. The green revolution has captured the attention of travellers and the tourism industry, driving environmentally sustainable practices, including reduced energy consumption and the use of environmental cleaning products. Today we take a look at the eco-tourism movement.

Thirty years ago Australian eco-tourism was largely the domain of small, nature-based tour operators but the movement has increasingly been embraced by the mainstream.

Walk into any city hotel room and you will notice the change: The small sign posted in the bathroom encouraging guests to refrain from using a daily linen service; the carefully selected bottle of organic, sulphate-free shampoo in the shower; the unlabelled, refillable bottle of dishwashing liquid under the sink; the nearby paper recycling bin.

Accommodation venues have also started listing energy reducing initiatives and other green credentials – including the use of eco-friendly liquid products – in their brochures and guest information folders.

For every cynical guest discounting these changes as simple cost-cutting, many more are embracing the measures as a sign operators care for the health and future of its guests and the environment.

Evaluating the authenticity of green assertions can be difficult as terms such as green and eco-friendly can be bandied without independent scrutiny.

In Australia there are several eco-certification schemes in place including:

•                      Ecotourism Australia, a respected eco-certification organisation for nature-based operators but less suited to city accommodation properties;
•                      Green STAR Ratings – Most travellers will be familiar with STAR ratings and the Eco-Friendly STAR logo identifies venues which have undertaken energy efficiency, waste management, water minimisation and guest education;
•                      EarthCheck (Green Globe) is an international green credential certification body which allows operators to measure their resource use and waste outputs;
•                      Some operators self-evaluate their green credentials outside of official accreditation schemes, motivated by the opportunity to reduce their environmental footprint.

Some of the simple measures being implemented by hotels, parks and hostels in rural and metropolitan settings include linen reuse programs, low-flow showerheads, low-flow toilets, sensor lights and the use of refillable guest products such as shampoo or laundry powder.

Easily-accessible bins for recyclable products such as papers and milk and juice cartons have become widely available at caravan parks and hotels.

Environmental cleaning products reduce water and soil contamination. Biodegradable, low-toxic products are available to replace most chemical cleaners.

Perth-based Envirosafe Solutions supplies its Extreme Green range of eco-friendly industrial liquids to accommodation providers across Australia.

Director Murray Simon said eco products not only delivered results comparable to harsh cleaners but were economical and sustainable. He added that efforts to reduce environmental impacts helped hospitality operators connect with their guests.

“Discerning travellers are increasingly seeking out green credentials when choosing accommodation venues – they would rather spend their money at environmentally-responsible enterprises.”

Envirosafe Solutions’ environmental cleaning product range includes dishwashing liquid, glass cleaner, gentle, triclosan-free anti-bacterial hand wash and biodegradable, low-phosphate laundry powder.

As Australian eco-tourism moves beyond nature-based operators to mainstream accommodation providers, the use of environmentally sustainable practices and products – including eco-friendly industrial liquids – has been embraced.

Orbital Junk

Envirosafe Solutions takes a close look at the human refuse impact that extends beyond the planet. Yes…sadly it is true. We have even managed to pollute space with a vast array of objects and particles that are now orbiting the earth! 

Humans have not only managed to pollute the earth. We have also successfully managed to rubbish space with a fair amount of debris and space junk. According to The Future of Things website, “The recent collision between a dysfunctional Russian satellite and an American communications satellite illuminates a growing danger that threatens those who dare to venture outside the boundaries of the atmosphere – namely space junk floating above the earth!”

At present, it is estimated there is in the vicinity of over 500,000 pieces of space junk larger than one centimeter are circling the earth in different orbits at speeds ranging from between 20,000 and 30,000 km per hour. And millions more pieces smaller than this size and speeding at phenomenal speeds are also circling.

Neglect is at the centre of the problem. Over many decades, several thousand satellites and spacecraft have been launched with only a small portion of them landing back on Earth or being burned in the atmosphere. Most are in fact discarded and abandoned and are continuing to orbit. Space expeditions have also discarded and cast off equipment, refuse and objects. For example, “astronauts from the MIR space stations threw out over twenty massive garbage bags into space” during their missions, with little thought or concern for the long-term whereabouts or longevity of the space junk. Other lost or discarded objects recorded as space junk even include a lost glove by astronaut Ed White, a camera from the Gemini 10 Mission, a wrench and a toothbrush discarded by Sunita Williams of the STS-116 mission as well as pliers, tool bags and other tools. It’s all floating out there.

Canadian Business.com reports that “those pieces of space junk larger than a baseball are floating around the earth and threatening Canadian satellites that provide valuable information. The space junk has even left dents on the International Space Station.” A recent international conference at the Canadian Space Agency focused on the increasing threat with NASA’s Nicholas Johnson (Chief Scientist for Orbital Debris) stating that some of the debris had been circling earth since the 1950’s and that with an increase in the garbage, comes an increased risk of high-velocity collisions which can destroy and damage satellites and spacecraft.

The European Space Agency representative at the conference, Heiner Klincrad, also stated that “two recent collisions in space are a sign of things to come. Satellites will not be able to function at certain altitudes without encountering a certain risk.”

It seems humans are even littering the pace area around the planet, to such an extent we are potentially threatening our own telecommunications and satellite requirements which are dependent upon clean space, in much the same way we require clean air and less litter here on the planet.

Envirosafe Solutions supports a self-responsibility approach to the environment and pollution. It believes individuals, businesses, industries, states and nations can continue to develop eco-friendly practices that serve the planet and our increasingly frequent forays into space. Each one of us can do our bit and “join the green revolution.”

Telephone Envirosafe Solutions for more information on their Environmental Cleaning Products on 1300 889070.

A Whale of a Time

Whaling has long been outlawed in the oceans off Australia. In 1986, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned commercial whaling because of the real possibility of extinction that was facing many whale species. Stocks have eventually recovered enough to avert the threat of extinction, although the practice remains contentious and problematic and is under constant scrutiny on the world environmental stage.

Historically, the practice of whaling has been linked culturally with a number of countries and indigenous groups, and it is argued this traditional mode has its place if instigated as part of a marine mammal management plan that safeguards against larger scale harvesting of the whale population. This model has been adopted in Canada where various cultural groups – including the Inuit – continue with small-scale whale harvesting as part and parcel of their cultural/eating practices.

But elsewhere, the practice is far more widespread.

Australia is presently lodging a written submission to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, and is arguing that Japan’s current whaling activities breach international obligations. The Australian Government is calling for Japan to finally cease its whaling program in The Southern Ocean, stating that it has sought to rely on an exception to the convention by erroneously claiming its activities are due to scientific research.

The World Against Whaling Organisation states that Japan currently kills 1500 whales annually, and that the supposed “scientific research” actually entails “dragging the harpooned whale on board and measuring it briefly before it is processed by the butchers in the ship factory.” It also asserts that “the research is conducted under the auspices of the Institute of Cetacean Research. The “institute” in fact receives its funding from the whaling company Kyodo Senpaku and also from government subsidies. Kyodo Senpaku was formed in 1987 and conducts the collection, processing and selling wholesale of the whale specimens on behalf of the research institute. It sells roughly $US60million worth of whale products each year.”

In 2008, two Japanese Greenpeace activists, Toru Suzuki and Junichi Sato, exposed a scandal involving government corruption entrenched within the tax-payer funded whaling industry. Their case highlights the entrenched resistance to any kind of challenge to the whaling industry in Japan.

The Faroe Islands has also received increasing pressure to cease its annual slaying of long-finned pilot whales. The use of YouTube, online videos and social networking has led to a proliferation of images depicting the mass slaughter of these mammals during the Faroe Islands’ summer months.

Most Faroese actually consider the mass hunt as an intrinsic part of their culture and history, stating because they use everything apart from the head and tail fin, they are therefore within their cultural rights to continue on with this tradition.  The species hunted – the long-finned pilot whale – is in fact a species of dolphin.

Envirosafe Solutions supports a green and eco friendly approach to our oceans and ocean mammals. A healthy respect for these intelligent and fascinating creatures is required so that future generations can enjoy the spectacle and glory of majestic whales as they travel the southern oceans around our continent.

Join the Green Revolution, and support green industry.

Telephone Envirosafe Solutions on 1300 88 90 70

Highlight on the Amazon

The Amazon in South America is suffering. And proposed changes to aspects of Brazilian legislation are set to undermine the The Brazilian Forest Code that currently protects land in the Amazon.

The Forest Code was passed in the 1930’s and states that “a landowner must keep part of their land intact. For land in the Amazon, 80% must be kept in its natural condition.”

Just several weeks ago, on May 24 2011, members of the Brazilian House of Representatives swung in favour of alteration to The Brazilian Forest Code. There was a resounding vote in favour of changes that herald a new era of destruction for Amazon forest life.

The proposed changes – that will undermine Amazon biodiversity and environmental stability are:

•         A full amnesty for those farmers and concerns that have already degraded land above and beyond the 80% protection level
•        Reduction to the 80% protection level currently in existence. Natural vegetation on rural properties and along streams and rivers (the riparian buffer zone) are therefore under threat.
•        Permits to be granted for tree lopping – including that of threatened species such as the Araucaria pine 

Dr. Meg Symington, Managing Director of the Amazon Program for the World Wildlife Fund has said these alterations represent a “massive step backwards for Brazil in terms of its environmental policy and could lead to massive increases in deforestation.”

Currently, deforestation worldwide contributes as much as 20% of global carbon emissions. Since the proposed changes to The Brazilian Forest Code were introduced, there has been a massive 540% increase in deforestation in the Mato Gross state alone, and it is believed this is due to “landowners anticipating no financial repercussion for lands already cleared, as is one of the proposed changes that are underway.” She has also stated that “4-7% of today’s current global emissions come from the carbon dioxide releases as a result of deforestation in the Amazon.”

The powerful Brazilian farming lobby supports the changes and says it would make Brazil’s agricultural sector far more competitive by increasing their access to productive and fertile lands.  The old 80% figure would be cut down to 20%, freeing up vast tracts of rainforest for further farming and agrarian pursuits.

The main threats, according to Greenpeace, come from soy and cattle producers as well as loggers. Their concern is not only for the wildlife and the delicate rainforest ecosystem, but also the indigenous communities whose cultures and way of life are at risk.

The World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace, as well as many international and Brazilian based environmental organisations are increasing pressure on the Brazilian Government at present, in an attempt to alter or at least slow down the proposed changes to The Forest Code.

Envirosafe Solutions supports the need for responsible consideration of farming, deforestation and legislative practices worldwide to ensure the ongoing maintenance and survival of areas as precious and priceless as The Amazon.

Their own approach to environmental issues is strictly “low impact” and is designed to comprehensively deploy product approaches that minimise harm to the earth. Responsibility is the key.

Speak with one of the sales team to obtain Envirosafe Solutions Extreme Green range of products. Join the Green Revolution!