Chip fat to fuel our planes? January 23, 2012
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Travel, Travel technology, Travel tips & trends.Tags: airlines, aviation, biofuel, green travel, Qantas, Travel, Virgin Atlantic
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If there’s something we can expect to see a lot of this year, it is airlines talking up their green credentials. From chicken fat to algae, carriers are busy looking for new ways to fuel their planes and reduce their emissions.
Several airlines have already claimed “world-first” initiatives such as the first commercial biofuel flight, the first scheduled biofuel flight and the longest distance biofuel flight, and Qantas has announced its intention to operate Australia’s first biofuel flight early this year.
IATA has declared work on biofuels to be a major priority for the industry in the year ahead, with the association’s chief executive, Tony Tyler, saying it is “one of aviation’s great challenges” to reduce its carbon emissions. ”Sustainability is our licence to grow,” Tyler says.
The problem with biofuels and other green initiatives is that they… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
The new rental car July 15, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Travel, Travel tips & trends, UK & Europe.Tags: cycling, eco travel, electric bicycles, electric cars, England, green travel, Hertz, London, Travel
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First it was electric cars, now Hertz is offering a new form of planet-friendly transport. The company has introduced electric bicycles to its London rental fleet, giving visitors a zero-emission form of transport.
The bikes, which are also exempt from the city’s congestion charge, are available from the Marble Arch branch for £20 (about $31) a day. There are two models available, one that offers a choice between pedalling and using power and one that detects the amount of pedalling and applies a corresponding amount of power.
The bikes can travel at speeds up to 25 kilometres per hour, allowing riders to cover much more of the city than they would on foot. Included in the rental are (more…)
Electric vehicles for car rentals? January 4, 2011
Posted by janeefraser in Travel, Travel technology, Travel tips & trends.Tags: car rental, electric cars, electric vehicles, Enterprise Rent-a-car, green travel, Hertz, Nissan, Nissan LEAF, Travel
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The viability of using electric vehicles as car rentals will be put to a wide-scale test as Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz roll out large fleets of electric vehicles over coming months.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car has started taking delivery of 500 zero-emission Nissan ‘LEAF’ cars (which I reckon look pretty cool, apart from anything else), with plans to make them available at locations across the United States. Travellers will be able to request the vehicles from next month, from depots in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Nashville, San Diego, Portland and Seattle.
Hertz is also planning to offer Nissan LEAF (leading, environmentally-friendly, affordable, family) vehicles to its customers, making them available at selected locations in the US and Europe. Hertz, which is also introducing (more…)
Plants fuelling planes December 16, 2010
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Travel, Travel technology, Travel tips & trends.Tags: airlines, aviation, biofuel, green travel, Lufthansa, responsible travel, Travel
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Biofuel will be used on commercial flights for the first time next year.
In a step towards more sustainable flying, Lufthansa has announced it will begin a six-month trial of biofuel on scheduled flights within Germany from April. It will use a 50-50 mix of biofuel – which is being touted as a more sustainable alternative to standard fuel – and kerosene, on an Airbus aircraft operating the Hamburg-Frankfurt route.
Lufthansa says the trial will save about 1500 tonnes of CO2 emissions and will use biofuel procured from sustainable sources. “No rainforest will be deforested for Lufthansa biofuel,” says Lufthansa chief executive Wolfgang Mayrhuber. “Our licensed suppliers must provide proof of the sustainability of their processes.”
Lufthansa says the primary purpose of the trial is to (more…)
Why Australia is failing in eco-tourism October 25, 2010
Posted by janeefraser in Adventure travel, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: Bruce Poon Tip, eco travel, eco-tourism, GAP Adventures, green travel, Travel
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When you live in a country with so many natural riches, it is disappointing to hear it is no longer considered a leader in ecotourism. Some of the world’s experts on nature-based tourism are gathering in Noosa, Queensland, for a conference and their assessment of what we have to offer is not flattering.
The founder of adventure tour operator Gap Adventures, Bruce Poon Tip, says Australia “pales in comparison” to countries such as New Zealand and Costa Rica, which have had a strong and consistent message on ecotourism. Poon Tip, who is a keynote speaker at the Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism conference, which starts today, says few countries can match Australia’s ecotourism assets, yet it continues to reach for the “lower-hanging fruit” of mass tourism.
Conference convener Tony Charters says Australia was a pioneer of ecotourism in the early 1990s but has fallen well behind other parts of the world. Charters, an international ecotourism consultant based in Brisbane, says Australia was the second country in the world to set up an ecotourism body (Ecotourism Australia) and its ecotourism accreditation scheme was the first in the world. The scheme is still going strong, with more than 1000 operators now involved but Australia has otherwise taken its eye off the ball.
“We probably haven’t moved past where we were in the ’90s,” Charters says. “Other people have grabbed the concepts Australia developed and run with them and we’ve almost become an innocent bystander.”
Poon Tip, who is based in Toronto, believes Australia suffers from… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
Say goodbye to inflight magazines August 20, 2010
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Travel, Travel technology, Travel tips & trends.Tags: airlines, aviation, environment, green travel, Singapore Airlines, Travel
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Singapore Airlines is trialling electronic versions of its inflight magazines as it moves towards a paperless cabin. The airline also plans to get rid of menu cards and more than 100 international and local magazines that it carries on its aircraft around the world, replacing them with electronic menus, e-magazines and e-books.
Aside from saving a huge amount of paper, removing hard copies of magazines from flights will reduce weight and save on fuel costs. Singapore Airlines, like many carriers, currently provides each passenger with three inflight publications: an inflight magazine, an entertainment guide and a duty free catalogue.
Many airlines already have (more…)
Greener travel, whether you care or not! April 15, 2010
Posted by janeefraser in Adventure travel, Airlines, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: Air France, airlines, aviation, carbon offsets, Etihad, GAP Adventures, green travel, Intrepid Travel, KLM, Planeterra, responsible tourism, Travel, World Expeditions
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Are you going to be a greener traveller this year than you were last year?
The answer is probably yes, regardless of your intentions. While opt-in schemes such as carbon offsetting have had limited acceptance among consumers in recent years, the travel industry is forging ahead with its own initiatives, in many cases taking the onus off the individual traveller.
Moves ranging from compulsory carbon offsets to new technology aimed at reducing fuel usage are being rolled out this year. And while many will say it is nowhere near enough, some ambitious targets are being set.
A prime example is tour operator Intrepid Travel, which is on track to become a carbon-neutral operator by the end of the year. After experimenting with 38 carbon-offset trips last year, the company will offset almost all its trips this year. Intrepid co-founder Geoff Manchester says… (click here to keep reading this article by Jane E. Fraser)
10 things you should do in 2010 January 4, 2010
Posted by janeefraser in Adventure travel, Travel, Travel tips & trends.Tags: 2010, Adventure travel, authentic travel, green travel, independent travel, online travel, packing tips, public transport, responsible tourism, top 10, travel health, travel lists
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1. Step outside your comfort zone – take an adventure trip, travel independently, take on a physical challenge or even just try a new food. It’s amazing how satisfying doing something new can be.
2. Give something back – you don’t have to spend your whole holiday building an orphanage, simple things such as taking some supplies to a local school or helping someone practice their English can be greatly appreciated.
3. Learn to negotiate – (more…)
Frogs are green… travellers are not September 24, 2009
Posted by janeefraser in Airlines, Travel.Tags: airlines, carbon offset, environment, flying, green travel, Travel
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Are you surprised to hear a mere three per cent of US travellers have purchased carbon offsets to negate the environmental effect of their travel?
A study by travel consultancy Ypartnership found while 78 per cent of US travellers considered themselves to be environmentally conscious, and more than half were familiar with the term ‘carbon footprint’, only a handful were willing to pay more for green travel options and just three per cent had purchased a carbon offset when booking travel. (more…)
