Think Green Boats and Sustainable Travel
Gato Verde
More and more travelers are concerning themselves with sustainable travel, carbon offsets and reducing the carbon footprint of the travel industry. We are pleased to feature the Gato Verde, a beautiful and sustainable catamarran that is the first plug-in diesel electric hybrid charter boat on the West Coast of North America!
The owners and crew of Gato Verde strive to model the highest levels of environmental stewardship and make it their mission to share that knowledge. They follow and teach the protocols set forth by the National Clean Boating Campaign on the water and Leave No Trace on land.
They think of themselves as an evolving platform demonstrating sustainable & environmentally friendly technologies. Since Gato Verde is a sailing vessel, if they have wind they use it! There is no cleaner fuel. Her sails are optimized for light wind to keep her sailing when others have started their engines. If the wind does die down, they use silent electric motors….more
Gato Verde is on the West Coast of North America, but there are others around the world. How about a trip to the Caribbean? Plan now for your vacation or for escaping the winter doldrums…sustainably. Check out what Copa Airlines is up to…
Copa Airlines Launches Voluntary Carbon Offsetting Program
Copa is the first Latin American airline to offer carbon offsetting option for air travel footprint. They’ve just launched a voluntary carbon offsetting program. The program is based on a “carbon calculator” available at www.copaair.com, where passengers can calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by their air travel, then make a voluntary contribution to offset the flight’s carbon footprint.
The carbon-offsetting program is part of Copa Airlines’ commitment to the environment, which includes a totally renovated fleet equipped with fuel-efficient engines, an investment in new technologies, and streamlining of operations to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The airline also is implementing an Environmental Adaptation and Management Program that encompasses the measurement, reduction and offsetting of emissions, in addition to promoting cleaner production, consumption of renewable resources and a corporate culture of environmental responsibility.
Copa’s voluntary gas-emissions offset program was developed in association with Sustainable Travel International (STI), a nonprofit organization that will invest passengers’ contributions to finance high-impact, sustainable-development programs such as alterative energy projects and reforestation.
Copa Airlines currently offers 136 daily scheduled flights to 42 destinations in 22 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean through its Hub of the Americas based in Panama City, Panama. In addition, Copa Airlines provides passengers with access to flights to more than 120 other international destinations through codeshare agreements with Continental Airlines and other airlines. Aero Republica, the second-largest carrier in Colombia, provides service to 12 cities in Colombia as well as international connectivity with Copa Airlines’ Hub of the Americas through daily flights from Bogota, Bucaramanga, Cali and Medellin. (www.copaair.com)
About Sustainable Travel International (STI)
Sustainable Travel International ( http://www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) is a US-based non-profit organization whose mission is to promote sustainable development and responsible travel by providing programs that help travelers and travel-related companies protect the environmental, socio-cultural and economic values of the places they visit, and the planet at large. Sustainable Travel International introduced carbon offsetting and custom carbon calculators into the North American travel and tourism industry.
February 16th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
It’s great to see charter operators embracing clean and green boating practices. The term sustainable is often overused, but preserving our waterfront and natural resources protect the future of boating.