- Hilaire Belloc

photo: Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Canada

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Travel Quote of the Moment: Hilaire Belloc on Fulfillment

Bud the Checkout Guy (blankly): Wine?

Me: Yep. Wine. You know, that purple stuff made from grapes? (Okay, I didn’t really say that last part. But I wanted to.)

Bud (amused that we would want such a thing): Um… I think the closest place is McCann’s.

Me (my turn to be perplexed): McCann’s?

Bud: Yeah. Hey, Shirley, is McCann’s the closest place for wine, do you think?

Shirley the Shelf Stocker: Yeah, probably.

Bud: Yeah. McCann’s.

Me: Where’s McCann’s?

Bud (taken aback by the question): Over toward Waverly. By the gas station. Just go right on the street over there, and left toward Waverly. You can’t miss it.

After exploring the extensive beer section at the grocery store in search a local bottle of wine and turning up only an aqua blue bottle of Boone’s Farm, we gave up and decided to seek assistance. Which led to the above conversation. Apparently in Spencer, New York, a wine consumer is an anomaly, even though the Finger Lakes region is known for its abundance of wineries.

We thanked Bud and Shirley and headed out on our quest to find McCann’s near Waverly. After driving for five minutes, we swerved in front of an approaching car as we almost flew by the store. It seems you could, in fact, miss it.

We pulled into the parking lot, then walked around the corner, past McCann’s Restaurant, to McCann’s Liquor Store. It appeared to be closed, but there was a doorbell. So we rang it and waited.

A minute later, out came a frazzled but friendly woman from McCann’s Restaurant. She pulled out a key and led the way into the closet-sized liquor store. She was slightly less puzzled by our request for wine than Bud had been, and pointed out a huge bottle of $9.99 Swedish Hill’s Doobie Blues and another of Jack Ass Red, local wines named after the vineyard’s pet donkey. We were sold.

Content with our 2 bottles of donkey-themed wine and a little dazed by the whole bizarre experience, we headed back to our bed and breakfast to sample our spoils.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

A Quest for Local Wine: The Journey to McCann’s

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy.

I hate to give the game away right here at the beginning of a whole book devoted to the subject… Eating a little meat isn’t going to kill you, though it might be better approached as a side dish than as a main. You’re better off eating whole fresh foods rather than process food products.”

This is how Michael Pollan begins his book, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. I first saw a copy of In Defense of Food while browsing at Barnes & Noble. At the time it struck me as just another dieting fad book. The second time I saw the book was in the ship’s library on our Alaskan Cruise. I started the book but didn’t have time to finish it before the cruise was over. The third time I happened across In Defense of Food was at the local library. I guess the third time really is a charm.

In a nutshell, In Defense of Food changed my life. For several years I have tried to eat local and to eat many fruits and vegetables. Just like many others, I’ve read all about the health and environmental benefits of doing so. But, convenience often took a front seat and I bought produce shipped from all over the world and low-calorie bread with more ingredients than calories.

In Defense of Food didn’t just change my attitude about healthy eating — it also changed my shopping and dining habits. Now I go to farmer’s market at least once a week (and not just for a fun outing) and even make my own bread. One of the reasons In Defense of Food is such a good book is that it’s easy to read. Pollan can be funny and he pulls in all sorts of interesting facts and random tidbits. Kind of the way Freakanomics or The Tipping Point brings science to an almost pop-culture-non-fiction scale.

Partly because my last book review post Eat, Pray, Love Quotes was well received and partly because I selfishly want to have my notes from this book in one place for a reference, I pulled together my favorite quotes from In Defense of Food. I also posted the outline of the final section of the book, which lists Pollan’s guidelines for healthy eating.

I highly recommend In Defense of Food to anyone interested in food, health, the environment, and travel. Travel may seem a stretch to some people, but the book actually goes fairly in depth about food from other cultures and Pollan discusses these eating habits in a way that any traveler will find fascinating.

In Defense of Food Quotes

“My aim in this book is to help us reclaim our health and happiness as eaters. To do this requires an exercise that might at first blush seem unnecessary, if not absurd: to offer a defense of food and the eating thereof… But I contend that most of what we’re consuming today is no longer, strictly speaking, food at all, and how we’re consuming it — in the car, in front of the TV, and, increasingly, alone– is not really eating, at least not in the sense that civilization has long understood the term.”

“But who knows what else is going on deep in the soul of the carrot. The good news is that, to the carrot eater, it doesn’t matter. That’s the great thing about eating foods as compared with nutrients: You don’t need to fathom a carrot’s complexity in order to reap its benefits.”

“A diet based on quantity rather than quality has ushered a new creature onto the world stage: the human being who manages to be both overfed and undernourished…”

“Food consists not just in piles of chemicals; it also comprises a set of social and ecological relationships, reaching back to the land and outward to other people.”

In Defense of Food Advice

Eat food: Food Defined

Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. (Or don’t eat anything that doesn’t rot.)

Avoid food products containing ingredients that are a) unfamiliar, b) unpronounceable, c) more than five in number, or include d) high-fructose corn syrup.

Avoid food products that make health claims.

Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle.

Get out of the supermarket whenever possible– shake the hand that feeds you.

Mostly plants: What to Eat

Eat mostly plants, especially leaves.

You are what what you eat eats too. [no that is not a typo]

If you have the space, buy a freezer. (When you find a good source of pastured meat, you’ll want to buy it in quantity).

Eat like an omnivore.

Eat well-grown food from healthy soils.

Eat wild foods when you can.

Be the kind of person who takes supplements.

Eat more like the French. Or the Italians. Or the Japanese. Or the Indians. Or the Greeks.

Regard nontraditional foods with skepticism.

Don’t look for the magic bullet in the traditional diet.

Have a glass of wine with dinner.

Not too much: How to eat

Pay more, eat less.

Eat meals.

Do all of your eating at a table. No not a desk. A table.

Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does.

Try not to eat alone.

Consult your gut.

Cook and if you can plant a garden.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

In Defense of Food: Quotes, Guidelines, and Review

Fake Plastic Fish has a look at plastic in Barcelona.

No Impact Man sheds light on countries that may drown if global warming goes unchecked.

Allie’s Answers tells you how to save some green when you recycle old electronics.

The Window Seat has tips on avoiding airline baggage fees.

LA Times Daily Travel & Deal Blog on the “Developing World’s 10 Best Ethical Destinations” and on using Google Earth to get closer to the Olympics.

Washington Post Travel Log on what airlines are doing to lighten their loads.

Demi and Ashton head to Guatemala to build homes for organic farmers.

MainStreet names some tops spots for a green vacation.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Global Warming Drowning Countries and Other Weekly Links

Not yet.

Right now, Amazon Green is a little hard to navigate. And because the system is based on tags, if you search for green travel products you come up with items like:

• Zojirushi Mr. Bento Stainless-Steel lined Lunch Jar, Silver
• Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series [HD DVD]
• Kindle: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device

I don’t know anything about the Mr. Bento Lunch Jar (though it does intrigue me), but the Planet Earth DVD’s are pretty cool and we’ve already had the debate about whether the Kindle is a good green travel device as an alternative to books. But I wouldn’t bring any of them with me on a round-the-world trip.

Amazon Green also has a Green 3 list where users choose 3 green products they think everyone should have. And you can find a debate about whether shipping products is green in the Amazon Green 3 Forum.

Overall, I think Amazon Green is a good idea. And the products it shows for green travel are generally cool, but they’re not things I would pack for a trip. If users start to tag more products as “travel,” Amazon Green could be a great tool for eco-conscious travelers. Right now, it’s not very useful — but it’s still fun to browse.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Amazon Green: A Good Way to Find Green Travel Products?

If you haven’t checked out Kayak lately you’ll see that they have recently added features like sorting rental cars by miles per gallon. Remember whenever you use Kayak to give back to the environment by searching with Search Green Travel.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Guest Post at Kayak: 5 (+1) Ways to Travel Green with Kayak.com

Day 1: The West End, Robson Street, and Stanley Park

Start your day off right with brunch of wild pacific smoked salmon scramble or blueberry banana pancakes with Canadian maple syrup at O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar in the West End. O’Doul’s is “committed to sustainability and local suppliers by sourcing ethically produced goods that are locally sourced and organic whenever possible.”

Then walk down Robson Street and find a spot where you can observe consumerism at its best as passersby shop at stores like Armani Exchange and Tommy Hilfiger.

If you have a sweet tooth, get in touch with the terroir side of your traveling locavore diet, and pick up some mint truffles or maple chocolates from Daniel Le Chocolat Belge. All chocolate at Daniel is from a single Belgian chocolate manufacturer and preservative free, with “no artificial colorings and flavors, no hydrogenated, vegetable and tropical fats.”

Head over to Davie Street and swing by a local market like to pick up picnic fare like fresh cheese and croissants. Then walk up Denman Street to a bike rental shop, and bike through Stanley Park.

Day 2: Yaletown, Chinatown, Gastown, and Granville Island

Munch on a vegetarian breakfast tortilla wrap while you sip artistically-designed organic espresso at Caffe Artigiano on Hornby St., then cross over to Vancouver Art Gallery and browse the collection of nearly 10,000 artworks by Canadian and international artists.

Hop over to the Public Library, which was erected in 1993. Take in the interesting architecture and peruse the library’s collection of local and alternative newspapers.

Take a stroll through Yaletown, where you’ll see abandoned warehouses converted into art galleries and restaurants. If you’re into clubs, head back to this neighborhood after dark.

Walk or bus to Vancouver’s Chinatown, which is the oldest Chinatown in Canada. Stop for lunch at Hon’s Wun-Tun House on Keefer Street or Foo’s Ho Ho Restaurant on E Pender and support local business. (Warning: We learned the hard way that you should avoid W Hastings Street unless you’re looking for drugs or prostitutes.)

After lunch head to Gastown, where you’ll find Cobblestone Streets and the famous Steam Clock at Cambie and Water Streets. Poke your head in some of the local shops, then watch the float planes take off while sipping local brew at Steamworks Brewing Company.

Hop on the bus and head to Granville Island Public Market, where you can browse local artists’ goods and buy local vegetables, meats, and baked goods. Pick your favorite of the food selection, find a table, and dine while you listen to the music of Vancouverite street musicians.

If you’re in the mood to sample more of Vancouver’s beer offerings, cross over to Granville Island Brewery, where brews include Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale, Robson Street Hefeweizen, and Gastown Amber Ale.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Vancouver in 2 (Eco-Friendly) Days

All of it helps, but now there’s an even easier way to reduce your impact: Search Green Travel.

Just by searching for travel, you can give back to the environment.

Search for Plane Tickets, Hotels, Rental Cars Using Search Green Travel

Search Green Travel is a new travel tool, created by yours truly (Kimberly and Elizabeth), to help you plan your eco-friendly, cost-effective travels. With Search Green Travel, you can find cheap plane tickets, deals on hotel rooms, and reasonably priced rental cars.

We use the best travel search engine on the web to help you find lowest price on the web. The search engine collects prices from hundreds of sites, so you know you’re getting the best deal. Search Green Travel is still in beta testing, so please send us your feedback.

Profits Donated to Environmental Non-Profits

Every time you search, we get a small share of advertising revenue for referring you. Then we donate 50% of our profits to environmental charities, particularly those that focus on preservation and sustainability world-wide.

You can see the non-profits we’ve chosen on the FAQ page. If your favorite small to mid-sized environmental non-profit isn’t on the list, let us know and we’ll check it out.

You Don’t Have to Buy — Just Search

Using Search Green Travel is an easy way to give back to the environment, and all you have to do is search. It’s unique in that you don’t have to buy a product in order for us to donate to charity.

You search. We donate. It’s that simple. The bonus is that you also find the best travel deals on the web.

The Easiest Way to Travel Green is to Search Green Travel

Now, you can be green from the start of your trip planning.

Alone, we can’t stop melting glaciers, receding coastlines, or disappearing forests. But together, we can do a little bit more to make sure your favorite destinations are still there when you go back.

Our goal with Search Green Travel is to work with eco-conscious travelers like you to give back — one cheap airfare search at a time.

Check It Out and Spread the Word

Please bookmark http://gogreentravelgreen.com/searchgreentravel (or http://searchgreentravel.com) and use it every time you’re looking for cheap flights, airfare, or rental cars. Then tell your eco-conscious traveler friends and family about it, and share it on Digg, StumbleUpon, del.icio.us, or your favorite social bookmarking site.

What Do You Think?

We’ve been developing this tool for some time, and we’re excited to finally launch it. It’s still in beta testing, so we welcome any feedback.

What do you think? Is it something you’ll use? How can we make it better?

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Newest Way to Travel Green: Search for Cheap Plane Tickets

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originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Fellow Travelers on StumbleUpon, Twitter, and Digg

Turns out, though, that nonstop flights are exponentially better for the environment.

It’s not just because you’re traveling fewer miles. It’s because as much as 50% of carbon emissions come from takeoff and landing!

photo by: Global Jet

Surprisingly, it took a lot a research to figure this out. I thought a simple Google search would turn up the answers. Instead, I spent hours digging through websites, running calculations and conversions, and even browsed through flight school manuals to learn why stopover flights are worse for the environment. Because it’s so hard to find this info, I encourage you to take notes and spread the word.

Here are some calculations:

• During a 143 mile direct flight (roughly Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia, PA), 51% of fuel burned is from the taxi, takeoff, climb, and landing.
• During a 863 mile direct flight (roughly Washington, D.C. to St. Louis, MO), 16.6% of fuel burned is from the taxi, takeoff, climb, and landing.
• During a 1,151 mile nonstop flight (roughly Washington, D.C. to Minneapolis, MN), a plane burns about 13,896 lbs of fuel (1,819 of which come from take-off and landing). Thus, 13% of fuel is burned from taxi, takeoff, climbing, and decent.

But, if you stopped in Chicago for a layover on your way to Minneapolis, your planes (jointly) will burn at least 15,715 pounds of fuel (3,638 from takeoff and landing). So a whopping 23% of the fuel your planes use goes towards takeoff and landing.

In other words, because you took a flight with a layover, your itinerary burns at least 1,820 more pounds of fuel than a nonstop flight. And because you likely sat on the extensive runway traffic that is Chicago O’Hare Airport, your plane probably burned through even more fuel.

Since 1,820 pounds of jet fuel probably doesn’t mean much to you, I’ll translate. Jet fuel weighs approximately 6.7 lbs/gallon.

Thus, 272 extra gallons of fuel are burned during this stopover itinerary than during a non-stop flight.

That’s the equivalent of filling up my Honda Accord 20 times!

Next time you fly, ask yourself: “Is saving $50 by flying with a layover really worth the environmental cost?” For me, it’s not.

Author’s note: I’m not a mathematician. I haven’t taken a real math course since high school (stats in college doesn’t count). There were a lot of calculations and conversions and searches that went into these numbers. I doubled checked my work, but please feel free to run the numbers for yourself. Also, note that the type and size of plane changes these calculations as does the distance flown. Calculations are based on Climate Care.org’s Aviation Emissions and Offsets.

originally posted at Go Green Travel Green

Stopover Itinerary = 1800 lbs More Fuel: Why Nonstop Flights are Better for the Environment