|
| |
Putting the Ethical in Eco-Travel |
12/17/2008 3:07 pm   |
A Reader's Response: No Such Thing as Simple Answers to Complex Questions
Here’s a scary concept.
Our need to experience the wild side of our planet can easily outstrip our proclaimed environmental stance.
Experts remind us that nature lovers and eco-tourists might well be damaging wildlife irreversibly even if they restrict their activities to tiptoeing discreetly through the undergrowth.
And the dilemma? -- durn, here goes that ying yang thing again!
Revenue from eco-tourism provides one of the best incentives for local communities to protect endangered animals instead of hunting them.
For indigenous people who have no way of relating beyond the mind set of cultural norms, money speaks.
If we pay more attention to the type of laptop we purchase than understanding and acting on our travel footprint, we’ve got weird priorities.
Being an ethical eco-traveler (an oxymoron, but a true one) means listening to the experts, doing research, then acting on making wise choices about where, when and how we travel in fragile parts of the world.
What say you?
One Reader's Response
Yo, my first response was to get off on a rant about the over use of the term eco, but I resisted.
I know this may sound insane, but most good ideas have a bit of insanity to them. Since we have to get certified to do all kinds of other things, how about the idea that before they can travel folks have to demonstrate their ability to travel sustainably? Maybe something like an "approved to travel off the beaten path" stamp on their passport. And for the unconscious, how about "approved only for travel to tourist traps".
Jane in Chicago
Editor's Comment
Sounds good to me! Maybe our new president would be willing to take that one on!
Post your Comment: Join the Conversation
|
| RSS: Click on the appropriate icon
below to subscribe to our RSS feed. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| please report broken links |
|
|
