Preregister for solar Congress, Mérida, Yucatán; 20 al 24 de Octubre, 2008

Preregister for the XXXII Semana Nacional de Energía Solar.

Workshops will include:

Arquitectura Bioclimática
Biogás
Biohidrógeno y celdas de combustible
Bombeo de agua con sistemas fotovoltaicos
Calentamiento solar de agua
Energías Renovables para Ecoturismo
Física de Celdas Solares
Generación eoloeléctrica
Negocios con Energías Renovables
Refrigeración solar
Secado solar
Simulación del comportamiento térmico

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Ecotourism toolkit for small and medium enterprises in Latin America

The Rainforest Alliance offers online access to the following pieces of an ecotourism toolkit:

Guide for Sustainable Tourism Best Practices (in English and Spanish) -- a step by step guide explaining the how-to's for implementing best practices.

Directory of Best Practices, Certification and Codes of Conduct for Sustainable Tourism (in Spanish) -- a directory of Web resources that guides the user through definitions and application of best management practices.

Study of the Commercialization Chain and Market Opportunities for Eco- and Sustainable Tourism (in English) -- for tourism entrepreneurs to better understand and access their clients.

Integral Biodiversity Impact System (in Spanish) -- provides tourism businesses and organizations with a means of measuring the impact on biodiversity of their activities and provides information about ways of minimizing it.

A Simple User's Guide to Certification for Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism (in English and Spanish) -- this guide to certification, developed in collaboration with the International Ecotourism Society (TIES), is designed for those who have heard about certifying sustainable tourism and want to understand how it works or how to begin the process.

Practical Steps for Funding Certification of Tourism Businesses (in English and Spanish) -- this handbook, developed in collaboration with the International Ecotourism Society (TIES) is intended to provide those tourism businesses seeking certification, particularly small businesses, an overview of funding mechanisms and possible sources to help underwrite the costs of undertaking sustainable tourism certification.

Toolkit to Develop and Promote Sustainable Tourism in Latin America (in English and Spanish) -- this is a practical guide with recommendations for best management practices for tourism entrepreneurs, depending on the activity and type of destination.

Tourism Certification in Central America: Study Results (in Spanish) -- information about the concept of certification, its definition and methods used.

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What is ecotourism?

Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. The International Ecotourism Society

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Blocking and using the sun

From the April/May newsletter of Centro Ecologico Akumal (CEA):

We at CEA are grateful for the donation of solar-powered heaters [pictured above on the roof] from Sunrain and recommend their use. What are you waiting for to take care of the environment? Install yours now!

The solar water heaters significantly reduce the need to heat water with electricity, propane or natural gas, thus reducing greenhouse gases.

CEA staff and voluneers built treleses and planted the bougainvillea vines to provide cooling shade from the sun that previously baked the volunteers' dormitory behind the planting. The shade cuts the use of air conditioners and their resulting green house emissions from electrical generation at a central generation plant or from a gas-, diesel-, or gasoline-powered generator.

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Destination spotlight: CESiak

From the Web site of Locogringo:

In the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve paradise remains unpaved. The beaches are wild and natural, and the lagoons are teeming with life. There are few accommodations to speak of, but now those seeking an interactive experience with nature can stay here, beach front, and enjoy the bounty of the reserve.

A small eco-tourism and education center Centro Ecologico Sian Ka'an (CESiak) serves as a model for sustainable development in sensitive tropical ecosystems. The revenue generated through tours, fishing, accommodations, and various activities is used to fund conservation and education programs within the Sian Ka'an reserve. CESiak operates using ecologically responsible technologies, including wetland systems for waste management, rainwater collection, wind generated power, and solar energy. CESiak's outreach programs educate kids and adults about the Sian Kaan's precious ecology, and their biological research projects provide fresh data for scientific
studies. CESiak is an excellent model for future sustainable development projects and a good resource for information about the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.

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Add "replace" to reduce, recycle, reuse

Reduce, recycle, reuse have become familiar concepts in green living and eco-tourism. Skal International adds "replace" in the number four spot in its 101 Tips for Sustainable Tourism:

At present, we’re stripping resources from the world. Everything from the fish in the seas to the grain in the farms is being seriously depleted. As the human population grows, it’s imperative that we are able to sustain ourselves at a ‘micro-’ level. That means each and every one of us needs to put back what we take out.

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Veterinarios Internacionales Dedicados a Animales Sanos (VIDAS)

From the Web site of VIDAS:

International Veterinarians Dedicated to Animal Health

VIDAS (Spanish for LIVES), is a non-profit organization made up of veterinarians, veterinary students and other animal lovers dedicated to improving the lives of animals and people through veterinary medicine and education.

VIDAS sets up free clinics in some of the fastest growing and poorest areas in the world. Our goal is prevention of animal suffering due to starvation, disease, and other health problems associated with pet overpopulation, recognizing also that overpopulation of animals also contributes directly to human disease. Our focus is safe sterilization, vaccination and parasite control for the animals and education for the people about safe animal handling, zoonotic disease and general animal husbandry and health care.

VIDAS is an incorporated non profit entity in Colorado and has IRS 501(c)(3) status.

The Web site lists the following future clinics:

August 9-12, Playa del Carmen
August 14-15, Puerto Morelos (tentative)
Late September or early October, Cancun and Cozumel (tentative)
January, 2009, Bacalar

The Web site also asks for assistance:

We are still in need of supplies and monetary donations. If you are traveling to the area during this time, please consider bringing some much-needed supplies with you and visiting our clinic during your stay. Our "wish list" is found on our website under the "want to help" tab. Tax-deductable donations can be easily made via paypal or by mailing a check to our PO Box 20246 Boulder, CO 80308-3246.

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Interview with TIES Executive Director Kelly Bricker

ECOCLUB.com posted an excellent interview with Dr. Kelly Bricker, executive director of The International Ecotourism Society (TIES):

ECOCLUB.com: Five issues that have sparked debate in ecotourism circles in recent years, are certification (feasible?), carbon-offsetting (necessary?), hunting (acceptable?), luxury (compatible?) and caring for human rights vs. leaving no footprints - not disturbing the status quo. Where do you personally stand on these issues?

Kelly Bricker: Certification-with the growing number of successful certification programs around the globe in a range of sectors (i.e., coffee, lumber, home products, and tourism), yes, I believe it is feasible. I am continually impressed with those programs that have led the way, and continuously improve their systems.

Carbon offsetting - this is but one strategy to work to achieve a change in the current status of our world. I think we simply have to remember to utilize this as part of developing a portfolio of actions, including behavioural change on all our part! We also have to consider where and what type of offsetting is occurring. Like many strategies we are reviewing to address the climate change issues, it is a start, an action, and something to consider in the mix.

Hunting - Hunting is an activity that is laden with considerations from a range of perspectives. Whether I believe it is "acceptable" (your term) or not, is not relevant. What I believe is relevant is that we must address sustainable practices in everything we do, not just ecotourism. I believe principles that support ecotourism are and will continue to shape how we conduct ourselves on our planet.

Luxury - I think luxury in ecotourism certainly has a place. As with all product offerings, ecotourism businesses do well to offer a range of opportunities to engage in ecotourism at all market levels—luxury being no exception as long as we adopt all principles supporting ecotourism.

Human rights? - as part of our responsibility to being good citizens on this planet, we must engage in practices that embrace the rights of every human. We must promote best practices in all of our work. It is my belief that we embrace and respect all living things—humans are not separate from the rest of the ecosystem and must be treated fairly and with dignity and respect. I am not sure why this would be debated—it seems like a natural process and the way we should be doing business and running governments.

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May 23rd is World Turtle Day

From the home page of Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA):

Help us celebrate by following these simple guidelines when you are on the coast:

Change lights facing the beach areas to amber or red colored bulbs; or even better, change the direction of the lighting so lights shine from the edge of your property toward the building, not toward the beach. Bright lights disorient the turtles. If you are going to be on the beach at night and need some light, use amber or red light on your flashlight, illuminating the path only.

Do not leave objects (beach chairs, floats, kayaks, etc) on the beach, as they may obstruct the turtles’ path as she crawls up the beach to find a place to nest.

Do not make excessive noise at night from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., during the nesting season (May to October). The noise frightens the turtles.

If you see a turtle arriving, making a nest or laying her eggs, do not approach her, nor shine a light towards her, and please, no flash photos. Please notify Centro Ecológico Akumal staff (CEA) of any sightings.

If you see hatchlings coming out of the sand, stay nearby and make sure they find their own way to the sea. Do not pick them up or play with them.
When you visit the beaches, please pick up any garbage even if it’s not yours. Help us to keep the beaches clean.

Always dispose of plastic waste properly; so much plastic is floating around at sea and the turtles mistake it for food, filling their bellies with toxic plastics and eventually dying.

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Farewell to Dean, Felix, and Noel; Hello to Dorian, Fernand and Nestor

From an article in USA Today:

The names of the three most devastating hurricanes of the 2007 season were "retired" today by the World Meteorological Organization, as Dean, Felix and Noel were removed from the list of hurricane names.

Hurricanes that cause severe damage or kill and injure many people are remembered for generations and some go into hurricane history. In 2007, almost 200 people died when Dean and Noel hit the Caribbean and Bahamas, while 130 people died in Nicaragua and Honduras from Felix.

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Find hotels in Yucatón Penninsula by "Green Score"

From a press release issued by RezHub.com:

May 8, 2008 (ORLANDO, FL)– Sorting hotel search results by Price, Hotel Name, or Distance from a Landmark are familiar tools to almost any traveler, but RezHub.com is now providing a sort feature with a conscience: Sort by Green Score. Customers using the RezHub.com hotel search are now able to view hotels in order of the way they care for the environment.

RezHub.com and their Green Travel Hub launched in September of last year with a dedication to providing green travel options to everyone and for every trip. Since their launch, the site has continued to provide innovative tools to help travelers learn that going green does not have to mean going to extremes. The RezHub Green Score ratings system for hotels was designed to show customers exactly what steps individual hotels are taking to protect the planet. Hotels earn points and Green Score “Branches” by completing tasks ranging from incorporating recycling programs, to using Energy Star Appliances, to landscaping with native plant gardens. RezHub became the first travel site to include a Green Score in every hotel search, and the launch of their Sort by Green Score feature is the perfect enhancement. The Sort by Green Score feature works just as a “sort by price” would work. When sorted, hotels appear in order of their Green Score starting with the highest at the top and ranging down to the lowest.

RezHub.com lists several hotels throughout the Yucatán Penninsula.

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Bid on exotic trips to support ecotourism

The online auction of The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) offers stays at exotic destinations around the world, with a few in Central America:

* A Day Meeting at the Airlie Center in Virginia
* Alaska Eco-Adventure with Alaska's Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge
* Alaska's Ridgewood Lodge Adventure Package - 4 days/3 nights
* Back to Nature Rainforest Retreat with Rara Avis and Laguna del Lagarto
* Experience Ecuador - At The Rural, Rustic, and Elegant Black Sheep Inn
* Galapagos Get-a-way at Finch Bay Eco Hotel
* McAllen Birding Package
* Mongolian Gobi Steppes and Siberian Taiga with Nomadic Journeys
* Nature in Georgia’s Backcountry Inn
* Rainforest Sampler at Finca Esperanza Verde
* Reindeer Sled Excursion in Sweden
* Supreme Ecotourism Safari and Rural Recreation
* Terceira Island Adventure - 7 days/6 nights at Quinta do Martelo in Terc...
* The Essence of Tranquility at Tiger Mountain Lodge
* Timber Raft Tour on the River Klarälven
* Weekend in the French Pyrenees
* Weekend Urban Retreat at Hyatt Recency Boston
* Yellowstone and Grand Teton Multi-Sport trip with O.A.R.S

Go to the auction homepage to register and bid.

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Global Clean Energy acquires 5,000 acres in Mexico to develop jatropha plants

From an article in the Centre Daily Times:

LOS ANGELES — Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: GCEH) through its subsidiary GCE Mexico I, LLC has acquired approximately 5,000 acres of land in the State of Yucatan in Mexico. The property will be used for the cultivation of Jatropha curcas. When fully planted the land will be home to over 4.0 million Jatropha trees, which will produce a high quality seed oil and biomass, for more than 30 years.

"The acquisition of this land puts us right on track with our business plan for the commercialization of Jatropha in Latin America," said Richard Palmer, Chief Executive Officer of Global Clean Energy. "This land has the ideal climate to grow Jatropha and keeping with our corporate philosophy, has never been used for agriculture or food production. We have already begun preparing the land for planting and will have plants in the ground this month."
(emphasis added)

What happens to the land after 30 years?

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Conserving biodiversity is a business opportunity

From a press release issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:

The business case for conserving nature is strong and getting stronger, according to a new report published today by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and Shell International Limited.

The report calls for policy reforms to increase the commercial rewards for conserving biodiversity, increased penalties for biodiversity loss and better information on the biodiversity performance of business. A key challenge facing all biodiversity businesses is the lack of accepted indicators to measure positive and negative contributions to biodiversity conservation.

As the world wakes up to the accelerating loss of biological diversity, businesses are increasingly viewing biodiversity conservation as a potential profit centre, says the report, Building Biodiversity Business.

“There are numerous pro-biodiversity business opportunities that can generate significant profits as well as benefits for nature,” says Dr Joshua Bishop, IUCN’s Senior Adviser on Economics and the Environment. “But a few inspiring examples aren’t enough. This report shows how to achieve a major increase in business investment in biodiversity conservation, by linking policy reforms, technical assistance and innovative financing tools.”

Ecotourism is one example of how money can be made from looking after species and their habitats. Environmentally-friendly tourism is expanding at a rate of 20-30 percent annually, compared with 9 percent for tourism as a whole.

Many other businesses, historically responsible for the loss of biodiversity, are starting to lead the way by protecting biodiversity. Markets for organic agriculture and sustainably-harvested timber are growing at double-digit rates. Another major area of growth is the demand for climate mitigation services, such as the protection of forests and wetlands to absorb carbon dioxide.

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Nominate a Yucatán Penninsula or Riviera Maya destination/operator for ecotourism award

Does a tour operator or destination deserve recognition? If so, it could be nominated for an Ecotourism Award:

(Forimmediaterelease.net) Skål International is inviting companies from the public and private sector as well as NGOs to submit entries for the 7th Ecotourism Awards. As a new feature this year, the category of Corporate/Global Establishments has been added to the list of options for entries.

Following the evident effects of climate changes on the environment, Skål International is even more aware of the need to continue its efforts to create awareness for sustainable and responsible development in tourism and to this end continues to support initiatives around the world.

The 2008 Awards, sponsored by Johnson Diversey, Evian Water and Iznik Foundation, will be presented in Taipei on 13 October 2008 during the Opening Ceremony of the 69th Skål World Congress by the President of Skål International Philip Sims. . . .

Skål International is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation whose mission is to promote the development of responsible, sustainable and universally-accessible tourism. Skål International, in line with this vision and following the United Nations declaration of 2002 as the Year of Ecotourism and the Mountains, launched the Ecotourism Awards in the same year and the first awards were presented during the World Congress in Cairns in 2002. . . .

Awards are presented in seven different categories;
1. Tour Operators – Travel Agents
2. Accommodation providers of any size and category in:
    2.1 urban areas
    2.2 rural areas
3. Transportation
4. General Countryside (Alpine Tourism, Underwater Projects, Beaches, Theme Parks, Scenic Mountains, Rivers, Lakes)
5. Cities–Villages (Community and Government Projects)
6. Educational Programmes – Media
7. Corporate /Global Establishments

The criteria for the evaluation are based on such points like contribution to the conservation of nature and cultural heritage, community involvement, educational features, business viability and innovation. . . .

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