Harmonious Living - Green Backpacking

Green Backpacking

Toni Shina

Thursday, 22 November 2007

Backpacking is another thing that we can pin on the hippies of the 1960s. Cash-strapped adventurers exploring exotic Eastern destinations discovered that travelling in the mode of the locals was more fun and insightful than sightseeing from the lofty heights of a constraining tour bus.

Today, backpacking is more than just a luggage choice or a mode of travel: backpackers are now seeking authentic experiences. Backpacking has become a rite of passage for young travellers on their road to a fuller understanding of the world beyond their country's borders.

Backpacking South Africa (BSA) is the organisation whose job it is to entice travellers to backpack in South Africa. BSA realises that the leap from enlightened backpacker traveller to "ethical traveller" is a short one. Already the number of backpackers questioning the impact of their travels is rising.

Through the years, backpacker lodges have made efforts to either more environmentally conscious or active pursue social responsibility projects. These small starts have included recycling or composting of waste and converting to energy-saving lightbulbs, and several school projects in rural areas.

Promoting ethical travel to South Africa can be tricky because of the carbon emissions produced by long-haul flights bringing tourists from Europe and the rest of the developed world. Dave Martin has an innovative solution to offset his guests' emissions: guests buy and then plant trees from the villagers of Bulungula on the Wild Coast. Dave and the villagers also share ownership of the Bulungula community backpackers. Bulungula is a typical undeveloped rural village and despite the pitfalls, the backpacker lodge is self-sufficient, with 75% of its energy needs provided by solar power.

Robin Thompson of Green Elephant Backpackers in Cape Town is a pioneer at greening a lodge in an urban environment. This is no easy feat considering the human traffic passing through Green Elephant. Innovations at Green Elephant include recycling grey water and water-saving showerheads. Robin has also initiated a profit-share scheme with the staff members of the lodge.

Tourism is one of South Africa's major growth industries at the moment. With this growth come responsibilities and obligations. As with any industry, tourism must place itself in a global perspective as far as energy consumption and sustainability is concerned. Together with ecological consideration are the social implications of tourists on local communities.

The cost to the planet of tourism must be considered carefully by both the individual and the collective, making sure not to slip into the vice of conspicuous consumption in the name of cultural enlightenment.

Tips For Travelling Greener

Next time you are on a road trip take your own cup or mug with you. You will be amazed at the amount of waste you save by using your own. You might get odd looks from counter staff along the way but it is worth the effort.
Take food containers. These are useful for carrying food and minimise unnecessary disposable waste.
Use public transport. This is is a great way to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions you are responsible for.
Take a train. There is a certain romance in a Karoo train trip that cannot be found elsewhere.
Support local guides.
Learn the lingo. Nothing helps more than a little effort learning the local language to dissolve the cultural barriers.
Offset your CO2 load by planting trees.

Responsibletravel.com has this list of 10 questions to ask your lodge to gauge the value of their "eco " ethos: 10 Ways To Tell If Your Eco-Lodge Is Really An Eco-Lodge:

Ask the lodge owner if they have a written policy regarding the environment and local people. If it is not written down ("yeah, we do all that stuff") then it probably means they are not taking it seriously.
Ask them to describe the single contribution to conservation or local people that they are most proud of.
Ask how they measure their contribution to conservation and local communities.
Ask the lodge owner how many local people they employ, what percentage this is of the total, and whether any are in management positions.
Ask what they have specifically done to help protect the environment and support conservation, and which local charities they work with.
Ask what percentage of produce and services are sourced from within 25km of the lodge.
Ask how they treat waste water (coral and other wildlife is being destroyed by Caribbean hotels pumping effluent out to sea), and how they heat their building (solar is better than firewood, which can cause deforestation).
Ask what information and advice is provided to tourists on local cultures and customs.
Ask if they employ guides from the local community (local guides not only provide unmatched insights into local cultures, but are also aware of areas and behaviour that might cause offence among local people.
Ask for ideas on how you might get involved with local people and conservation in a worthwhile and rewarding way for you and the destination.

This article was first published in Biophile issue 17. For more information visit www.biophile.co.za

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