Editor’s Note: Jane has just started a new job at the State Department of Transport in an undisclosed location. Congratulations Jane, and keep the masses traveling.

Sunday morning, New York City, D Train

Get on the bus

There are all kinds of ways to see a city. If you take a tour, you’ll know you’re getting through all the highlights in an efficient and reliable way. Or you can jump on one of the many tourist-oriented transport options you find in big cities: San Francisco’s trolley cars, for example, the subway in New York City, or the City Circle antique tram in Melbourne.

Hopping on a bus, train or tram can give you a real insight into the lives of the locals. What do kids gossip about on their way to school? What are the latest fashions in office wear and mobile phones? What do old ladies buy at the market? What constitutes personal space in this culture? And how do people react when a drunk vomits on himself on the last train of the night?

The following is a small selection of some of the world’s great public transport trips – in other words, it’s only the ones I’ve been on. So get yourself on down to the comments page and let me know about the great trips I’ve missed.

San Francisco, USA: 33 Stanyan bus

When I lived in San Francisco, I’d catch the 33 Stanyan bus for kicks. The line starts a short stroll from The Presidio – a park with a great view of the Golden Gate bridge – then heads down Arguello Blvd until it hits the city’s hippy-and-buffalo hangout, Golden Gate Park. Stay in your seat for the ride down Haight Street (or hop off for a cocktail at Murio’s Trophy Room and a CD purchase or two at Amoeba) to the corner of Ashbury, where no matter how hard you look for history you’ll only see a Ben & Jerry’s outlet.

You’ll get a taste of San Francisco’s famous hills as you head up Ashbury Street. As you cross over 17th and make a couple of tight turns into Market you’ll get a spectacular view over the Mission District, San Francisco Bay and – if there’s no fog – maybe even Alameda. You could get off here and enjoy the view for a while, but the 33 isn’t legendary for its reliability, so ‘a while’ may constitute up to an hour.

The bus heads downhill to the corner of 18th and Castro in the heart of the Castro district, the city’s gay neighbourhood and another good candidate for a spot to alight. If you stay on you’ll make your way down 18th along the side of gorgeous Mission Dolores Park and on into the Latino-dominated Mission. On weekends, the bus terminates around here, so hop off as the bus crosses either Valencia or Dolores for a wander around hipster clothing stores and tasty taquerias. If you want a quicker route back to downtown, the BART train stops at the corner of 16th and Mission.

Melbourne, Australia: 96 tram

Melbourne, view from a tram window

National Geographic recently listed Melbourne’s 96 tram among the world’s top 10 tram trips. It doesn’t have the glamour and gorgeous views of other nominees, like the Lisbon 28 or the Budapest 2, but the 96 will take you around some of Melbourne’s top sights without the kitschy trappings of a more touristy tram.

The 96 starts its travels on Nicholson Street in the northern suburb of East Brunswick, currently just about the most fashionable hipster area in the city. Stroll over to parallel Lygon Street if you want to indulge in some mod-Lebanese at Rumi or a glass of pinot at the Alderman.

On its trip southward, the 96 skims the edge of Fitzroy – previous contender for most fashionable hipster area – and if you hop off at Johnston Street you can wander through the Spanish district to its heart, Brunswick Street. Otherwise, take a look out to the right as the tram passes the Carlton Gardens, home to the disconcertingly opulent Victorian-era Exhibition Building and its contrastingly modern neighbour, the Melbourne Museum. The tram then scoots past the steps of Parliament House, where there’s bound to be a bridal party or two lining up for photos, and along Bourke Street, downtown’s main artery and shopping strip.

At the south end of the city centre, the 96 heads east over the river and past Crown Casino, where most of your fellow passengers will alight, tempted by poker machines and cheap booze. Don’t do it! Stay on board and you’ll leave the streets and turn on to a disused rail line, a treat for public transport nerds. South Melbourne station is the stop for the South Melbourne Markets, where you can while away an hour or two tasting produce and buying ridiculously cute cupcakes. The tram rejoins street traffic at St Kilda, where you can take a ride on a 1912 rollercoaster at Luna Park or have a paddle at St Kilda beach, and terminates at Acland Street, home to some of the city’s most artery-clogging cake shops.

Prague, Czech Republic: 22 tram

Trams in Prague

The 22 tram in Prague is a beauty. It treads a fine line between tourist tram and actual mode of transport, but that’s just because it goes past so many spectacular attractions. It’s also popular with pickpockets, so it’s a good way of offloading any spare euros you have on you.

The 22 is one of the city’s longest routes, but for visitors its logical end points are probably Namesti Miru (or Peace Square) in Vinohrady and Prague Castle (though enthusiasts can stay on past the castle to visit the Hvezda summer palace and the site of the famous battle of Bila Hora).

Take the metro to Namesti Miru station, which has the city’s longest escalator and some of the best interior decoration in the metro system. Up above, there’s a pleasant church, restaurants and some lovely residential architecture. Hop on the tram as it runs towards the river, passing by the Gehry-designed ‘Dancing House’ on its way to the seemingly bubble-wrap-shrouded National Theatre. Cross the Vltava River on the Legii bridge – on the far side you can hop off and duck down a little flight of stairs to lovely, riverside Kampa Park, which leads to the tourist-thronged Charles Bridge.

The tram turns right on Ujezd, past backpacker fave cafe, Bohemia Bagel, and the funicular that runs up to Petrin Hill, home to a fake Eiffel Tower and a beautiful monastic library. You can also stop off at the church were the Infant of Prague lives – he’s an odd little Jesus figure who wears a frock and attracts hordes of pilgrims – or stay on until you get to Malostranske Namesti (Little Town Square) and the spectacularly baroque Church of St Nicholas, a stand-out even in this church-saturated city. From there it’s up a steep hill and you’re at the Castle gates.

My public transit wishlist

What I wouldn’t give to ride the Loop in Chicago and admire some of the most spectacular skyscraper architecture in the world. Less accessible, more dangerous but doubtless just as thrilling is the Simonstown suburban line in Cape Town, South Africa, which teeters along a sea cliff for much of its length (or so I’m told). India’s sparkling new Delhi metro doesn’t offer much in the way of sightseeing, what with being underground, but would surely be one of the world’s most interesting rides.

And this one is just a hunch, but given the alleged unpopularity of Santiago’s new bus system, I reckon a ride on the Transantiago would be a luxuriously uncrowded way to see the Santiago’s sites.

–Jane Rawson

At Viator.com we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about sustainable travel, and about how we can make a difference. There’s no denying that travel — air travel in particular — is a major source of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Any serious attempt to grapple with global warming must include a strategy to offset the negative impacts of domestic and international travel.

One thing we’ve done at Viator is create a carbon offset program for both our staff (who will collectively fly an estimated 1.2 million miles this year, so we have plenty of minimizing and offsetting to do) as well as for you, our customers and fellow travelers. To offset your own carbon emissions, visit our Go Carbon Neutral page and learn what you can do to help.

Beyond mitigating the impact of travel, we wanted to learn more about sustainability in general. Minimizing the impact of travel is a great start. But it’s only one piece of a much larger (and frankly complicated) puzzle. To give us some perspective we asked Paul Redman-Brown, the director of Australia’s Natural Strategies Group, to give us his top 10 tips for living a sustainable lifestyle. We hope Paul’s list of 10 sustainability actions strikes a chord with you. It did with us.

#1 Reduce & offset car emissions

A litre of petrol produces about 2.5kg (5 lbs) of greenhouse gases, while a US gallon produces nearly 15 lbs of greenhouse gases. So let’s use less and offset the emissions we “have” to have. Here are some suggestions:

• Drive less — walk, ride & use public transport instead
• If you must drive, plan to do a number of errands in one trip rather than several trips and save both time and fuel (for the first couple of minutes of a car trip the engine is cold and this results in an increase in fuel consumption)
• Inflate tires to the maximum recommended pressure
• Travel light - an extra 50kg (110 lbs) increases fuel consumption by 2%
• Remove roof racks to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag
• Drive a smaller, more efficient car
• If driving a manual select the correct gear - driving in a lower gear wastes fuel
• Drive more slowly - at 110km/h (68 mph) your car uses 25% more fuel than at 90km/h (55 mph)
• Use the air-conditioning sparingly - air-conditioning increases fuel consumption by up to 10%

#2 Embrace energy efficiency

Energy conservation through the adoption of efficient technology and behaviors saves resources and money. Here are some simple starters:

• Install compact fluorescent light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs use about 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs, produce the same amount of light, and can last up to 10 times longer.
• Block the summer heat. Install blinds and sun shades or plant deciduous trees to prevent the summer heat from over-heating your house.
• Circulate air. Install ceiling fans for cooling in summer and circulating rising heat in winter, and decommission your air-conditioner.
• In winter, turn your heating thermostat down a few degrees (say to 20°C or 70°F) and bundle up
• Let nature work for you. Use your clothes line rather than the clothes dryer.

#3 Buy renewable electricity

Every time you use electricity in your home, greenhouse gases are belched out on your behalf. So buy the clean stuff! Simply seek out and purchase 100% renewable electricity from your local provider, or offset your normal electricity supply with carbon credits from trees or renewable electriciy.

#4 Invest ethically

Your investments may fund activities that are not sustainable and may be contrary to your ethics. Money talks, what is yours saying?

• Find an ‘ethical’ or socially responsible financial advisor. Check sites like Google, the Ethical Investment Association Australasia, or the UK’s Ethical Investment Co-Operative.
• When making an investment, ask yourself: does my investment support or detract from my stated position or ethics?; does my investment add to or detract from the quality of world my children will inherit; would I support what this company is doing if there were not dollars to be made by investing in it?

#5 Eat less meat

Land used for beans and vegetables produces 10 times as much protein as land used for raising beef. Sound scary or impossible? It’s not the difficult, here’s how you can start:

• Replace one “meat meal” per week with a vegetarian option.
• Start exploring vegetarian recipes and cooking sites, such as vegweb.com, vegcooking.com and the International Vegetarian Network.

#6 Promote sustainable living

Help spread the word about those actions we can all take to reduce our impact on the environment. Spread the word about sustainability: The more discussions, arguments and gentle cajoling we engage in, the better. So do the actions to move yourself toward sustainability and then encourage others.

#7 Carpool

Those regular trips to work, the market or school can be done with others — and you’ll have more fun, use less and spend less.

• Car pool to work. Send an email around work asking if anyone lives close to you and if they would be keen to alternate driving to work with you.
• Car pool to the store. Speak to you neighbour and explore if they’d be keen, and if it’s convenient, to share the regular trip to the supermarket of local food markets.
• Car pool the kids to school. Speak to the parents of your children’s local friends and see if you can alternate driving the kids to school (this one means less time on the road for you, too!).

#8 Immerse yourself in nature

Go hiking, bird watching, swimming in the sea and simply enjoy nature and your connection to it. It’s good for the body and great for the soul. We are blessed with a fantastic natural environment, and the adage “Use it or lose it!” applies abundantly to this shrinking and under-resourced part of our society. So organize a family picnic at the botanic gardens, a sea-kayaking adventure with your mates, or a short walk through some rainforest you come across in your travels. Take a deep breath and be thankful for nature’s wonder.

#9 Generate less, use less

The average Australian or American household wastes over $1,000 dollars per year purchasing items they never use. So use what you buy, buy less and save. Some simple ideas to get your creative processes rolling:

• Eat all the fresh and takeaway food you purchase. Don’t waste it.
• Buy a lunchbox for leftovers and take it to work
• Have a couple of “clear out the fridge” meals prior to the next visit to the grocery store
• Get better at only buying what you’ll use.
• Pause every time you go to buy clothes, shoes, etc… and ask yourself if you really and truly need the item.

#10 Buy local & seasonal food

Locally produced food that is grown in sync with the seasons is fresher, healthier and tastes better. And it doesn’t consume as much energy to produce and transport. Here’s what you can do to support locally grown foods:

• Shop at local farmers markets. Farmers markets are the best place to buy locally produced food. You can use these sites to find a Farmers Market near you: Australian Farmers’ Markets Association, the USDA’s list of Farmers Markets by U.S. State, or Farma.org.uk.

At Viator we’re doing what we can to take every step, even small ones, in the direction of sustainable travel and sustainable lifestyles. We hope you take this journey along with us.

–Scott McNeely

The Future of Air Travel?

In the UK, airline flights account for 7% of that country’s CO2 emissions, but thanks to more and more cheap flights this will probably rise to 25% in the next couple of decades. Worldwide, flights make up about 2% of all emissions, and again the percentage is rising.

The numbers are not good news for travelers who care about the environment. It’s downright annoying spending a year catching public transport to work to make the world a better place, only to discover that your short break to Hawaii emitted more CO2 than you could hope to make up in 10 years of not driving.

For those who travel because they want to see the world’s beautiful places before they’re gone, the irony could blow a blood vessel – taking a plane to see the Great Barrier Reef, whose existence is threatened because people take so many planes…

So what can we do? For most of us staying home is not an option; there’s too much world to see, family and friends to visit, cultures to learn from, foods to taste and mountains to climb. And if it really is going we want to see it before it’s gone. One option is to hope the airlines can come up with a way to make flying more earth-friendly. Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin airlines, is on a mission to do just that. He’s proposed all kind of ideas – his work on using new technology to both reduce circling times and cut down the distance planes need to be towed before they take off is boring but immensely practical– but this last week one of them is off the drawing board and (almost) on the runway.

Virgin Atlantic has announced that in February it will make its first flight using biofuels. The flight – from London to Amsterdam – won’t carry any passengers, and it won’t be entirely powered by biofuel (only 20%, in fact). But Branson thinks it’s a step in the right direction. So do Air New Zealand, who are competing to get their biofuelled plane in the air before Virgin’s.

The two airlines have been working with Boeing and GE Aviation on the project, which will use conventional engines. According to the manufacturers, burning biofuels doesn’t mean modifying the engines, and it won’t affect the plane’s performance. Neither airline is willing to reveal yet what kind of biofuel they’re using. Why not, you may well ask. Does it even matter? Surely any biofuel is better than aviation fuel, right?

Not necessarily. A couple of years ago, biofuels seemed like the solution to all our problems: a clean, green way to keep our cars and trucks on the road and our planes in the air without digging up more oil and churning more CO2 into the air. Europe was particularly quick to embrace biofuels: they set a target for biofuel imports and alternative gas stations began springing up all over the place.

But it’s not all good news. As farming corporations dream of becoming the new oil barons, small-scale farmers are being kicked off their land in South America and Asia, and biofuel crops are replacing much needed food crops (with recent reports suggesting biofuels may lead to widespread famine). In South-East Asia, ancient forests and peat beds are being cleared and burned to make way for palm oil plantations so Europeans can fill up with biofuel – the clearing and burning is releasing more CO2 into the atmosphere than the biofuels could ever hope to make up. (Europe has just this past week declared that it is reviewing its biofuel targets to make sure they don’t cause more problems than they solve.)

The rethink may be the fly in Richard Branson’s green ointment, and the reason why he’s currently keeping mum about the source of his biofuel. Or it may be that he’s discovered a revolutionary fuel that he’s not yet willing to announce.

Let’s hope it’s the latter, and that it won’t be too long before every airline is filling up with sustainable biofuels, letting those of us who worry about such things fly with a clear conscience, even if it is to see the melting glaciers of Greenland.

–Jane Rawson

I got to thinking the other day: if George W. Bush (leader of the Free World) and John Howard (leader of the Free to go to the Beach World) were to go on vacation together, where would they go, and what sort of things would they do?

Bush was not a big traveler before he got the keys to Air Force One. He’d been to China with his dad, but was travelling officially and didn’t need a passport; nor did he need one for Mexico, so he didn’t have one. And Johnnie Howard seems cut from a similar cloth: for twenty-odd years he took his family on the same summer holiday, to Hawk’s Nest, a sleepy hideaway with a good beach and fishing, just a few hours drive from his home in Sydney. Neither of these blokes were big Lonely Planet fans.

But they’re both about to have some extra time on their hands, and now they’ve got so many new friends around the world they just might venture out a little more. Here’s my Top Five list for “Soon to Retire Conservative Leaders of Democratic Nations.”

1. The Puna Pau & Seven Moai Tour, Easter Island

Remind you of anyone?

There’s a couple of reasons why this is my number one choice. First, check out the photo. These dudes look familiar, and just a little frozen in time, wouldn’t you say? Similarities abound, and our ex-leaders will like that! Second, the locals on Easter Island are so far from everywhere they have a razor-sharp perspective on who and what’s really important, and my guess is George and Johnnie will get no better treatment there than the rest of the tour group. That’s pretty good treatment, of course, but it’ll bring them down to Earth fast. They need that, I reckon.

2. The London Eye, London
Well, naturally. And Tony could pop in as well, it would be like a school reunion. But the best part is the great views of Buckingham Palace, where Betty Windsor is having morning tea with her eleventh Prime Minister. Elected leaders come and go, but Monarchs reign forever, and live in nicer houses, too. Don’t even mention the Royal Train.

3. Bedouin Desert BBQ, Egypt
This one’s a bit cruel, isn’t it? The boys will be absolutely convinced that Osama B-L is behind every camel hump, ready to pop out and give them the raspberry, or the pomegranate or whatever fruit it is that desert-dwellers rely on for “giving it.” Anyway, I reckon they’ll love this tour, they’ll enjoy the food for sure, and spending a little time with some real, live A-rabs — besides the Saudi Royal Family — won’t do them any harm at all.

4. Mekong River Cruise, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Re-writing history is a dangerous business, and we certainly don’t want George W. to get any of his facts wrong as he draws parallels between US forays into Iraq and Vietnam. We’ll resist political commentary and simply say that a few days on the ground in this thriving “Asian Tiger” economy might just convince him that an American victory isn’t the only way to a lasting peace. Educational tours are such fun!

5. Portage Glacier Tour, Anchorage, Alaska

Once it melts it will be easier to get to the oil…

Too easy, really: see the glaciers before they all melt. Both our soon-to-be-ex leaders are recent believers in the horrors of global warming, so they’ll understand why it’s important to get this tour in soon!

While we’re at it, we might calculate the carbon emissions associated with their trip, and whack the cost of an offset onto their bill. They’ll understand that everyone needs to do their bit about global warming, I’m certain!

All these tours and more are available to mere mortals, not just former Heads of State. With any luck, you won’t even bump into either of them when you’re out there. You’ll meet some nice people though, and quickly learn that travel is good for the soul.

It’s just a damn pity George and Johnnie didn’t know that 30-odd years ago. The world might be a better place if they had…

–Rod Cuthbert

Rod Cuthbert is the Founder & Chairman of Viator, Inc. He has travelled widely for many years, but has not invaded any sovereign states, or assisted others in doing so.

Ok, so technically it’s a bit of a stretch to make Live Earth a travel related event, but let’s just say it was a global event and we are a global company. Viator are proud partners of Carbonfund.org and try to educate our customers of the impact which travel can have on the environment. Is that enough of a connection to include it on the Viator Travel Blog?

I say yes!

John Butler joins Paul Kelly on stage

Despite the cynics of the world joining forces to disparage the event, the Live Earth concert series was a huge success around the world on the weekend. They may not have been organized by the almighty Bob Geldof and incessantly meddling Bono of U2 fame, but Al Gore proved there are more members of the global music community with a conscience than just these 2 aging rockers.

Yes these guys often live extravagant lifestyles with what appears to be little regard for the environment, but that does not automatically disqualify them from being part of the event. If we apply that logic, surely only those who already live a “green” life should be allowed to attend. Maybe, just maybe the whole point of these concerts was to raise awareness and provide a little education for those feeling a little helpless.

Ok, rant over, onto the fun stuff - Live Earth Sydney!

In a word, awesome! The first few acts got the crowd warmed up for the big guys to come later on. The line-up was an Aussie music fans dream come true. The only way it could have been improved is if Hunters and Collectors and Midnight Oil reformed (not going to happen, but I came live in hope…), and possibly if the organizers had reconsidered the order of play. Seriously guys, Jack Johnson second billing? He may have been the only international act, but he was oddly out of place in the who’s who of Oz rock. Don’t get me wrong, he was good, but following on from Wolfmother, not the best choice.

Eskimo Joe get the crowd on their feet

For me the show started with Paul Kelly. He has been around for years and is responsible for some classic pub songs, including From Little Things Big Things Grow, a particularly apt song for the day which got the crowd cheering as he was joined on stage by Missy Higgins, Kev Carmody and crowd favorite, John Butler.

Surprisingly early in the play order, Eskimo Joe hit the stage for their 30 minute set. One of the hottest Australian bands around at the moment, the Joe blew the crowd away and didn’t stop to take a breath, using every minute of their allocated time.

Up next, Missy Higgins took to the stage for her solo set and was clearly happy to be there. One for the girls, it wasn’t long before the crowd sing-a-long got back into full voice as she belted out Scar. Things got a little more serious when the ever political John Butler Trio hit the stage with a blistering drum solo and some serious banjo playing. JB himself took the opportunity to spread his views on Nuclear energy but as with Wave Aid 2 years ago, the glaring omission of Something’s Gotta Give left the crowd wanting just a little more from the boys.

Next up it was time for the big haired Andrew Stockdale and Wolfmother to let rip with a few eardrum bursting numbers. Clearly one of the big name drawcards to the event, they hit the stage running and didn’t stop until the very last riff of Joker and the Thief. The high energy of Wolfmother was followed by the gentle, laid-back melodies of Canadian Jack Johnson. He sounded OK, but I admit I used the opportunity to do another beer run so I can’t really comment!

John Butler Trio sends a message to the world

By the end of the night, the 48,000 strong crowd were well and truly warmed up for the long awaited performance of the reformed Crowded House. Let’s face it, this is what the majority of the crowd were here for. As they took to the stage it was like they had never gone away and the crowd loved it! Sticking to the old classics, the crowd swayed and crooned along to Don’t Dream it’s Over and Weather With You. No more complaining about the long queues at the bar (reportedly up to 1 hour, but I queued longer than that for the bathroom!), all was forgotten as the masters did their thing.

At the end of the day, the musos put on a fantastic show, it didn’t rain and a few people got a little education on the state of the planet and what needs to be done to fix it. Rome wasn’t built in a day and global warming won’t be reversed with one series of concerts.

It’s easy to criticize events like this but for those who didn’t attend or even watch the televised coverage, what gives you the right to comment on the impact of the shows. I consider myself fairly aware of environmental issues and do what I can to reduce my impact on the earth, but I don’t claim to be perfect. I had never considered that buying locally produced products saves the emissions created when transporting goods from afar, therefore I learnt something from the day. If everyone who saw the shows took away one piece of new information, isn’t that a start?

Let’s face it, it’s just a concert, it’s not meant to change the world.

-Kerrie O’Mahony

If Live Earth has awakened your inner travel bug and inspired you to check out our planet before we destroy it, check out Viator’s list of things to do in the cities which hosted concerts over the weekend - Sydney, Tokyo, Shanghai, Johannesburg, London, Hamburg, New York and Rio de Janiero.

A former ski chalet in the Swiss Alps?

As part of Viator’s Earth Day celebrations, we kicked off a contest here on the Viator Travel Blog. We wanted to know what our blog readers thought about Earth Day, about global warming, and about how they could help minimize their impact on the planet.

The contest posed a simple question: “Global warming: Imminent disaster or ‘my mountainside property will soon be ocean front… sweet!’?

We asked people to give us their opinions in 50 words or less. So what did we learn from the contest? Well, we learned there are lots of creative people reading our blog (we had quite a few people submit poems — though nobody discovered a good rhyme for ‘carbon dioxide’ or ‘imminent threat’). We also had some people (you know who you are) who submitted more than the required 50 words. Way more. Like, hundreds and hundreds of words more. Maybe next year we’ll host an Earth Day novel-writing contest.

In the end, we chose three entries that made us think, made us smile, and made us more aware of our impact on the planet. After much deliberation we are pleased to announce our winners! So congratulations, and thanks to everybody who participated. If you want to read more of the notable entries we received, click over to the original contest blog post. Now without further ado…

1sd Place: Leah Finity

Our first prize — 100,000 miles worth of free carbon offsets — goes to Leah Finity, largely for coining a new word, ‘homewrecks’. Leah’s entry:

Oh, oceanfront property will quickly be swept out to sea. But, rather than scrounging for dinky shipwrecks to visit, tourism will boom with people rushing to visit deep sea homewrecks. What’s living in your underwater home now? Probably nothing, as most aquatic life will be dead by then.

2nd Place: Terry Roberts

Terry earns second-place honors for his poem. It’s a little confrontational, a little worried, a little hopeful, which means Terry pretty much summed up our own feelings on the matter.

Disaster or lose carbon feet;
disaster means ocean roar
but we can’t accept defeat
and live on the ocean floor
A vision, a scare? do we care
Yes?
So we’ll have to do a whole lot more
to keep the sea from our door
and see CO2 no more.

3rd Place: Janette van der Vyver

Third place goes to another poetic entry from Janette van der Vyer. She really nailed the topic from the perspective of a fish.

I don’t like being wet
I’m not ready to live by the ocean yet

So can I be on the next shuttle
To Mars or the moon I will scuttle

Because this planet is seeming rather gloomy
Unless you’re a fish then it will be very roomy!

You can learn more about offsetting your carbon impact over on Viator.com. Happy travels, and let’s all be kind to Planet Earth this year.

–The Viator Travel Team

Be nice to Planet Earth

Are you tired of reading about Earth Day on the Viator blog and over on Viator.com?

No problem. Give your tired eyes a rest while you download an Earth Day podcast from Viator’s very own Rod Cuthbert. Rod claims he’s the CEO and founder of Viator; we think he’s actually a slightly mad globe-trotting surfer in disguise.

Either way Rod has some tips on minimizing your carbon emissions and greenhouse gas contributions. Rod is a firm believer in the importance of sustainable living and sustainable travel. Download the podcast and hear what else Rod has to say…

• Download an MP3 version of the Viator podcast
• Download an iTunes-friendly version of the Viator podcast
• To hear a streaming version, head over to the PR Podcast Website and click “play”

When you’re done getting environmentally inspired, head over to Viator’s Earth Day Writing Contest for a chance to win 100,000 miles of carbon offsets and Viator.com gift certificates.

–Scott McNeely

A former ski chalet in the Swiss Alps?

Maybe you’ve been reading Viator’s Earth Day page, or our new Go Carbon Neutral page. Maybe you’re feeling inspired to make a difference, to minimize your impact and offset your carbon footprint wherever and however you can.

That’s great and all, but maybe we also hear you asking… “that’s all very worthy, Viator. But what’s in it FOR ME?”

Fair enough. We know it’s hard to be worthy all the time. So we’ve created an extra incentive to whet your earth-loving appetite. We call it a contest. You may win things. And everybody goes home happy, including Planet Earth.

Here’s how it works: You simply write a reply of 50 words or less to the question below. Use our “comments” feature to submit your reply. The deadline is April 30, 2007. We’ll pick 3 winners and post the best replies here on the Viator Blog.

The prizes: There’s some cool stuff, including 100,000 miles worth of carbon credits to help you offset the impact of your travels in 2007. We’re also offering gift certificates on Viator.com, which you can use to book an eco tour or a hike or a bike ride or public transit pass, you get the idea. For complete details see below.

The question: Read the question below. Think about it. Then write no more than 50 words that make us laugh, make us cry, make us understand why Global Warming is, or isn’t, an imminent disaster. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2007. The Viator Team will pick 3 entries that makes us laugh and/or cry about the issue of global warming. That’s it. So start writing!

Global Warming:

Imminent disaster or “my mountainside property will soon be ocean front… sweet!”?

Tell us what you think about that question and you could win the grand prize: a US$200 Viator gift certificate plus an offset from Viator for 100,000 air miles worth of carbon emissions with CarbonFund.org (just so you won’t feel guilty about your trip). First runner up will receive a US$100 Viator gift certificate. The second runner up gets a US$50 Viator gift certificate.

To submit your entry, leave a reply below to this blog post. The deadline is April 30, 2007. Good luck!

–The Viator Travel Team

Eureka! Offset your emissions.

The other day I received an email from Rod “CEO” Cuthbert about an article he came across in the UK’s Guardian Unlimited. When I went to the website I found that the second article on the page (between Iran’s suspension of a sailor’s release plans and the new MC Rove) was about the UK’s carbon emissions. The article talked about the rise in carbon emissions in the UK and that the 1.25% increase was “worrying and that the figures underlined the importance of efforts to tackle climate change both from government and wider society”.

Rod’s point was simple: Carbon emissions are headline news. This is typical now, it’s a topic that’s rarely off the front pages of the major dailies.

Climate change, or global warming, is the changing of our global climate due to the build up of carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. Is it happening? Yes. For example:

• 2005 was the hottest year on record.
• Greenland’s glaciers are melting 2.5 times faster than a decade ago. If they melt entirely the world’s oceans will rise 20 feet.
• Hurricanes are becoming more severe due to higher water temperatures.
• Concentrations of carbon dioxide are at a 650,000-year high.

Carbon offsets are the process of reducing a ton of carbon dioxide emissions in another location for the emissions caused in the home, office, commute, travel or other activities that use energy and cause emissions. Carbon offsets enable anyone to reduce their climate footprint by supporting projects, typically energy efficiency, renewable energy, sequestration, biomass, etc. that reduce carbon dioxide emissions to offset one’s own climate footprint. Carbon dioxide emissions are caused by the burning of fossil fuels: oil, coal and natural gas. Obviously, your car uses gasoline.

But your house and office as well as the factory that produces your clothes or restaurants, movie theaters and other places we use every day use electricity and energy that generally comes from power plants that use fossil fuels. More than 50% of America’s electricity is derived from coal and virtually all our transportation needs are fueled by oil. The typical American is responsible for 10 tons of CO2 emissions annually through their direct energy use of home, cars and air travel, and about 23 tons of CO2 including their purchases, activities and the other services we all share throughout the economy.

I love to travel and I hope you love to travel. BUT traveling by plane, helicopter, bus, car, van, tuk tuk, motorbike, truck, scooter, boat, barge, ferry, ship, atv, dune buggy, and so on and so forth obviously emits carbon dioxide into the air. Viator offers tours and activities in over 450 destination worldwide. While not all our activities require a motorized vehicle we are, along with our suppliers, contributing our fair share of CO2 into the atmosphere.

This is why Viator has decided to partner with Carbonfund.org. Carbonfund.org is a nonprofit organization that educates the public about the dangers of climate change and makes it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses and organizations to reduce their climate impact. They are reducing the threat of climate change by promoting low-cost carbon reductions and supporting renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects that reduce and offset carbon dioxide emissions.

Working with Carbonfund.org, Viator has developed a roadmap to offset its company carbon emissions. We aim to become carbon neutral by working to offset all corporate travel, office energy usage and shipping costs. We encourage our entire staff to offset their personal energy usage by reducing and offsetting. We also want to encourage fellow travelers to offset their carbon footprint in 2007. Whether you want to focus on business or personal travel or other energy usage contributions made through this partnership will support Carbonfund.org’s combination of renewable energy, reforestation, and energy efficiency projects.

Interested in calculating the emissions your next trip will generate? Visit Carbonfund today to calculate and have the opportunity to contribute to do your part for the earth.

–Liz P

Learn more about Earth Day, and read our other blog posts about sustainable living and ‘going green‘. You can enter the Viator Earth Day Contest for a chance to win 100,000 miles of carbon offsets.

As Scott mentioned in a previous post, at Viator.com we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Earth Day, and about how we can make a difference. For a lot of us at Viator conservation is no new thing, we’ve been involved in our own personal efforts for years. It’s tempting to become complacent and think that if you recycle, or take the train to work, you’re doing your part and that’s good enough. Being environmentally responsible isn’t just about doing one or two simple things, it’s about doing a lot things, and there’s always more you can do to make a difference. Keep up the good work, but consider adding a little more effort this year by doing something new to help the Earth.

Need some ideas? I do too, so I turned to my co-workers at Viator and asked what they do to have an positive impact on the environment. Here’s a rundown of some of our personal efforts:

• Recycling - If you’re not recycling, that’s probably the number one thing you should start to do, pretty much everyone I talked to at Viator about this topic recycles. And to go a step further, a lot of our staff cut down on packaging, bags, and the like, to reduce the amount of resources they need to recycle to begin with.
• Composting - A cousin of recycling, all that food and garden waste can be put to good use. Luckily, for those of us in the San Francisco office, the city picks up our compost every week, but you can make your own compost for your garden.
• Drive less - Most of the staff at Viator take public transportation to work, but quite a few of us also bike (go Jeff, our new VP of Engineering!) or walk to work a few days a week. Special props to Dominique and the other Viator peeps who don’t own a car.
• Cut down on paper bills & mail - This one is even easier than recycling, and another popular favorite at Viator. Opt in for online billing and stop getting those statements by mail. This has an added security benefit, stolen mail is at the heart of a lot of identity theft and fraud. And I’m sure you’re no fan of junk mail, sign up to stop receiving credit card offers and other junk mail (I did two years ago, it’s awesome!).
• Increase Energy Efficiency - Several members of the product team are big fans of the energy saving light bulbs, and Suzann even went so far as to get LED Christmas lights. We run our washers only when they are full, and stick to Energy Star rated appliances. And probably the easiest thing you can do is to just remember to turn things off - our Sydney office recently participated in the 60 Earth Hour. Besides the warm, fuzzy feeling you’ll get from helping, all these things will lower costs on your energy bills.
• Rainwater Harvesting - Emma of the product team wins a prize on this one, at her house they have a water tank that catches and stores rainwater off the roof for use in gardening and it even connects to their toilets.

This list sounds impressive, but we’re not saints. I also asked folks at Viator what they couldn’t give up. Some people just love their cars, air conditioning (with Sydney summers, I’m not sure I can fault anyone there), their speedboat (Jeff does bike to work, so cut him some slack), and we all love to travel, which usually involves a plane. Some of us at Viator have been purchasing carbon credits to offset the emissions we just can’t give up, and we’re excited that Viator is now partnering with CarbonFund.org to offset all our corporate travel. And through Viator’s partnership with CarbonFund, you can also offset your emissions.

Talking to my co-workers about their efforts was really inspiring, and surprising (who would’ve guessed about Emma and the rainwater?), and I hope that you also draw some inspiration to add a bit more sustainability to your lifestyle this year and beyond.

– Kelly G, and the Staff at Viator