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John Paul Lopez Taberdo runs a business in Geelong, Victoria, where he helps Australians make sustainable and ethical choices for their local and overseas travels. So far he has created holiday plans and bookings for over 800 Australians.
He has lived, worked and travelled in 32 countries, but right now, he has settled in a tiny house in the outskirts of Geelong, from where he covers most of his transport needs on his bicycle.
As not only the new year but a new decade approaches, we visit him in his home to learn about why he has chosen to live and work in this way, and why in Geelong – and how he sees the future we are stearing towards.
→ John Paul’s home page on www.travelcounsellors.com.au – LinkedIn – Instagram
→ John Paul Lopez Taberdo’s blog – 7 November 2019:
How can travel be sustainable?
After the interview with John Paul we play excerpts of these youtube-videos:
Interview by Pachamama.org
Ecosystem Restoration Camps are an inspiring project or movement that is doing the work that needs to be done.
→ Find out more about Ecosystem Regeneration Camps on www.ecosystemrestorationcamps.org
→ Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/1206960359323785
→ Lessons of the Loess Plateau in China: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QUSIJ80n50
Tiny home
Travel: Plane versus train
→ Traveller – 24 January 2020:
Does carbon offsetting work? Why your holiday will never be carbon neutral
Research uncovers why Australian now identify as conscious travellers
ING released new research revealing that ‘conscious travel’ is on the rise and is influencing the nation’s spending habits, with two thirds (69%) willing to pay more for a holiday if it were to minimise their carbon footprint.
Growing awareness of climate change is behind the 2020 travel trend, with research uncovering four in five Australians (82%) identify as ‘conscious travellers’, meaning they consider the impact their overseas travel has on the environment or tourism.
With bushfires top of mind and the effects of climate change more visible than ever, a further one in three (36%) Aussies are looking to alter their upcoming holiday plans to lend support to bushfire-affected communities.
The ING Travel research also revealed:
- The Greta effect: Climate change activists such as Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough have inspired over a quarter (27%) of Aussies to pay more attention to the effects their travel habits have, with Gen Z (30%) and Millennials (30%) more likely than any other generation to be influenced.
- Carbon footprint cut backs: Almost half the nation (49%) believe small changes in the way they travel can lessen their environmental impact; 36% have considered travelling by train, bus or boat over flying, 30% consider going on fewer, longer trips to minimise flights and 26% take fewer flights in general.
- Top travel spends: Aussies vote accommodation (70%), cultural or historical experiences (68%) and eating out (61%) among the top three most important things to spend money on, followed by shopping (24%), sporty activities (20%), buying gifts for family and friends (20%), thrilling activities (19%) and going out clubbing (18%).
- Overseas fees are out: 62% of Aussie travellers are concerned about getting charged overseas transaction or ATM fees. In fact, almost half (48%) are limiting the use of ATMs to minimise fees and one in four (27%) are withdrawing large amounts of cash at a time to avoid more fees.
- Future of the travel wallet: Whilst half of travellers (51%) still carry a mixed wallet of cash, travel and/or debit cards, there is a growing number (33%) who feel unsafe carrying lots of cash and prefer to use a card, whilst 26% use just one credit or debit card that doesn’t charge international transaction or withdrawal fees.
B the Change: ‘Our travel can be less climate intensive’
The following is an excerpt from B Lab’s newsletter B the Change Weekly on 13 December 2019:
“To minimize our travel footprint, B Corps stand ready as tour planners and guides, offering journeys so we can explore our planet while also protecting its future.”
“B Corps offer programming, facilities and sustainable practices so you can make memories and help build a better world at the same time. The travel industry B Corps highlighted in this article on B the Change stand ready to help you visit your dream destination while doing business with companies that match your values and allow you to vote every day as you escape the everyday.”
Minding, and offsetting, the environmental costs of travel
Who should be responsible for purchasing carbon offsets for flights? Who benefits economically from the travel? B Corp Bodhi Surf + Yoga, which operates a surf and yoga camp in Costa Rica, believes that all tourism companies should consider these questions and take at least partial responsibility for the carbon output from flights required to bring guests to exotic destinations.
→ Bodhi Surf + Yoga explains on B the Change why and how it made the move to offset the carbon impact of guests’ flights—and why it hopes other tourism businesses follow suit.
Better Places shapes a better way to travel
Four years ago, Dutch tour operator Better Places took the first step to minimize its environmental effects by reporting and compensating for all travel made by its travelers and staff. But that was just the start of the B Corp’s transformative work toward a more sustainable travel industry.
→ On B the Change, learn how Better Places has inspired other travel businesses to follow its lead and how it has expanded its environment-minded changes by suggesting longer but less frequent trips, encouraging train travel, and adopting a voluntary flight/carbon tax.
Stay in the know
Here’s your chance to catch up on all the good stuff we shared this week:
→ Getaways for Good: These B Corps Help Travelers Build a Better World on Their Journeys: Ready to Visit Your Dream Destination? See the World with Businesses That Match Your Values.”
Sharing solutions that make the climate safer and our cities more liveable