Being Ethical in Your Travels

You know all about the Mindful Tourist’s tips on how to be a socially conscious traveler.  The Ethical Traveler is an alliance uniting adventurers, tourists, travel agencies, and outfitters — everyone who loves to travel, and sees travel as a positive force in the world. They believe that all travelers are, in effect, freelance ambassadors. We agree, having written about travelers being representatives of the human race.  Ethical Traveler believes that we all have the ability to join our voices, and to use our economic power to strengthen human rights and protect the environment.

Their “13 Tips for the Accidental Ambassador” offers good advice for how to think about travel and behave toward our fellow humans while traveling:

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All Cinco de Mayo Festivals Cancelled in U.S.

Since anyone who is even interested in Mexican culture probably has swine flu, no Cinco de Mayo festivals will be held today in the U.S.  Instead, organizers are suggesting those interested in a safe but authentic Mexican experience try an Amy’s Burrito, “preferably the Burrito Especial which means Special Burrito in Mexican,” offered the Martinsville, Indiana Cinco de Mayo organizer, John Snelson.

Snelson expressed regret about the cancellation of their local event, but maintains “it’s the safest thing to do considering all the Mexican people we expected to leave their own country to come celebrate with us here in southern Indiana.”

While events are cancelled around the country, national politicians are taking the opportunity to speak out against the flu and its potential threat to U.S. citizens.  Esteemed U.S. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann was reported talking to constituents about her own efforts to avoid bacon, Rita Hayworth movies, and the entire state of New Mexico.

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Best Onion Headline of the Week

The Onion’s headlines are the best part of its articles.  Here’s the best relevant headline for this week:

Rare Species Of Frog May Hold Cure To…Ah, Never Mind, It’s Extinct

Click through for the entire article which is also chuckle-worthy.

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Cruise Ship Waste is Literally Crappy

By now those of you who are regular readers know that we’re not huge fans of cruises.  Yes, there are those that may attempt to address their impact on the environment but while some eco-friendlier policies may be put in place, cruises will never be entirely socially conscious, if only due to the fact that as a “cruiser” you are not emerged in a new culture.  Although come to think of it, maybe “cruisers” themselves count as a culture.  Is there an ethnography on cruisers?

But worse than the culture piece is the environmental impact that cruise ships and their passengers have on the world’s oceans and lands.  Oceana’s white paper, Protect Our Oceans: Stop Cruise Ship Pollution, is an eye-opener in this regard.  Here are just some of the facts reported:

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