Travel firms to brief holidaymakers on their trip’s environmental footprint

DutchNews, April 12, 2016

A Fokker 70 takes off from Schiphol
airport. Photo jvanderwolf via
Depositphotos

Dutch travel firms are to start informing holidaymakers how much environmental damage their trip is doing by listing ‘holiday footprints’ in brochures and on websites, travel sector organisation ANVR says in Tuesday’s Volkskrant. 

‘We aim to eventually allow consumers to calculate their own holiday footprint via an app or website,’ ANVR spokesman Gerben Hardeman told the paper. ‘We are still a long way off that. But we are now working with a group of travel firms to determine how we can best inform consumers about what we know already.’ 

By helping consumers to realise the impact of their holiday on the environment, holidaymakers can ‘make a responsible choice’, he said. 

Currently, airline passengers can pay extra to offset the cost to the climate of their journey. The amounts vary from €10 to €100, depending on the way the potential damage is calculated by different airlines. 

The system used by the ANVR has been developed by researchers at several hbo colleges and 10 travel firms. It is based on confidential information from airline manufacturers, airlines themselves and the hotel website Booking.com.

Curbing air pollution, one bamboo bike at a time

Manila is known more for its gridlocked traffic jams and air pollution than for green spaces or pedestrianized walkways. Bamboo bikes could change that by curbing emissions and helping pave the way to go green.

Deutsche Welle, 18 June 2014

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Visitors on bikes cycle past Manila's historical area of Intramuros - from the secret gardens scattered between Fort Santiago to lookout points to hear tales of pirates and revolutions. For the next two and a half hours, people ride on bikes made from bamboo.

Bryan McClelland, a 29-year-old Filipino-American, is the man behind the concept of Bambikes, the company that creates bikes made from bamboo in the Philippines. He founded Bambikes in 2010, but has just recently launched his bamboo bike tours in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

"There's a growing global trend of biking. A lot of different cities now have bike tours because it's a great way to interact with the environment and city," McClelland explained. "Intramuros seemed like the natural place in Manila to start the tours. It is the oldest part of the city has some cultural heritage and is a preserved environment".

Bambikes cater to a growing number
 of people wanting to use sustainable
transport

His bikes are made out of cut and dried bamboo lumber wrapped in Manila hemp fibers. According to McClelland, bamboo is one of the strongest materials in the world and has the same tensile strength as metal. Each bike is made by laborers in the provincial town of Victoria, 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Metro Manila, the Philippines' National Capital Region.

"The bamboo bike tours help people see a different side of the city by making exploration in Intramuros accessible and fun," said Julia Nebrija, a Manila resident who recently went on a Bambike tour. "I think its greatest contribution is showing people how bikeable Intramuros is. Once you've done it, you'll be inspired to get a bike and see what other areas of Manila can be explored by bike."

Working towards a cleaner city

In addition to providing tourists and locals with an alternative way to see Manila's sights, these tours are also meant as the beginning of a wider project to promote a more pedestrianized city. McClelland is in talks with the Intramuros administration about developing a strategy to promote more pedestrian-based tourism and create a more walkable and bikeable city.

"Right now there are no dedicated bike lanes. Sidewalks exist in a lot of places but they can be intermittent and there are a lot of cars, so you're always worried about traffic," McClelland said.

Manila's 'jeepeys' are among the main polluting offenders

"A lot of Filipinos don't know how to ride bicycles - perhaps in part because they grew up in the city and it's really not a safe place to learn, so they're discouraged," he added. He says he plans to teach adults how to bike "in a closed environment so they'll feel comfortable."

Curbing air pollution

Metro Manila ranks high among the major cities of Asia that are suffering from air pollution. Manila's level of suspended particulate matter (SPM) is more than double the acceptable standard set by the World Health Organization. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 70 percent of air pollution in Metro Manila is from motor vehicles, highlighting the need for a cleaner mode of transport.

"A city like Manila would benefit a lot from investing more in sustainable transport especially in two areas - public transport and the creation of livable spaces for pedestrians and cyclists," said Ko Sakamoto, Transport Economist with the Sustainable Infrastructure Division at the Asian Development Bank.

Bambike tours take visitors through
 Manila's historical quarters

He says a main challenge is the explosion in motorized transport. "As with any government in Asia and the Pacific, they are really racing against time. In a typical Asian country you have a doubling of the vehicle fleet every four to seven years," he said.

"Imagine how many cars are coming onto the road every day. It's really how we make our cities friendlier towards public transport, pedestrians and cyclists at a faster rate than which the cars are coming on the road," he added.

Introducing cleaner modes of transport

In response, the government has launched a series of projects aimed at developing more eco-friendly forms of transport. One part of the strategy is the introduction of more hybrid buses, which combines a diesel engine and an electric motor. These buses would emit 30 percent less CO2 and use 30 percent less fuel. There are currently 249 hybrid buses in service, with 300 expected to be on the roads by the end of the year.

The iconic jeepneys (a hybrid of a bus and a jeep) are the most popular form of public transport in Manila - but they are also one of the biggest polluters. There has been a move to replace these vehicles with electrical ones. In January, 30 fully electric powered city shuttles were introduced to the city.

McClelland says the number of people interested in sustainable forms of transport is growing. "Every year there's a Tour of the Fireflies, a cycling tour organized by the Firefly Brigade - a citizen's action group which promotes clean air and people friendly environments. It's been growing year by year. This year the numbers got up to 20,000. There are also bike groups popping up all over the city."

"If you had a safe bike lane that was respected by cars, you'd see a big growth in bike commuters," he added.

Green Map introduces new way to tour Jakarta

Triwik Kurniasari, THE JAKARTA POST, JAKARTA | Mon, 03/16/2009 4:26 PM  

Jakartans can now enjoy the excitement of finding interesting , lesser known locations, including green spaces and historical sites, by using environmentally friendly modes of transportation, by following the recently launched 2009 Jakarta Green Map. 

The green map includes 100 places of interest and neighborhoods with green activities located along bus and train routes and bicycle lanes. 

Nirwono Joga, who coordinated the making of Green Map Jakarta, said that the map was designed to promote a healthy and sustainable city and features, among other things, green areas, old buildings, rare trees and bird-watching sites. 

"We want to encourage people to get to know more about Jakarta, including its green areas," Nirwono Yoga said on Sunday. 

"We also encourage them to travel in more environmentally friendly ways, by taking nonmotorized transportation, like walking and riding a bike, or by using public transportation, like the TransJakarta bus or trains," he said. 

The 2009 Jakarta Green Map is the fifth edition. The first map, of Kemang, South Jakarta, was made in 2001 by a group of residents, architects and media workers. The second, of Kebayoran Baru, also in South Jakarta, was made in 2002. A year later, Menteng in Central Jakarta, had its turn, while the fourth green map, of Old Town in West and North Jakarta, was made in 2005. 

The launch of the green map was marked by a tour of Senayan, in South and Central Jakarta and the Museum Taman Prasasti (Inscription Museum) in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta. 

During the tour, participants had a chance to visit Krida Loka Park and see its big, old and rare trees, which include mahogany, lobi-lobi, tamarind, bay leaf and matoa (Papuan fruits) species. 

Besides rare trees, people also viewed birds including parrots and kepodangs, Evi Fadliah, from the Green Monster NGO said. 

"Birds in the city often go to this area to get a rest and find food, like seeds and fruits. Many Jakartans don't know about this and it is a good opportunity for us to disperse this information," Evi said.

Green map prepared for next year

Mariani Dewi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 12/16/2008 11:07 AM  

The excitement of finding interesting places and events along Transjakarta bus corridors and train routes in Jakarta will soon be shared with the public, as volunteers from the Green Map community put the finishing touches to their latest work. 

The map, to be published in January, will include historical places, green spaces and neighborhoods with green activities along bus and train routes and bicycle lanes. 

"We focused on these routes to encourage people to travel in more environmentally friendly ways. The traveling will also be cheap because they can just walk around the area," Nirwono Joga, Green Map Jakarta coordinator, said Saturday after the group's last mapping activity. 

"What we want to highlight is the sustainable environment. As well as showing historical and cultural spots, we showcase places that adopt environmentally friendly practices. For instance, we show people where to go if they want to learn about composting." 

The hunt of the day uncovered not only a church in Jatinegara and a temple in Mangga Dua, but also a soup kitchen that serves free food to the poor three times a week. 

The map is made possible because of 30 excited volunteers willing to walk around bus and train stations. With journalists, office workers and students among them, the volunteers said they were hooked on the task by the excitement inherent in every discovery they made. 

First-time volunteer Diana Warti said she was particularly impressed with a temple she saw. 

"We found a lovely temple in front of a dirty market. It was nice and the staff were really welcoming. They asked us to come in and we had a long chat with them," said Diana, an office worker. She later found the temple ran bimonthly traditional activities such as hot oil showers and walking on hot coals. 

"Please tell me if there is such project again," she beseeched the mapping organizer. 

Prilia Verawati, a journalist, found the discovery of unexpectedly extraordinary people during her trips the most rewarding aspect. 

"There was one neighborhood where the people were so keen on improving their quality of life," she said. 

"They grew herbs in their small homes, they put books on herbs and husbandry at the ojek (motorcycle taxi) stand so commuters would read them and be inspired to improve themselves during their spare time. Meeting such people in this chaotic and daunting Jakarta is heartwarming." 

Nirwono said making the map gave the volunteers a reason to meet new communities -- a rare chance for people who do not work outdoors. 

"If you go to a neighborhood for no reason, the locals get suspicious. But the volunteers do have a reason and people respond well to them," he said. 

The green map community plans to establish a foundation as its seeks sustainability, and will run a series of guided tours and workshops based on the green map. It will also work with other communities, such as the bike-to-work community and the green lifestyle community to broaden its reach. 

"The community was created in 2001 but was dormant in between biannual mapping projects. This time we want it to keep running because we have very positive feedback from volunteers, companies and international organizations," Nirwono said. 

In addition to Jakarta, 16 other towns across Indonesia are also being mapped in similar projects. The Green Map concept was the brainchild of Wendy Brawer and resulted in the New York Green Map in 1992. Since then, the initiative has been embraced in 53 countries, with more than 350 maps drawn up.

Ecotourism to save Ciliwung river

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta administration has stepped up its efforts to improve the water quality of the Ciliwung River, which passes along the capital, as much-anticipated cooperation with neighboring cities to mend the river has been ineffective.

The administration is currently attempting to develop eco-tourism in the Ciliwung's upstream riverbank areas from Kelapa Dua in East Jakarta to Pejaten in South Jakarta.

"The eco-tourism project is still limited in the capital. We hope our neighboring authorities can follow (the project) so as to upgrade the water quality of the river," said Ridwan Panjaitan, head of the City Environmental Management Body's pollution control unit, on Saturday.

He said the program would empower residents living close to the Ciliwung's riverbanks to clean their portions of land.

"By doing so, there will no longer be people dumping waste into the river," he said.

He said the eco-tourism concept could also be developed in upstream areas because populations there were not as dense as downstream.

The program will be implemented in 13 neighborhoods in Srengseng Sawah and Lenteng Agung, both in South Jakarta, and in Tanjung Barat in East Jakarta. It will push for better sanitation, more efficient spatial planning and reforestation.

Ridwan said the program was developed in partnership with the University of Indonesia and Trisakti University.

"We will also involve figures who have succeeded in promoting clean and green concepts, such as Pak Chaeruddin, who will then turn Pesanggarahan River into a clean eco-tourism area," he said.

A waterway project is also on the way for the Ciliwung's downstream areas from Karet in Central Jakarta to the Manggarai watergate in South Jakarta.

The 4.2-kilometer waterway project aims to resolve long-standing transportation snags in the capital.

The City Transportation Agency earlier said that the pilot waterway project would begin in June. The administration has already setup three small ports along the route.

The Ciliwung river is one of the largest rivers passing through the capital. However, the river's water is now severely polluted.

Many claim the presence of people living illegally along the river's 117-kilometer bank is the main source of pollution for the Ciliwung.

The government has designated four levels of river water quality for the Ciliwung. Level one indicates that the water is potable and good to be used raw.

In Bogor, the river's water quality has been graded as level two, which means it can be used only for recreational activities. After passing the Condet area in East Jakarta, the Ciliwung's water quality falls to level four.

The government said it would need five years to upgrade the water quality by only one level.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to sign the decree on the management of the Ciliwung River by the end of the year.

The Jakarta, Banten and West Java administrations had earlier agreed to jointly rehabilitate the three big rivers that are the provinces' main sources of water -- the Ciliwung, Cisadane and Citarum rivers.