An FD Element dispatch.

We recently spoke with Erich Schwartz, Founder and President of Greenomics on the rise of Sustainable Tourism. His “Sustainable Practices in Business Tourism” workshop on September 21st in Vancouver, BC attracted hotel owners and operators, restaurant owners and operators, senior, industry association executives and destination marketing organizations.

Vancouver is one of the world’s most sought after tourist destinations and will host millions of citizens and athletes from around the globe during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in February.

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation estimated that, in 1999, tourism accounted for 11.7 percent of the global GDP, or US $3.5 trillion. Of this, seven percent was generated though nature-based tourism activities. While sustainable tourism is on the rise from 1999, it still has a long way to go.

In August 2009, Carissa Bluestone in Worldchanging.org sums up the ‘cultural psychosis’ of sustainable tourism and more importantly, vacation time, when she says that, “Americans love environmentally unsound vacations — power-boating beerfests, three-day Cancun bacchanalias, check-your-mind-at-the-door packaged tours and cruises.”

Eric, Why sustainable tourism? What is its significance in British Columbia, Canada and North America?
Sustainable tourism speaks to the very need to do business differently. [It] consciously understands the footprint our industry leaves on society and the environment. It also speaks to how we can work together in the industry and with our suppliers to jointly find more creative ways to make a positive impact on our collective goals.

In terms of significance, its is vitally important for our industry to have a societal values shift in the direction of conservation and preservation of our quality of life and for future generations. The consequence if we do move forward as an industry…is that we those companies will remain healthy and economically stable business entities.  Those that don’t will struggle along until the next economic crisis and may not survive the next one. Business that are making changes benefit from a cost perspective and the creation of a strong, loyal workplace culture. In doing so, they will weather any storm and ultimately thrive.

What are some of the opportunities for businesses inside and outside the tourism industry to be involved in the sustainable tourism field?
This goes back to the many other industries the tourism industry relies on to serve the travelling public.  Our operations [in British Columbia] rely on energy providers, such as hydro, gas, cleaning products, paper products, carpet, paint, landscape, horticulture, farmers, food distributors, etc.

Who do you think is paving the way for sustainable tourism in North America? What is so exciting and unique about what they are doing?
Our values are changing not only because of the climate change concerns but also, our desire to become more socially responsible. Since this is a joint effort, there are two answers to this question. First, for the BC Partnership for Sustainable Tourism, we do not know of any other organization like us in North America. The closest tie would be EcoTourism.org, which is a useful resource and support for us. It has a global focus and we have a very concentrated focus on the province of BC.  As well, the Icarus Foundation has a broader focus on Canada. Second, Greenomics drives the business case for sustainability, which is, quite simply, that we we need to save our businesses. This means we need to preserve the environment and be socially responsible to remain competitive.

Drilling down underneath that increasing societal support for sustainability, I believe innovative tourism business leaders are also paving the way for sustainable tourism in North America.  Because many of our BC tourism businesses operate in the natural environment, they have a comprehensive understanding of the need to ensure that this province’s incredible beauty exists for future generations to enjoy.

Similarly, local and provincial governments are starting to understand that the future of the economy and our communities will depend upon more sustainable businesses practices. This includes mitigating and adapting to climate change. [These government bodies] are beginning to pave the way for sustainable tourism in North America through policy, regulation, instigating stakeholder dialogue, funding organizations such as BCPST and so forth.

Thank you, Erich.

An FD Element dispatch. The leaders in sustainability and advocacy communications and advertising.

A tourist from Calgary found a lone seal pup while in British Columbia.  She thought the pup needed rescuing, so she put it in her car wrapped in a blanket then called the police.  Most likely, the pup was not abandoned.  Canada.com explains:

According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, mother seals will often leave their pups shortly after birth. They will often return to their pups within 24 hours provided conditions are right, one of those being that humans aren’t nearby.

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Unique coastal wolves range from Southern Alaska to Vancouver Island. Their fur has a red tint and their diet includes salmon, beached whales, and seals.

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Certain to take notice was British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell, who heads into an election of his own in the spring having to defend an unpopular carbon tax.

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Wayne Sawchuk recently found some atonement for decades of his life spent logging, partying and grizzly hunting. Funded mostly by private donors, Sawchuck played a major role in the conservation of the MuskwaKechika Management Area in Northern British Columbia.

Taking a month to cross, even with horses, the land has been touted as “the biggest well-kept secret in North America,” and “North America’s Serengeti.”  Teeming with grizzly, black bear, wolf, lynx, caribou, elk, moose, bison and stone sheep, it is the largest intact wildlife habitat in the entire Rocky Mountain chain and only slightly smaller than the state of Maine.

In the early 1990’s, the government of British Columbia came under pressure to make a final decision on how to manage the province’s resources.  Wayne Sawchuk, still a logger at the time, recognized the opportunity of a lifetime and teamed up with other key players to protect the tract of land.

Involved in the efforts were guide outfitters, recreational hunters, the oil and gas industry, snowmobilers, businesspeople, environmentalists, timber industries and government officials.  Sawchuk had a tremendous impact in the conservation efforts, as he led the media, government and scientists through the area on horseback so that they could get a first hand glimpse at what they were talking about.

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PMRL is a subsidiary company of Sherrit International, the largest producer of thermal coal in Canada (about 90% of total Canadian coal production volume). Additionally, 90% of Sherrit’s coal is sold to nearby power plants located at what are called the “mine-mouth”. Norit on the other hand, is the world’s largest manufacturer of activated carbon and has been in the industry for over 80 years.

It’s fairly obvious why it makes sense for a joint venture building an activated carbon production plant between these two companies, but why build an this type of plant now?

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The Cascadia Region Green Building Council will host a tour of green buildings on September 25th, 26th, and 28th in the Victoria, Vancouver, and Okanagan regions of British Columbia. British Columbia is the Canadian province with the most LEED-certified buildings per capita, and Cascadia’s Green Skyline tour will include over 25 green buildings. Both residential and commercial tours will be included. They will emphasize what constitutes green design and offer ways to incorporate it into a project, as well as detailing the costs and benefits of building green.

The tours are designed to be walkable, bikeable, and accessible by public transit. Several organized bike tours will also be offered. See the CRGBC website to register.

Photo: The University of Victoria Medical Sciences Building; provided by the University of Victoria

To read about green tours which will come to you, see:

• Sustainable Living Road Show: Be the Change Tour on EcoLocalizer
• See Sustainable Oregon… On a Bike on Sustainablog
• Green Road Tours Bring the Fun to You on Green Options

Among the thousands of stools that were collected by the researchers in the spring and summer months, 90-95% of them contained some indications that wolves were eating deer as prey. In the fall, however, this number dropped significantly. About 40-70% of the stools in this time of year indicated that wolves were dining on salmon.

So what’s the big deal?

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The carbon tax, introduced in the Feb. 19 budget, taxes carbon-based fuels like gasoline, diesel, natural gas and home heating fuel. The rate of taxation is $10 (Can.) per ton of greenhouse gases generated. The carbon tax will rise $5 a ton for the next four years until it hits $30 per ton in 2012. The tax increase works out to an extra 2.4 cents a liter on gasoline, increasing to 7.24 cents per liter by 2012.

The government has said all carbon tax revenue (roughly $1.8 billion over three years) will be returned to British Columbians through reductions to income and business taxes. But with rising gasoline prices, the addition of the new carbon tax will certainly be making some British Columbian drivers cringe when they fill up at the pump.

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He also readily admits, with a signature askew smile and hearty laugh, that “being an academic is possibly the worst possible preparation for the business world,” and endorses a strong marketing presence in any renewable energy start up because the engineers “can’t seem to understand why somebody wouldn’t want this marvelous invention!”

It’s 7:52pm Wednesday night at the venture capital-esque forum put on by the VEF on CEO War Stories.

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UniverCity recently received the 2008 National Planning Excellence Award for Innovation in Green Community Planning from the American Planning Association (APA). Utilizing mixed-use planning principles, the finished project will consist of several neighborhoods, each with its own town square, as well as its own school, community and childcare center, and parks. Once completed, UniverCity is expected to house 10,000 people on 200 acres.

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Sustainability Victoria

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Though still illegal to grow in the United States, we are the purchaser of over 60% of the internationally available industrial hemp, mostly for grown in Europe and recently Canada. Based on a quiet island in British Columbia, Rawganique is one of the most diverse online stores featuring hemp products.

We are 100% committed to the environment. We believe that hemp clothes & footwear, and other hemp products, raw veganism, sunshine, pure air, pure water, positive thoughts, and ahimsa awareness can transform the world and make it a safer, happier, and better place for us and our children to live in. We aim to do all we can to help make hemp and raw veganism mainstream, so that the world's economy thrives on sustainability and renewal rather than terrorism, fear, and depletion. Rawganique.com was created with love to make sure we're doing the best we can to stop disintegration and to build trust, peace, love, and health for all, one ever-widening circle at a time.

Starting in 2000, the company opened a traditional store on their home island in British Columbia, Denman Island, in May 2006. Not only do they sell environmentally sustainable hemp, organic cotton, and linen items, the folks behind the online store live simplified lives off the grid. Recycling, composting, using solar and wind power, and growing their own food are just a few ways Rawganique extends their ecological values into their daily lives.

Featuring a beautiful home and accessories collection, the website is well-known for its diverse clothing offerings for men, women, and children. Most recently, they added unisex organic jeans and a small selection of hemp wedding dresses. Shirts, tops, pants, shorts, underwear, socks, and more come in a wide range of styles, colors, and prices. Prices for men and women range from $16-96 for everyday items that can be worn at the office, special events, and casual weekends. Boys and girls clothing are quite affordable as well, not to mention durable.

Editor's note: We also feature Rawganique in the Green Life Guide. 

A report from the GLOBE Foundation examined the feasibility of making Canada’s most western province completely energy self-sufficient. Dubbed “The Endless Energy Project,” it determined that not only can British Columbia (BC) be energy independent, but that it could be done "without undo social or economic hardship" and bring0 global warming emissions down to below the levels they were at in the year 2000. From the Executive Summary:

“The Endless Energy project has evaluated the rising price of conventional energy, energy security concerns, the threat of climate change and many other trends and combined them to show that moving from 40 percent renewable supply in year 2000 to 100 percent renewable supply in 2025 is not only possible, but entirely reasonable and desirable.

Importantly, the scenario described implies little disruption in way people live and the way businesses operate. However, it does imply a major expansion in economic growth as a result of: increased energy and technology exports, major investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy, and replacement of petroleum imports with indigenous bio-fuels and electricity.”

BC would need to develop its renewable energy sources on a massive scale, with hydropower being the backbone of the energy supply. Wind, solar, geothermal, and other sources would also be ramped up. Small scale renewable energy – such as solar systems on individual buildings – could provide up to 14 percent of the total energy needs of homes and businesses. The report also recommended that BC’s urban and rural areas explore district energy systems, in which a group of buildings or a small community gets is electricity and heat from a central source.

This could provide a helpful model for other provines in Canada who want to follow suit and to the States. However, hydropower has had its share of environmental justice problems in Canada, notably in Manitoba and Quebec. If BC does expand its hydropower, I hope it does so in respectful collaboration with the First Nations there.

The Endless Energy Project full report
Renewable Energy Access