Class Reflection: A (More) Sustainable Me

A few years ago, I first heard the theory that the Mayan calendar had predicted the end of the world on December 21, 2012.  Having lived through one “end of the world” prediction already during Y2K, I was highly skeptical.  And as it turns out, I had good reason to be.  

Last Spring Break, I traveled to Guatemala with a class from Kelley to do some consulting work for a nonprofit organization, and during our very first dinner in Quetzaltenango (a.k.a. Xela), we had the pleasure of meeting a descendant of Mayan culture.  It didn’t take long for the topic to come up, and he assured us that the doomsday reference was entirely incorrect.  Instead, he spoke of the end of one calendar cycle and the beginning of another, one in which “there will be big changes on the personal, family, and community level, so that there is harmony and balance between mankind and nature.”  (This quote comes from a Huffington Post article which also explains my Mayan friend’s story.)  Though there is debate about where the misinformation came from (I’ve read articles that blame it on confusion of multiple cultures or the tourism industry, while my friend told a different story involving a rogue Mayan), the light for me came in the real explanation.  A new cycle of time during which people and their environment will be restored to a state of steadiness and equality.  That is a prediction I can get on board with.

This experience renewed my conviction in my passion for sustainability, and I have carried that with me throughout this class.  But since I came to SPEA from across the bridge at the Kelley School of Business, I did not expect to be the traditional Sustainable Communities student.  What I have learned, however, is that there is no traditional student.  Each of my classmates has varied interests, knowledge, and experiences, all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed hearing about.  For learning's sake, I'll call out a few.  Near the beginning of the semester in a blog titled "Popping Rivets", I was introduced to the notion that with all of these "Save the Earth" initiatives, what we're really trying to save is ourselves.  In reading "SustainaBEERity", I developed a professional interest in a new industry and found a whole new reason to love Fat Tire and New Belgium Brewing Company.  And I have thoroughly enjoyed in-class debates where I am not seen as the "treehugger" in the room.

Of all the topics we've covered this semester, though, I think the most useful for me, in both my personal and professional lives, is Community Based Social Marketing.  A mixture of my past and present lives (past via my undergrad Sociology degree and present via influencing behavior in the business world), I found these tools both logical and potentially highly effective.  And the opportunity to incorporate them into a hands-on project with our Walk Friendly Communities: Education and Encouragement campaign served to bring the concepts to life.  (As a side note, I would love to see Get Up Get Out: Bloomington up and running in a few years!)

All in all, I can say that I've learned a lot in this class through many different mediums, and even though I'm heading back to the other side of the bridge, I won't soon forget the knowledge I've gained from my friends at SPEA.  I hope my thoughts along the way have spread some new light on a different perspective.  I'll be bringing it all with me to "green" the conference room soon!

Personal Project Reflection: My (More) Sustainable Trip to India

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”  -Maya Angelou

 “The traveler sees what he sees; the tourist sees what he has come to see.”  -G.K. Chesterton

Taj Mahal

Nearly two months later, I can look back and compare the quotes I just wrote above with the Mark Jenkins quote from my first Personal Project post, and although I can say a lot about the things that I’ve learned, I think this comparison does a pretty accurate job of summing it up.  My first post was all about the wonders of travel and my own personal feelings about the world.  This one, in contrast, is about the people and cultures that make up my destinations and about learning, observing, and experiencing the world as it is, leaving it behind just the way I found it.  I don’t know how that transformation sounds to you, but to me it is remarkable.

Holi Festival

Coming into this, I assumed I would learn a thing or two about sustainable travel, particularly in India.  What I didn’t expect was that gaining that understanding would transform the way I thought about my trip altogether.  I felt I had a good appreciation for the wonders of the world, but I was still seeing them through my own eyes.  Now, as I read through my past thoughts, I’m finding them to be fairly introspective and realizing that, to truly see the world and experience it as it is, I should be looking outward instead.  It seems a little dense now that I’ve written it down, but this small yet fundamental change in perception is definitely my biggest takeaway from this experience.

So what about all the more tangible things I’ve written about this semester? 

My search for a more sustainable flight highlighted both the lack of clean transportation options out there and the added cost we’re so often faced with when we choose the “greener” solution.  This post did pique my interest in the airline industry’s sustainability trajectory, and I hope to continue following future developments, most all of which will be dictated by governmental policy.  And who knows, maybe one day I’ll have a part to play in those changes.

Fortunately, my fear of having to rely on plastic water bottles for two months was assuaged by my findings of more sustainable options for clean water in India.  This is something I have struggled with on trips in the past, but the solutions are fairly simple.  It’s amazing what a little pre-planning and research can accomplish!  The same goes for ecotourism and my general lack of willingness to plot out my trips day-by-day.  Although I still stand by my generally spontaneous ways, taking a look at what’s out there will at least be useful in making sure that I don’t miss out on anything.  I also hope to find a useful way of sharing the principles of ecotourism with family, friends, and fellow travelers.

All in all, this project has opened my eyes to some new ways of seeing the world.  While sustainable travel still has a very long way to go, I’m motivated to learn and do more.  Next on my list:  The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Travel.  And hopefully, I will have plenty of chances to put my new-found knowledge and inspiration to use, starting with India in just 32 days!

Ecotourism in India

In my quest for a more sustainable study abroad trip to India, I was a little skeptical of the resources I would find once I began looking for information about ecotourism.  While my personal goal is to reduce my impact and, if possible, leave behind a positive footprint, some of the online advertisements I initially came across focused entirely on yoga retreats and learning about native bugs.  I don’t doubt that those offerings have their followers, but I am definitely not their target customer.  As I looked more into the burgeoning ecotourism industry as a whole, however, I found that there was much more to it and something, in fact, for everyone.

The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”  The practice of ecotourism also encompasses several principles:  minimize impact; build environmental and cultural awareness and respect; provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts; provide direct financial benefits for conservation; provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people; and raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climate.  So not only does ecotourism not require you to get down and dirty with local insects, but it sounds to me like ecotourism should just be plain old tourism, and the fact that this industry has developed separately is a huge flashing sign that travelers quite often don’t understand the impacts of their actions abroad.

A further look does indicate that destinations and resorts that tout themselves as ecotourist-friendly are, in fact, catering to the nature lovers out there.  In India specifically, there is mention of treks dedicated to saving the fragile Himalayan Eco System and local sanctuaries that work for the protection and conservation of wildlife.  In particular, tourindia offers several ways to get closer to nature in an eco-friendly way.  They have brought back the Kettuvallam Riceboat and redesigned it into a houseboat, which then tours through the backwaters of Kerala.  They also offer both tree-house and cave-house accommodations and run the Periyar Tiger Trail Programme in which ex-poachers turned protectors run a wildlife sanctuary.

While all of these options are fascinating, they don’t necessarily cater to your typical traveler.  And although I don’t like to consider myself typical, I was curious about how the ecotourism movement could get more people on board. IncredibleIndia does offer some facts and suggestions for tourists, including observing the sanctity of holy sites, respecting local traditions i.e. by not tempting local children by offering them food and sweets, and not touching or taking local flora and fauna, especially in the delicate Himalayan regions.  While a lot of this may sound like common knowledge, that is not the case for everyone, and it is somewhat reassuring to know that the information is out there and not at all difficult to find.  Perhaps someday, understanding of your destination's cultures, traditions, and environmental considerations will be a prerequisite to getting that stamped passport.  

More general resources on ecotourism and sustainable travel: 

EnvironmentalImplications of the Tourism Industry

SustainableTravel International