OK, we know that the travel industry does more than its fair share of adding to CO2 emissions. We try to do our bit in the office; recycling paper, using toner refills not replacements etc.
In addition we do make an annual contribution to www.carbonneutral.com.au a great Australian initiative that helps you calculate your impact on the environment with a view to neutralizing it.
And of course trains, as compared to aircraft, are a reasonably clean form of transportation. A recent European report identified train travel as 10 times greener than flying. Its just a shame that the porters insist on sweeping all the rubbish onto the tracks everynight!
We do not use western ‘tour leaders’. Our local ‘buddies’ and guides are just that; locals. So your visit helps with local employment which is especially important in Siberia and Mongolia (where you stay in a genuine nomad Ger camp, not a tourist centre). We encourage family stay accommodation where possible, which again helps locals rather than foreign chain owned hotels.
Most importantly we support the work of World Vision. In particular we currently sponsor a 6 year old boy in Mongolia named
Amartuvshin. Mongolia is a very poor country and the for many children life there is harsh. Sponsoring a child through World Vision is one of the easiest ways to help change their lives for the better.
For more information on the work that World Vision does check out their website
Copyright 2003 World Vision Australia. All rights reserved. Used with permission. 13 32 40 http://www.worldvision.com.au
