10 Sensational Homes Built from Straw

More homeowners are discovering the beauty, comfort and energy savings of new straw bale construction techniques.

In the classic story of the Three Little Pigs‚ a naive piglet decides to build his home out of straw, which soon gets the huff and puff treatment by a big bad wolf, resulting in the poor little pig's untimely end. But perhaps unbelievably to some, straw homes do really exist, and they are a lot safer and sturdier than their mythical counterparts -- not to mention beautiful and stylish.
Many may wonder why a person would want to build a home made out of straw, but apart from providing a place to hide from the big bad wolf, they have some substantial benefits. They are undeniably green‚ as straw packed tightly in the walls helps to retain heat, keeping a home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, minimizing the home's carbon footprint. Straw is also a sustainable material; it is the leftover stalks from grain that would otherwise be burnt. Aside from the environmental issue, straw homes are also often beautiful structures crafted in such a way to reflect the thick curved walls of a primal era, and envelop the inhabitant in a special, unique retreat that personally expresses their respect and care for the environment.

Photos: Brett Weinstein/Realty Advocates

 1. Straw Bale Home in Oakland, CA

This unique, beautiful straw bale home in Oakland, California recently carried a $1.1 million price tag. According to the home's agent, Brett Weinstein, the home didn't sell, and the owners are currently renting it. "It wasn't due to any fault of the house," Weinstein told TDG. Lord knows the housing market has been brutal in the Golden State. The straw used in the home's walls insulates the property, and gives it the thick, strong appearance reminiscent of homes of a bygone era. The straw bales inside the walls absorb the sun when it's out and radiate heat when it's dark, giving the home a steady temperature and resulting in low energy costs. The straw is sandwiched between plaster, blocking out noise and providing the owner with a unique, tranquil haven in a big city.

 

Photo: JD Peterson

2. Straw Bale Home in Sonoma County, CA

This gorgeous home, perched on owner Henry Siegel's 2 1/2-acre leafy lot, offers panoramic views and cozy comfort. The motivation behind the design was environmental as well as practical. Finding that solar panels wouldn't be practical on this site, Siegel decided to insulate the walls with straw, knowing that it is also a sustainable product. Siegel works as an architect with San Francisco-based Siegel & Strain, and confesses his home acts as a relaxing getaway. He says the warm, rustic-chic abode merges well into the rural wine region of California. He also enjoys the fact that friends and family helped him build it, a group of them cutting and placing 90% of the bales in one day. 

To see the rest of the straw bale homes, visit: http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/straw-homes-461209?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist

Article courtesy of TheDailyGreen.com

The 10 Best Used Cars for Your Money

Toyota is the best pick if you're buying new ... but what about a reliable, efficient used car? Here is your answer. Also see Most Fuel Efficient Cars And Suvs Of 2009 

Consumer Reports' latest list of best cars list of the most reliable used cars on the market reminds us that for fuel efficiency, "sticker" price and often reliability, used cars are the best value. The 2000 Honda Insight -- if you can find one -- achieves a combined 53 mpg, which would easily beat the 2010 Toyota Prius by a long shot, ($22,000 and 51 mpg.)

But buying a used car can be more challenging than buying new, for those who don't consider themselves car buffs. It takes more research (try edmunds.com to start). How do you know you're getting a good value? And who can you turn to if something goes wrong? That's what makes the Consumer Reports list invaluable. Here you have it: 10 used cars that are likely to offer you good value for the money.

The Daily Green has done one better by ranking the small cars among Consumer Reports' picks by fuel economy. (Do your own comparisons with fueleconomy.gov.)

Most Fuel Efficient and Reliable Used Cars

1. Toyota Echo - 31 mpg
2. Honda Civic - 30 mpg
3. Scion xB - 29 mpg
4. Toyota Corolla - 29 mpg
5. Toyota Corolla - 29 mpg
6. Toyota Matrix - 27 mpg
7. Pontiac Vibe - 27 mpg
8. Mazda 3 - 26 mpg
9. Mazda Protege - 24 mpg
10. Subaru Impreza - 22 mpg

Article by Dan Shapley-Courtesy of The Daily Green

Have a Safe, Happy, and Green Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ALL OF US AT RETURN2GREEN!

5 Easy Green Holiday Ideas

1 - Eco-Friendly Holiday Decorating

For holiday lighting, go with LED lights. LEDs are more efficient than standard lights (up to hundred times!), more durable, and much safer and cooler. Operating ten strings of mini-LED lights (as compared to ten strings of wasteful incandescent mini-lights) saves more than $12 in one month. Unplug or use a timer to turn off holiday lights during the day.

Don't let traditional petroleum-based candles ruin your indoor air quality. Use a Tub-O-Carbon to naturally capture (rather than just cover) odors, and use soy-based candles to fill your home with an earth-friendly scent.

Decorate naturally. Head out to your yard and find tree branches, bush stems loaded with berries, flowers whose seed heads have dried on the stem and flowering grasses to fill tall vases or baskets. It's more sustainable than buying a plant or flower that may be flown in from South America. You can also create a natural tablescape with natural elements or fresh fruit like pomegranates, pears, and apples.

For those with a Christmas tree, try an organic potted tree from your local nursery that can be replanted after the holidays. A single tree can absorb more than one ton of CO2 over its lifetime, so imagine the impact if we all replanted our trees! A few companies in the U.S. allow you to rent a Christmas tree. They'll pick it up and replant it after the holidays are over. If you have a cut tree, be sure to look into local recycling options. Many municipalities and some organizations collect the trees to use for mulch and erosion control. This is much better than having your tree end up in a sealed landfill.

For years, many considered the purchase of an artificial tree to be the environmentally friendly choice. However, most artificial trees are made from mainly non-renewable plastics, often containing PVC. They are non-recyclable and non-biodegradable.

Make recycled holiday ornaments from natural materials in the yard or material you find around the house. Not the crafty type? Many stores now offer ornaments made of recycled materials for sale. Another simple option is to string popcorn and cranberries or use hardened gingerbread cookies.

2 - Green Gifting

Buying online will help to reduce your holiday shopping carbon footprint. When you do want to brave the store crowds, do research online beforehand so that you know which stores carry what you're looking for - you'll be able to reduce your driving between stores searching for those perfect gifts, which will save you on gas and on stress.

Consider e-cards rather than traditional greeting cards to reduce holiday paper use. When paper cards are more appropriate, make sure to use cards with recycled content. Also don't forget to recycle any paper cards you receive.

The average American's trash output goes up 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Reduce the number of bags thrown out by bringing reusable bags for holiday gift shopping.

Consider gifts that help the recipient implement their New Year's Resolution to live a more sustainable life. Gifts that accomplish that AND save the recipient money are especially thoughtful.

Consider gifts like concert tickets and gift certificates to reduce packaging waste and the need for wrapping material. Charitable donations in the recipients' name make great gifts.

Consider the durability of a product before you buy it as a gift. Cheaper, less durable items often wear out quickly. Check product labels to determine an item's recyclability and whether it is made from recycled materials (buying recycled encourages manufacturers to make more recycled-content products available). Avoid any gifts that may contain toxic ingredients like lead or that off-gas Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

About 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Buy a rechargeable battery kit to accompany your electronic gifts this year.

Every home really must have a Carbon Monoxide Detector, and surprisingly many people (wrongly) assume they are covered with just a smoke detector. Bring a Carbon Monoxide Detector if you are staying at someone's home for the holidays. It makes a thoughtful gift you can plug in by any combustion appliance (like a gas hot water heater). If they already have one, plug an additional one into an outlet in the bedroom your family is sleeping in.

3 - Reducing Gift Wrapping

When newspaper comics aren't quite the look you're going for in wrapping presents, consider reusing any gift bags that you received last year. Also, try saving wrapping paper for use next year. When buying gift wrap, make sure to find recycled paper content.

Don't burn that leftover wrapping paper in the fireplace. The inks and foils used in wrapping paper may contain chemicals that become toxic when burned. If you can't reuse the paper, don't burn it: recycle it.

For a quick gift tag, reuse last year's holiday cards. Cut off the side that has the signature, thread a ribbon through a corner of the remaining card, and voila!

4 - Eco-Feasting

If you're cooking for the holidays, go local with your food shopping to reduce your carbon footprint. See how much of your meal you can find at your local farmers' markets. For supermarket purchases, try to choose items with minimal packaging to reduce waste. As always, bring reusable bags to reduce waste from disposable shopping bags. If you're bringing your food to someone else's house, pack your dish in a reusable container.

Go organic with your ingredients. Don't forget to go organic with beverages as well; look for organic and local wines, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks. Fair-trade chocolate, tea, and coffee will also add some green to your holiday table.

Serving turkey? Choose a heritage bird. Prized for their flavor, heritage turkeys may cost more than conventional birds, but they are raised naturally rather than in an industrial setting. Purchasing a pastured local bird or an organic bird from your supermarket are also other possibilities to consider when looking for the best holiday turkey for your family.

Recycle and compost while preparing food. Keep a bin handy for glass, plastic and paper trash you can recycle rather than toss. Add vegetable scraps from cooking and dinner to your compost.

Adjust the thermostat down a couple of degrees during holiday gatherings in cooler climates. The heat from cooking and from your guests will keep your home warm.

Disposable plastic ware is energy intensive to produce and can take thousands of years to degrade in a landfill. Providing cloth napkins and reusable tableware is the best option, but can make for a lot of cleanup work. When reuse isn't an option, go green at your holiday parties by using biodegradable tableware.

If you're traveling to enjoy dinner at someone else's house, carpool with family, friends, or neighbors. If you need to fly for the holidays, consider purchasing carbon offsets to keep your travel carbon neutral.

Use all the food you make. Send guests home with leftovers in glass or stainless steel rather than wrapped in plastic or aluminum foil. Freeze leftovers in easily re-heatable portions.

5 - Get Crafty With The Kids

Have the kids cut up old holiday cards to create collages to decorate your fridge, picture frames, or anywhere else in your house.

For a unique holiday craft project, make a simple decorative dough clay with the following recipe: mix 2 cups of plain flour, 1 cup of salt, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and 1 cup of water together. Use your creativity to shape the resulting dough into unique holiday decorations (just don't mold your dough too thin or too thick, so it doesn't crack or stay uncooked after baking). Glaze your shapes with a beaten egg yolk. Bake the clay for 45 minutes in a medium oven, and then color your decorations with eco-friendly paint.

Create a holiday wreath with evergreen clippings from the yard. Add cranberries strings and LED mini-bulb strips for some color and light.

Make your own votive by recycling a tin can. Remove the label from an empty can and freeze water in it overnight. The next day, sketch a design on the outside in marker and then carefully use a hammer and nail to tap the holes that create the design (the ice will prevent the can from denting). Once the ice melts, add a soy or beeswax candle to create an interesting homemade votive.

Article courtesy of GreenIrene.com

San Diego County Gets Millions to Help Go Green

San Diego County announces some green to help us go green. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded San Diego $5.1 million in stimulus funds. The grant will allow the county to expand its conservation efforts. The money will be used for more than a dozen projects including solar panel installation and upgrades at some county facilities to monitor energy efficiency. It will also provide incentives for local builders to build green.

Search Here for Hotels.com Best Hotel Deals!

Article By Elizabeth Ireland – Courtesy of NBCSanDiego.com

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to +3°C or the Year in Climate Change Politics

When Barack Obama was elected I, like many people in the United States, placed many hopes in him in terms of climate change policy. Intellectually I knew he was constrained by the office of the presidency, by congress, but all his choices for prominent policy positions indicated he was serious about climate, serious about environment. Indeed, compared to the previous White House tenant, it is indeed night and day. But the last year has shown that, in many ways, it's a still a rather cloudy day:

US Still Doesn't Quite Get the Serious of Climate Change
Obama showed up in Copenhagen today and spoke to an audience, both in the plenary hall and to we reporters without, all waiting with bated breath. Those of us not in the room itself huddled together around television monitors waiting, in vain it turns out, for some sign that the United States would change its still de facto obstructionist position on climate change.

It seems the nation that is the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and foremost consumer of natural resources, can't get out from underneath the pile of money oil and coal industry lobbyists have shoveled on top of it and take meaningful action on climate change.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton proclaimed with a straight face the US's proposed emission reductions: 17% below 2005 levels by 2020. We've known these for some time, watching the climate bill laboriously move their way through the House and Senate. But never mind that.

Never mind that the rest of the world uses a baseline of 1990 levels. Never mind that when recalibrated to that baseline, the US is pledging a 3-4% reduction, depending on how you want to round fractions. Never mind that the world's leading climate scientists say ten time those reductions are needed to head off sealing in 3-4°C temperature rise, even though G8 nations agreed that 2°C was the correct goal (even lower would be better) back in August at their meeting in Italy; and that those higher temperature rise figures seal the doom for hundreds of thousands, millions, of poor people in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Forget all that. The United States is committed to leading the world on climate change and all that holds that back is China not being quite transparent enough when it comes to its own climate change efforts. Yeah, right.

Dirty money aside, how did we get into this position?
Was it just the unfortunate fact that the United States locked its own horns around a debate about healthcare that the rest of the developed world settled nearly half a century ago? I have to say that, contrary to received wisdom, it doesn't entirely ring true.

I'm tempted to say it's national psychosis, frankly. A pimple on our collective brain, one which continues to push pollution off to the future, continues to assume some bit of technology will come to the rescue, some financial mechanism raising the money. And ignoring that, just perhaps, we have a very basic problem with our relationship to the natural world; with the amount of natural resources we consider entirely necessary for a comfortable life; with humanity's place in the cosmos.

Climate Change is But Symptom of Greater Problem
George Monbiot laid it out accurately three days ago at the Fresh Air Center: Our problem is that, and I'm referring to the every nation now (perhaps save Bhutan and its Gross National Happiness), we continue to cling to the notion that more is better, bigger is better, economies can keep expanding disregarding ecological limits -- when in fact optimum efficiency is often less than maximum efficiency when it comes to business sizes and communities, smaller and specialized is better than one size fits no one, and that the scale of human civilization is such that prior economic theory no longer holds valid (if it ever really did, from an ecological perspective).

Yesterday Gordon Brown, in touting the same $100 billion in climate financing Hillary Clinton did later in the day, he spoke of nations being able to avail themselves of high economic growth without high carbon growth. He failed utterly, as every head of state seems to, that it is high economic growth itself that is the problem, of which rising greenhouse gas emissions and climate change is but a symptom, that is the problem. Increasing ecological throughput, beyond the rate of natural replenishment, that is the problem. 
 

In slightly more simple terms, it is growing ecological footprints of both individuals and nations that is the problem. We are depleting the natural capital that is the grand trust fund laid down for us in previous millennia.

Let's Hope I'm Proven Wrong...
Whoa... whither climate politics in 2009? Ultimately, as various Oxfam spokespeople have been saying the gap between science and conscience with political reality has not narrowed appreciably in the past year. There's been some movement on climate financing in the past 24-48 hours, but that's it. 

I hope I am proven horribly wrong in the next hour, as the rumor mill says Obama is about to have a press conference. Any guesses on what shade of greenwash has been chosen.

Article by Matthew McDermott Care of TreeHugger.com

Reforesting 20 Million Square Kilometers by 2020 (Video)

It looks like a global anti-deforestation deal may be the most positive thing to come out of the Copenhagen climate talks. And while cuts to fossil fuel use and other emissions are still vital, there's no doubt that tackling deforestation is key to reversing climate change. But what about reforestation? Peru has already committed to replanting 40 million trees, although some worry about the species mix. Now an online effort is seeking to create a global movement for reforestation and permaculture food forests.

WeForest is building a global movement through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to reforest 20 million hectares of land by 2020. Work has already begun on reforestation in Brazil working with the Open World Foundation, and the organization put together the following videos on their vision, and what is already being done. Spread the word.

Article by Sami Grover, Courtesy of Treehugger.com

The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations

Suriname (Discovering)

During the past decade, "Ethical Travel" has become an increasingly important value. It's an easy term to define. Ethical travel is mindful travel: an awareness of our impact and responsibilities as we explore the world. Travel has become one of the planet's biggest industries - on par with oil - and our economic power as travelers is enormous. Which countries should we visit? Where should we spend our money when we get there? How do our interactions with our hosts promote international goodwill and cross-cultural understanding? The way we travel has a measurable impact on the environment, human rights, and the way our home country is viewed by people in other lands.

Book bmi flights
Low fares on many routes worldwide. Book now for competitive fares.

While Ethical Traveler views all travel as a potentially positive act, we like to see people step off the beaten path. The places on our annual list may not be as popular as Thailand or Italy, but they abound in natural wonders and fascinating culture. And they're serious about preserving their natural assets, promoting mindful travel, and building an economy in which local communities reap the benefits of tourist revenue. Travel to these countries encourages such efforts, and inspires neighboring countries to support these values as well.

Clearly, the idea of naming 10 "best" countries has its perils. No country on Earth is perfect. Some are strong in some areas, and weaker in others. Some do many things well, but fall dramatically short in one critical area. As the list gets shorter, the final choices get harder. It's as difficult as recommending dishes in a great restaurant. Everything is delicious; but these are the specials.

Ethical Traveler congratulates the countries on our 2009/2010 list of "The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations." The winners, in alphabetical order, are:

The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations

· Argentina

· Belize

· Chile

· Ghana

· Lithuania

· Namibia

· Poland

· Seychelles

· South Africa

· Suriname

How the List is Created

Every year Ethical Traveler conducts a study of the world's developing nations, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. We begin our research by focusing on three general categories: Environmental Protection, Social Welfare, and Human Rights.

For each of these categories, we look at information past and present so that we may understand not only the current state of a country, but its forward path. This helps us select countries that are actively improving the state of their people and environment. Please note - this report is not an exhaustive explanation of our methodology, but a brief and general view of how we conduct and verify our research. An appendix listing our sources will be sent upon request.

Environmental Protection: In evaluating each country's level of responsible environmental protection, we looked at clear indicators of environmental health, preservation of resources, and cultivation of beneficial, sustainable practices. Our main resource is the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) Environmental Performance Index, a joint initiative between the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy and Columbia University's Center for International Earth Science Information Network. The index uses indicators focused on (i) reducing environmental stresses on human health and (ii) promoting ecosystem vitality and sound natural resource management, allowing us to measure these countries against 25 separate indicators of environmental responsibility. Lithuania scored particularly well, with a very high level of overall environmental health, air and water quality, and sustainable forestry practices. Also noteworthy was Chile, with outstanding air quality, conservation practices and sustainable land management.

Notable environmental protection measures can also be seen in Argentina, where a commitment was recently made towards zero net deforestation, including responsible land management plans and conservation efforts for more than a million hectares of the Atlantic Forest. The country is also a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets.

Other impressive efforts are being demonstrated in the Seychelles, now considered a world leader in sustainable tourism. The country holds a record for the highest percentage of land under natural conservation - nearly 50% of the total land area of the Republic of Seychelles.

Social Welfare: Another critical point we consider is the social welfare of each country's citizens and visitors. Quantifying this is not a straightforward task. In order to gain the clearest picture of the situation, we combine well-respected resources with our own country-by-country research.

One strong indicator of social welfare is the mortality rate of young children. To understand mortality rates past and present, we researched statistics provided by UNICEF. Lithuania and Poland had the lowest rates of infant mortality of our Top 10 countries. To measure the civil liberties enjoyed by citizens of each country, we used the Freedom in the World 2009 Report from Freedom House. Chile and Lithuania stood out in this ranking, with Poland also receiving the highest possible score.

To gauge other important issues such as access to safe drinking water, sustainable water management, responsible sanitation practices, and agricultural management, we referred to the 2009 Human Development Report, compiled by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Poland was the highest ranked Ethical Destinations country on this index.

This year, we also factored in research by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), which evaluates countries using 17 indicators. In the area of 'Ruling Justly', Namibia and Ghana were very highly rated.

Human Rights: A number of sources were used to evaluate each country's human rights record. Respected sources like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders, and Freedom House were consulted to understand the challenges each nation has to address. Freedom House gave Belize, Chile, Ghana, Lithuania, and Poland the highest possible rating in political rights. Reporters Without Borders found Lithuania to have a very high level of Freedom of the Press, with South Africa close behind. Every country has human rights issues-but it was important for us to see efforts being made towards improving known situations and the preservation of basic human rights for all.

There is more to making our list, of course, than excelling in categories. Each of the countries selected as a Best Ethical Destination also boasts wonderful opportunities for the traveler - opportunities to experience nature at its most pristine, and to interact with local people and cultures in a meaningful, mutually enlightening way.

General Trends

The global economic downturn has inevitably hindered efforts towards sustainability, responsible tourism, and environmental stewardship, even in highly developed countries. Progress in these very important areas tends to decline in times of economic hardship. Given that developing countries with a strong reliance on the tourism sector have been particularly hard hit, we have seen a slowing of progress almost across the board.

Notably, not a single Asian country made it to the Top 10. Irresponsible development, human rights abuses, and a lack of strong environmental policy kept them all off the list again this year. Perhaps surprisingly, though, four African countries - three on the mainland, and one island republic - made the final list. We believe this bodes well for the future of these nations and, hopefully, for the African continent.

Ghana joins our 2010 list due to an impressive commitment to genuine democracy, as well as a growing culture of sustainability, environmental consciousness and grassroots efforts towards responsibly improving Ghana for Ghanaians and tourists alike. We're also excited to have an additional South American country, Suriname, appear on the list due to its unspoiled rainforest biodiversity and sincere efforts towards ecotourism and environmental preservation.

Certain countries that made our previous Ethical Destinations list were omitted this time around. In 2008, we strongly encouraged travelers to bring their commerce to Costa Rica - a country top rated by many important indicators. Unfortunately, World Vision now considers Costa Rica among the world's most notorious destinations for sexual predators, with an unusually large number of sex tourism venues in operation. According to Casa Alianza, more than 3,000 girls and young women work in San Jose's 300 brothels. Now rivaling Thailand and the Philippines as the world's leading sex tourism destination, Costa Rica is credited with having the region's largest child prostitution problem and has thus been flagged by INTERPOL, as the country is fast becoming the hemispheric capital of sex tourism. It is for this reason that we were unable to recommend Costa Rica as an Ethical Destination.

Bolivia and Bulgaria were on our 2008 list, but were also removed from this year's list due to unusually high levels of child trafficking and/or corruption. According to the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report, the governments of Bolivia and Bulgaria do not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, and the United Nations lists Bulgaria among the 11 worst countries in the world for sourcing children for sex trafficking.

Nicaragua was removed from our list because of the country's 2008 municipal elections, which were widely denounced as fraudulent. The once admirable government also has a worsening record on human rights, and recently curtailed freedoms of speech and the press. We remove Nicaragua with regret, as the country has created many initiatives to help local communities benefit from tourism, and is taking strong steps to protect and restore its tropical forests.

Two of last year's recommendations - Croatia and Estonia - are no longer considered developing nations, as both are now classified as 'High Income Economies' by the World Bank, and as such were not under consideration for this year's list.

Travelers are often surprised that Bhutan is not one of our Top Ethical Destinations. Despite its sublime natural beauty and extraordinary commitment to preserving the environment, the highly nationalistic kingdom is still plagued by human rights issues. These concerns include the fate of more than 100,000 Bhutanese of Nepalese descent, who were expelled from country in the early 1990s and still live in refugee camps along the Bhutan/West Bengal/Nepal border.

Conclusions

None of the countries on this year's Ethical Destinations list is perfect, and four countries must include special caveats. In Belize, Namibia and Seychelles, homosexuality remains criminalized. Normally this is a deal-breaker for us, but the laws do not appear to be zealously enforced. We sincerely hope that our vote of confidence will persuade these country's leaders to repeal these backward laws. South Africa received high marks for supporting eco-friendly, community-based tourism ventures, as well as for sustainable coastal development and environmental management. The country, however, has a huge rich/poor gap, and a high crime rate persists. Travelers should be mindful of the dangers, and stay informed about which areas to avoid.

We sincerely hope that travelers will refer to this list when planning their 2010 journeys. By visiting the countries mentioned here, we "vote with our wings" - sending a signal that travelers are aware of where their money is going, and willing to support nations that care about the environment, human rights, and the global community.

Article by Jeff Greenwald & Christy Hoover – Courtesy of EthicalTraveler.org : http://www.ethicaltraveler.org/destinations/2010

Book bmi flights
Low fares on many routes worldwide. Book now for competitive fares.