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Become an agent for change at home and abroad…
Green Passport holders respect the interconnectedness of the world's people and environment and are taking actions to reduce their ecological and socio-cultural footprint when they study and travel abroad. Find out more about the Green Passport program and meet Green Passport holders.
Articles | Multi-Media | Websites | Books | Organizations
General Interest & How-To Articles
Be a Locavore: It’s green, socially responsible, and budget friendly. By Caryn Sweeney
Can Earth Afford It? Questioning international travel in a time of peak oil.
By Kati Maginel
Climate Change Changes Everything: How we can learn to live well and lightly.
By Daniel Greenberg
Eco-Friendly Budget Ideas: Net savings for you and the planet. By Tim Leffel
Eco-Villages: Studying in sustainable communities throughout the world. By Sarah Kessler
Gifts, Guests, and Gratitude: Re-energizing people and communities through more thoughtful study abroad By Karen Rodriguez
Invest Wisely: How will you spend your time and money abroad? By Miguel Karian
Sustainable Travel and Study Abroad by Astrid Jirka
Volunteering & Service-Learning Articles and Resources
Interviews and Transcribed Speeches
Bill McKibben: An interview with America’s leading environmentalist on studying abroad and political activism in a CO2-challenged world
Deborah McLaren: An interview with the author of Rethinking Tourism & Ecotravel and founder of Indigenous Tourism Rights International
Nobel Peace Prize Winner Wangari Maathai's speech about Caring for the Earth's Resources
Steven Rockefeller: An interview on creating the Earth Charter and on faith, freedom, and ecology
Articles by Country
Australia
The Sacred Site: Find out why climbing Ayers Rock was not an option for Netanya Stutz
When the Rain Stopped: Conserving water one shower at a time. By Emmalee Miller
Resistance vs. Resilience: Lauren Gersbach wins an award for her research on Mabi Type 5b Rainforest tree species' alternative mechanisms to survive severe cyclones in north Queensland, Australia.
China
Fueled by Rice: Four recent graduates explore China on bicycles sharing music and carbohydrates with local people along the way.
Costa Rica
The Farming Life: Miles H. Kiger, a natural resources, economics and Latin American geography student, undertakes hands-on work in Costa Rica.
Charlene Rose Mangi's articles on eco-travel and sustainable agriculture. Plus, she offers suggestions to future students planning to go green.
Ecuador
Conscious Consumerism: Putting profits into the hands of the people. By Sarah Brylinsky
Coming Together for Sustainable Change: Maryuret Rivas' experience with a minga
Italy
Insights from Tuscany: The art of simplicity. By Sonu Purhar
Germany
Eco-Utopia? Exploring environmental awareness in Germany. By Zoey Laskaris
Mexico
Consensus at Huehuecoyotl: Building solutions for an ecovillage in Mexico. By Danielle Connor
Russia
Baikal's Trail: While building trails around Siberia’s Lake Baikal, Joshua K. Hartshorne realizes the benefits of ecotourism in preserving its pristine shores.
Saving Home: Siberian philosopher, scientist and forester protects Russia's priceless Tamiyr Penninsula.
By Jonathan White
Project Fish: The Fish Problem on Lake Khantai by Vladimir M. Protasov
Thailand
A Coastal View: From the Gulf of Maine to the Andaman Sea, Earth’s oceans are overfished.
By Christa Marie Thorpe
Mindful Eating: Savoring Thai food, from the field to the dinner table. By Julianna Weaver
The People's Protest: Villagers voice opposition to potash mine, Thailand. By Sara Schaumburg
Tibet
Harvesting the Power of the Sun: Tibetans benefit from eco-friendly cookers. By Josiah Ramsay Johnston
Multi-Media
Bill McKibben Video Interview: America’s leading environmentalist takes a hard look at studying abroad and political activism in a CO2-challenged world.
The Earth Institute at Columbia University Video Archive
Websites
The first part of this list are resources recommended in part by Astrid Jirka, Outreach Coordinator for Study Abroad Programs, Ithaca College
Responsible Travel Handbook: www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/responsible/resources.shtml
The International Ecotourism Society: www.ecotourism.org
Sustainable Travel International: www.sustainabletravelinternational.org
Also, see Sustainable Travel International's Sustainable Travel Checklist
International Institute of Peace through Tourism: www.iipt.org
Ethical Traveler: www.ethicaltraveler.org
The Global Footprint Network: www.footprintnetwork.org
Living Routes' Resources and Sustainability Listserve
Planeta: www.planeta.com
Tourism Concern: www.tourismconcern.org.uk
Partners in Responsible Tourism: www.pirt.org
World Tourism Organization: www.world-tourism.org
World Travel and Tourism Council: www.wttc.org
Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Bulletin Boards:
http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com
Responsible Travel: www.responsibletravel.com
Carbon Neutral: www.carbonneutral.com/index.asp
The following are resources for learning more about about sustainability in study abroad and responsible travel:
People and Planet provides a global review and Internet gateway into the issues of population, poverty, health, consumption and the environment.
The International Center for Responsible Tourism
Books
Tourism: Principles, Practices and Philosophies (9th ed., 2003) by Charles Goeldner
Hosts and Guests Revisited: Tourism Issues of the 21st Century (2001, Cognizant Communications).
Edited by Valene Smith and Maryann Brent
Ecotourism (John Wiley and Sons, 2001) by David Weaver
Tourism in the 21st Century: Lessons From Experience edited by
Bill Faulkner, Continuum, 2001
Ethical Travel Guide by Polly Pattullo, Tourism Concern, 2006
Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise?
by Martha Honey, Island Press, 1999.
Rethinking Tourism & Ecotravel (2nd. ed., 2003) by Deborah McLaren
Organizations
Americans for Informed Democracy (AID) (an Abroad View strategic partner) works with students on more than 1,000 campuses to raise awareness of pressing global issues, to present solutions from foreign policy specialists, and to give students the tools to make a difference on their campuses and in their communities. Climate change is one of its four umbrella issues. Sign-up online at to get a copy of Thomas Friedman’s documentary “Addicted to Oil,” and you’ll be reimbursed up to $50 for making flyers and providing refreshments. AID will help you identify potential speakers for an Expert Environmental Panel. Or, get involved with AID's Urban Environmental Accords, a 7-year plan for local governments to begin cleaning up their communities. As director of your coalition, you would meet with community members and form a steering committee, making sure your message reaches as many people as possible. AID staff and past coalition leaders can provide guidance and mini-grants to help you launch this powerful initiative. Watch an interview with Yuri Beckelman, an AID organizer who led successful UEA campaigns in California.
The Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF) is a leading international non-profit organization working to encourage colleges and universities to make sustainability and environmental literacy a major focus of teaching, research, service, and operations. It also includes a useful resource section.
The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society for the 21st century. Created by the largest global consultation process ever associated with an international declaration, the Earth Charter seeks to inspire a sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the human family and the larger living world. Its resource center has hundreds of free resources for educators, students, and organizers.
Idealist.org: This site provides a clearinghouse for information on international and domestic nonprofit organizations.
IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute) works to eliminate hunger and malnutrition worldwide by finding alternative policies for better food security and nutrition, emphasizing sound management of local resources in low-income countries.
Global Ecovillage Network connects individuals striving to create sustainable communities. The site encourages users to exchange ideas and tools to further their efforts.
The Grace Factory Farm Project supports independent farmers who are dedicated to nurturing the land and environment by adopting practices based on sustainable farming.
Middlebury College Fellowships in Environmental Journalism. Ten journalists at the start of their careers are selected for this annual program, which is designed to support intensive, year-long reporting about environmental issues. Graduate Fellows receive $10,000 for research expenses and participate in weeklong residencies at Middlebury College in the fall and at Monterey Institute for International Studies in the spring.
National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program helps transform college campuses into living models of an ecologically sustainable society, and it trains new environmental leaders. The program supports and promotes positive and practical conservation projects on campus and beyond to protect wildlife by restoring habitat and slowing global warming.
Step It Up: This annual climate day of action is intended for people to initiate environmental activism in their communities and to demand that Congress enact curbs on carbon emissions that would cut global warming pollution 80 percent by 2050.
The Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) is a student-run national network of progressive organizations and individuals whose aim is to uproot environmental injustice through action and education. It helps build networks, teach skills, educate about issues, and puts ideas into practice with a range of campaigns. Its website also serves as a clearinghouse of resources.