Eco 411
Eco Author | 4:29 pm | October 23, 2009 | Attractions, Service and Supplier, Tours, Transportation | Add a comment
We all need to open our eyes to the problems facing the environment and understand that it is our responsibility to do something about it. Being a part of the travel and tourism industry, Extranomical Adventures knows that we face a particular responsibility to our community and our environment and that every seemingly small thing we do can have a lasting impact on our delicate planet. That’s why we at Extranomical have partnered with “Verus Carbon Neutral”, to help fund projects devoted to helping the earth by neutralizing our CO2 emissions. Their projects include preventing deforestation and planting trees, which are some of the simplest and most important things we can do to help the world around us remain a lush and habitable place. Extranomical Adventures is helping to sustain a healthy planet by supporting clean energy development and offsetting our CO2 emissions. Carbon offsets basically enable us to help neutralize the carbon dioxide that the tour vehicle generates by funding programs somewhere else in the world that take CO2 out of the atmosphere. Based on the number of tours we do and how far we drive, we have come up with a way of measuring our impact to the atmosphere and, starting in 2009, our entire fleet is certified as carbon neutral! A portion of everyone’s purchase of an Extranomical tour will go towards these projects devoted to neutralizing our carbon footprint.
Eco Author | 12:10 pm | August 14, 2009 | Service and Supplier, Tours | Add a comment
Adventure Out is California’s premiere outdoor school specializing in surf camps, rock climbing classes, backpacking trips, mountain biking, and wilderness survival skills instruction. Our mission is to share decades of wilderness experience while achieving our wildest adventures in the outdoors. In addition to insuring that our students enter the oceans and wilderness areas both safely and responsibly, Adventure Out strives to instill a sense of environmental stewardship. As a member of 1% For The Planet, Adventure Out donates a portion of gross revenues to environmental conservation.
Eco Author | 10:02 am | March 23, 2009 | Tours, Winery | Add a comment
By Napa Valley Wine Train Promotions & Partnership Manager Andrea Guzman
Car free travel is a passion of mine. In my wanderings, I am constantly looking for ways to utilize public transportation. I know that other travelers like myself, refuse to rent a car, especially in large metropolitan cities like San Francisco.
The Napa Valley Wine Train, by its nature, supports car-free travel. Recently, the Train created an opportunity for people to travel from San Francisco to Napa Valley without using a car! We have partnered with Platypus Tours to transport guests by motor coach from the Ferry Terminal in Vallejo to the Wine Train Station in Napa. It is now possible to get to Napa from San Francisco by Ferry and private bus. No need for a car or negotiating additional public transportation schedules.
Our guests take the 8:10 a.m. ferry from SF, paying for the Vallejo Ferry link pass at Pier 1, by the Ferry Building. Once they get into Vallejo, a very courteous driver from Platypus Tours escorts them to the Napa Valley Wine Train station. Our travelers will have a chance to shop at the Oxbow Public Market, or downtown Napa, and Wine Train shops before and after an amazing gourmet lunch on the Napa Valley Wine Train. At 4:45 p.m., Platypus Tours picks up the guests and helps them board the 5:35 ferry back to San Francisco.
The cost to travel directly to and from the Vallejo Ferry Terminal is a very reasonable $15 per person, round trip. All aboard!
Eco Author | 6:41 pm | March 4, 2009 | Attractions, Tours | Add a comment
For businesses who are interested in going “green,” or even going “blue” (air quality), there are plenty of places to focus improvement. One of the most impressive things to me about the Napa Valley Wine Train is how subtlety pervasive our environmental programs are.
Of course our CNG engine and its good qualities: cleaner air, abundant fuel source, highly efficient – is an amazing innovation for an antique train. But, we are also getting recognition for our recycling efforts. Our Executive Chef was one of the leaders in the company to really move to a strong waste recycling program. He knew it was the right thing to do and implemented at the Culinary Arts Center (our prep kitchen in the rail yard) an aggressive program that reduced the Train’s waste stream significantly.
So significantly in fact, that in April of this year (2008) the Napa Valley Wine Train received rewards and recognition from the United States Congress (Rep. Mike Thompson), the California State Assembly and Legislature (Assemblymember Noreen Evans, and Senator Patricia Wiggins), as well the City of Napa’s Recycling and Waste Services (a $1,000 award).
“This incentive-based awards program rewards schools, businesses and apartment complexes for not just doing the right thing, but for doing it extremely well,” said Kevin Miller, Materials diversion Administrator for the City of Napa.
According the City, the prize money was allocated based on field surveys to determine the best recyclers – regardless of size – utilizing the City’s single-stream program. The field surveys measured the amount of non-recyclable trash in the recycling bins, and the amount of recyclables in the trash. With the results combined, the lowest scores determined the winners in each category.
Eco Author | 4:11 pm | March 2, 2009 | Attractions, Tours, Transportation | Add a comment
Take a tour on a green duck. That’s right – the Bay Area’s largest fleet of amphibious land/sea vehicles has gone green. By using biodiesel, Ride the Ducks of San Francisco, is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Experience San Francisco sightseeing from a duck’s eye view on the Best San Francisco duck tour. Splashing-down in China Basin and navigating their way into McCovey Cove, outside of AT&T Ball Park, the 90 minute duck tours show the nature of the San Francisco Bay from a point of view not seen in your average tour of the city. The land portion of the tour rides through some of historic San Francisco’s most famous districts including: Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, Chinatown, The Financial District, SOMA, and the Embarcadero. Quack along with the captain and he en-tour-tains you with stories of past and present. Tickets may be purchased online at www.sanfranciscoducks.com or by calling out box office at 415-596-9929.
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