If like me you have been glued to the channel 4 programme The Woman Who Stopped Traffic you will be pleased to know that you can now join the campaign and put yourself on the U.K car free map. The map allows you to pledge a weekly car free journey and will work out your carbon saving.

For those of you who have not seen the inspirational Kris Murrin in action the last in the series can be viewed on Tuesday evening at 9pm. In the final episode Kris will be in Durham encouraging residents to go car free for a day. Im hoping she has more success here than in Boston and that the simple sensible idea of everyone going car free for one day every week will catch on and that this wont be the last we hear of this campaign.
Kate
GreenFinder
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Its that time of year again when I call on all green girls around the world to get nominating in our annual Responsible Tourism Awards!
The Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards founded and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with our partners Telegraph Travel Geographical Magazine and World Travel Market need your help in scouring the globe for interesting unusual innovative but above all worthy nominees for this years Awards.
In 2007 we received over 1700 nominations from travellers around the world and wed love to use your responsible travel know-how to find operators accommodations low carbon transport tourism organisations and individuals who you think are the best of the best in responsible tourism for 2008.
The New Forest 2007 overall winner
Last years overall winner best destination and best personal contribution (for destination manager Anthony Climpson) award winner was the New Forest in the UK in recognition of the work they have been doing for over 15 years with visitors industry and the community to look after the environment and promote sustainable local development. Find out more and watch a video about overall winners the New Forest.
What does it mean to win a Responsible Tourism Award?
If youre not sure whether its worth making a nomination take a look at some of these comments from last years winners:
Mark Jacobs of Azafady winner of the Best Volunteering Organisation Award said:
Winning the award has clearly increased the profile of Azafady and its work out in south-east Madagascar.
When potential volunteers look at our website the knowledge that we have been named

Bike week starts today and as I may have mentioned a few times before I love cycling in fact it is one of my most favourite things in the world. So imagine my delight when I heard about a photography competition aimed at celebrating the diversity of womens cycling.
In order to promote cycling to ladies in the London borough of Lambeth and to show that cycling can be cool and chic Lambeth council have decided to organise the bicycle belles competition. There are hundreds of women cycling through and around Lambeth every day and the numbers are increasing. As it is no longer the domain of the lycra clad middle class male they are looking for images that portray the diversity of women and their bikes. So please send them your photographs of women cycling in and around the borough. More info on how to submit your entries here.
For those of you not living or working in Lambeth like myself there is no need to feel left out. I have discovered a fab website called cyclechic where you can upload photos of yourself cycling and looking glam on their facebook group. So what are you waiting for the weather is great get on yer bike and dont forget to take your camera.
Kate
GreenFinder
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Wow heres an offer and a half! Fair Trade fashion pioneers People Tree has teamed up with online travel directory responsibletravel.com to celebrate the launch of their new Summer Collection with a fantastic competition.
Win a holiday and a holiday wardrobe!

To win a luxury weekend break for 2 in Devon plus

besides me being an editor at GGG a freelancer expertising community and presence marketing I also have the privilege of running the most USEFUL podcast in the world called

Its been a while since I shared any news from the world of responsibletravel.com so here goes
Responsible Tourism Awards 2008
First up we had a great time on World Responsible Tourism Day (12 Nov) celebrating the winners of our Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2008.
This is the 5th year of the Responsible Tourism Awards and theyve been getting bigger and better each year we received nearly 2000 nominations this year and around 500 people crammed into the Awards ceremony room at World Travel Market to see the winners announced.
And the Overall Winner was drum roll please! NEW ZEALAND!

New Zealand took away the honours for Overall Winner as well as scooping Best Destination as the judges felt the destination had proved to the world that it is possible to develop a national strategy which uses tourism to help make better places to live and to visit. (Read more)
To discover all the winners in this years Awards visit www.responsibletourismawards.com or browse through our wonderful magazine for the responsible traveller r:travel which features all the winners and highly commendeds in depth.
You can even watch a short film on the Responsible Tourism Awards by BBC World News fast:track team.
IKnowaGreatPlace.com new online travel community
My next nugget of news is a rather exclusive one. responsibletravel.com has started a brand new travel community that hasnt yet launched to the general public but all Green Girls are very welcome!
Theyre encouraging visitors to share their top tips and local travel secrets to make it easier for all of us to travel with respect for the local environment and culture while having a fab unique and authentic experience.
Register for the community and start to share your travel secrets post your travel pics create a travel diary or even look for a travel companion.

Not forgetting to add me as a friend (!) and check out my favourite place in the world!
And as for my final piece of RT news well I think thats enough for now. Youll have to come back next week for that one
Take care
Katie
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In my last post on sharing your travel secrets I promised you more news to follow from the world of responsibletravel.com.
And here it is! Hot off the press Geographical magazine in a joint effort with responsibletravel.com has put together an insightful and thought-provoking special edition looking at the future of tourism.
As Justin Francis managing director of responsibletravel.com says:

Jez and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary last weekend staying at the beautiful La Rosa Hotel in the east coast seaside town of Whitby.

Id heard about the eco-friendly La Rosa Campsite in Yorkshire from one of our web design clients ecoescape but later came to learn that the folks who created the kitsch camping experience are now running a hotel by the sea.
La Rosas ethos is low impact and make-do-and-mend furnishing the caravans in their campsite and the rooms in their hotel with antique and second hand furniture. Down to the tiniest detail they have carefully chosen pre-loved trinkets and decorations to create a wondrous world in which to escape.
In keeping with La Rosas green and gentle vibe low odour paints and vintage wallpapers have been used throughout the building and lovingly restored items are brought back to life.

The tea room downstairs houses a display cabinet filled with mementos books figurines puppets dolls and photos inspired by the Whitby Museum. Above the cabinet hangs a huge flag declaring

I have an urgent mission for all Green Girls: to find the greenest or most life-changing holiday you can.
With the economic climate not looking too sunny its easy to spend hours online browsing idyllic holidays that will let you get away from it all.
But dont think for a moment that lack of funds makes this daydreaming a waste of your (or your employers!) time. Oh no. With the deadline for nominations for the 2009 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards looming now is the chance to put all that in-depth research into action
The Awards are organized by online travel agent responsibletravel.com and theyd love your tip-offs of tour operators hoteliers and destinations around the world that are doing their bit to help people and the planet.
Dont worry they dont expect you to be responsible travel experts just give them the name and a couple of lines to say why you think the hotel / lodge / tour operator / destination is eco-friendly and/or giving something back to the local community and the Responsible Tourism Awards judging panel will dig deeper (read more about the judging process).
Win a holiday of a lifetime
You can make as many nominations as you want and if it turns out youve nominated a winner (winners are announced in November) you could be in with a chance to win a holiday of a lifetime for you and a friend.
2008 Award winners Gamewatchers Safaris & Porini Camps are offering a memorable prize safari holiday in Kenya.
The prize includes 7 nights accommodation (1 night Tribe Hotel 2 nights Amboseli Porini Camp 2 nights Ol Pejeta Rhino Camp 2 Nights Mara Porini Camp) and return economy flights from Heathrow to Nairobi.
Read more about this amazing holiday.
Nominations needed
The Responsible Tourism Awards team is particularly keen to get nominations in these categories:
Best in a Marine Environment An organisation related to a beach or other marine environment such as turtle conservation or a marine eco-tourism trip
Best for Conservation of Cultural Heritage A tourism organisation or initiative working to protect and promote cultural heritage
Best Large Hotel A hotel lodge or other accommodation of more than 50 rooms that is run with the environment and needs of local people in mind.
Best Personal Contribution A person who has made an outstanding contribution to responsible tourism.
But hurry the deadline for nominations is next Monday 15 June! Make your nomination.
Award-winning holidays
To give you an idea of the kind of holiday that wins an Award and why lets have a look at some of last years winners
Kingfisher Bay Resort Fraser Island Australia
This breathtaking resort won the Best Large Hotel Award in the 2008 Responsible Tourism Awards.
The judges commended the resort for its low environmental impact educating its guests about conservation and getting involved with the local indigenous people helping them to share their culture and learn new skills for employment.
Nkwichi Lodge Mozambique
A stunning lodge on the shores of Lake Niassa its the perfect getaway: beauty tranquility crystal clear fresh water white beaches and a welcome feeling of remoteness there are no cars and the only access is by boat. The lodge is very private with only 7 chalets all uniquely designed to blend in with the local environment.
The lodge won the Best Small Hotel Award in the 2008 Responsible Tourism Awards. Not only is it environmentally-friendly in design but those behind it also played a key role in the creation of the Umoji Association which represents 20000 local people through their chiefs and elected representatives. As one of the first large community associations in Mozambique it has helped six communities to secure their land rights certificates from the Government.
Ecoventura Ecuador
Winner of the Best in a Marine Environment Award in 2008 Ecoventura will take you around the awe-inspiring Galapagos Islands while taking every precaution to protect this delicate environment.
Ecoventura won its Award for creating scholarships for education and developing micro-business for local women converting a fishing boat into a restaurant and boutique to offer alternative livelihoods for the wives of fishermen.
Ecoventura was also among the first cruise operators to be independently environmentally audited.
Shigar Fort Palace Restoration Project Pakistan
This beautiful fort won the Best for Conservation of Cultural Heritage Award in the 2008 Responsible Tourism Awards. It would make a unique and relaxing holiday haven for those who want to get off the beaten track.
The project was commended by the judges for the sensitive restoration of this historic building and its development as a hotel which has placed the property once again at the heart of the community.
It is now a cultural and economic asset which brings employment microenterprise opportunities and social and cultural empowerment to local men and women.
Inspired? Get nominating now deadline Monday 15 June!
Want the latest on the Responsible Tourism Awards? Follow them on Twitter.
Katie
Ethical Weddings
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We have a truck. It is a shiny black Ford F150 with an extended cab for our dog. It is old now made in 1996 and has lasted well carting our loads (artwork and woodwork) and through numerous road trips east and west. Our truck has two tanks for gas. If one tank runs out we flip the switch and move to the second. On long trips we can usually drive for half a day without stopping. I could get to my mothers house in 24 hours. We are now wondering what we will be driving next and doing so with a new set of values.
Ford asked me to test drive the 2010 Fusion Hybrid and here are my thoughts.
Again I love Ford. I like the feeling of being in a car made here. The fact that the new hybrids pollute less tugs at my heartstrings. These are progressive treats that make things feel hopeful for our world. The hybrid starts on a battery and hums when turned on. I liked the safety features (backup projection with alarm side view mirror signals to assist with the blind spot.) There is a flower icon on the dash that grows greener as your fuel efficiency improves (we took a 3 hour trip and averaged 37 mph.) The interior is