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5 Reasons Why San Francisco is a Sustainable City

February 12, 2019
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San Francisco boasts a range of practices and policies to achieving sustainability, as both the City and County of San Francisco. The southern California city is well known for banning plastic bags, plastic bottles, and Styrofoam take-out containers, and San Francisco International Airport was the first to install carbon offset kiosks.

Here is a quick overview of the 5 Reasons San Francisco is a Sustainable City

Eco-Transportation

San Francisco’s public transportation system, is one of the top systems in the country with its mix of rapid rail, commuter rail and bus lines that span the city, that runs on biodiesel.
San Francisco is a pedestrian-friendly city, and walking is the best option to see everything, it’s zero-emissions, and you’ll get the health benefits of exercise.

If you want to get around more quickly than walking on your feet, but skip the public transportation you may consider renting a bike from one of the many rental shops in the city-including Bay City Bikes and Blazing Saddles or sign for a bike tour.

More than half of MUNI buses and light rails are zero-emission, and the remains will switch to hybrid diesel by 2020. After the city’s Healthy Air and Smog Prevention ordinance in 1999, more than 700 “cleaner air vehicles,” which are compressed natural gas, hybrid, and electric, have been introduced to San Francisco’s public transportation. There are a large number of LEED-certified companies and many buildings are eco-friendly certified.

Sustainable Food

Vegan cuisine is a really popular in San Franciscan food. City agencies maximize fair trade and organic food purchases from local farms that grow and harvest food sustainably. Restaurants maintain this habit and often times have menus that vary by the season and are locally grown ingredients. Even some sushi restaurants serve sustainably-sourced seafood. More grocery stores and restaurants are opting for sustainable options. The food production within the city has increased and farmers’ markets have become less pricey.

From coffee to cheese to other exceedingly valuable crops, California clearly has the climate and drive to grow its own produce. And having the nearby, hungry U.C. system as a customer willing to save money and operate more sustainably could seal the deal

San Fransisco hiking trails

Eco-Friendly Things to Do

With more than 220 green spaces in San Francisco, it’s easy to escape the City by the Bay without ever really leaving it. There are over 30 miles of hiking trails, residents can enjoy.
Hiking trails accessible by both walking and driving, offers breathtaking views of the city and East Bay, Bernal Heights and Brooks Park also have access to gorgeous views, as well as Bayview Park and Glen Canyon Park.

Reduce Waste

Waste reduction or prevention is the preferred approach to waste management because waste that never gets created doesn’t have waste management costs. Waste reduction also helps conserve resources for future generations and contributes to a cleaner environment.
San Francisco plans living waste-free by the year 2020. The Bay Area city is already over 78 percent achieved the goal and continues to make significant progress in reducing the impact in the landfills.

Back in 2007, San Francisco was the first US city to ban plastic bags! Grocery stores offer compostable bags as an alternative. The containers for waste subdivision in San Francisco are located in convenient locations such as stores, restaurants, campuses, and residential streets.
Greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 12% compared to 1990 levels. Local farmers use the city’s nutrient-rich compost to produce food.

Water Conservation

Californians have made great strides in their commitment to water conservation and are embracing wise water use as a daily habit. From taking shorter showers to transforming landscapes with California friendly plants, Californians are showing that conservation still matters and that even the smallest changes can have a big impact.
In this battle to conserve water, San Francisco stands out as the area that has reduced its water consumption the most dramatically. San Franciscans use the least amount of water in the state of California. Residents use 49 gallons of water a day on average, compared to 100 gallons a day in the rest.

Photo credit: pexels.com

Check our others blog posts and learn more about other sustainable cities.

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Ningaloo Reef Australia

Ningaloo Reef: Australia’s alternative to the Great Barrier Reef

October 8, 2019
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Ningaloo Reef is home to the world’s largest fringing reef and can easily be accessed within a few feet from the coast. This is the only place in the world where a large coral reef can be accessed so easily. Because of its incredible biodiversity, it is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Ningaloo Reef is home to more than 200 species of hard corals and 50 species of soft corals with over 520 species of fish. The reefs are easily accessible because it is the close distance from the shore. It is a popular destination for divers and snorkellers.

Coral reefs around the world are under increasing stress due to a combination of local and global factors.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometers. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps and it is the only living structure that can be seen from space.

Great Barrier Reef

Photo by Yanguang Lan on Unsplash

Why is the Great Barrier Reef in danger?

This reef provides home for an astounding variety of marine life, plants and animals – from ancient sea turtles, reef fish and 134 species of sharks and rays, to 400 different hard and soft corals and a plethora of seaweeds. The Reef is far more than an economic resource.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was created in 1975 through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act. 

Coral bleaching
Coral reefs need clean, clear water to survive. When sediment and other pollutants enter the water, they smother coral reefs, speed the growth of damaging algae, and lower water quality. Pollution can also make corals more susceptible to disease, impede coral growth and reproduction, and cause changes in food structures on the reef.

Small-scale bleaching is a common sight on the reef, but in the 1998 year that saw widespread bleaching, 42% of the reef turned white.

Farm pollution
Sediment and chemical runoff from farms is a major threat to inshore coral reefs and seagrass meadows in our Great Barrier Reef.

Nutrients from fertilizer pollution in the Reef’s waters also fuels massive outbreaks of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, which devour our coral reefs. Reducing fertilizer use will not only save money but will also reduce polluted runoff.

Fishing
Coral reef fish are a significant food source for over a billion people worldwide. Traps set too close to reefs and marine debris, such as ghost traps, lost nets, monofilament, and lines, can damage coral reefs, which take a long time to recover.

Overfishing cause reducing the numbers of grazing fish that keep corals clean of algal overgrowth.

On many of the cays, there are spectacular and globally important breeding colonies of seabirds and marine turtles, and Raine Island is the world’s largest green turtle breeding area.

Ningaloo Reef

This incredible, pristine wilderness offers the most affordable reef experience you are likely to find anywhere in the world. Ningaloo Reef is actually in fairly good health compare to the Great Barrier Reef.

There are many ways to enjoy the Ningaloo Reef and use ECO certified tour operators to ensure your trip is one that contributes to the protection of the reef in the long-term.

whale sharks ningaloo reef

Photo by NOAA on Unsplash

Swim with whale sharks

Each year the largest concentration of whale sharks are found in the waters of the reef.

snorkeling Ningaloo Reef

Photo by Janayara Machado on Unsplash

Drift and dive

With easy access from Exmouth, the Turquoise Bay Drift Snorkel offers some of the best snorkeling just meters from the beach. The shallow edges of the reef provide perfect snorkeling conditions for people of all ages and mobility.

sea turtles

Photo by Milos Prelevic on Unsplash

Encounter turtles

Three of the world’s seven marine turtle species, nest on mainland beaches and islands of Ningaloo Reef during the summer months from November to March. Here you may catch sight of loggerhead, green, hawksbill and flatback turtles as they embark on their epic annual journey. The loggerhead turtle is the most endangered species of sea turtle in the world.

Volunteers are required between December and January each year to monitor nesting beaches for turtle activity!

The bottom line

The Great Barrier Reef is very accessible if staying in Cairns or Port Douglas.

Compared to the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo is quite remote. Located off the coast of Western Australia, Ningaloo Reef requires a flight to Perth and a flight to Exmouth.

The diving and snorkeling sites of the Ningaloo are right along the coast with the Navy Pier, near the town of Exmouth, named as one of the best shore dives in the world.

The Ningaloo Reef is perhaps most famed for its whale sharks which feed there from March to June.

Ningaloo Reef facilitates intimate wildlife encounters – swimming with whale sharks and observing nesting turtles – and for accessibility and affordability it can’t be beaten

On the other hand, the Great Barrier Reef offers the diversity of indulgent five-star escapes, world-class dive sites, sailing trips, and budget island camping adventures, but you’ll have to pay more and your trip will end up more expensive. When Ningaloo Reef offers the joy of spending a night on the reef or some truly remote paradise.

Want to learn more about other sustainable destination? Check out section sustainable travel destinations.

Featured photo by Ursula Krapf on Unsplash
Great Bear Rainforest

Why You Should Explore Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest

June 30, 2019
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The Great Bear Rainforest is a temperate rain forest on the Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada and part of the larger Pacific temperate rainforest ecoregion, which is the largest coastal temperate rainforest in the world.

The Great Bear Rainforest was officially recognized by the Government of British Columbia in February 2016, when it announced an agreement to permanently protect 85% of the old-growth forested area from industrial logging.

The Great Bear Rainforest extends from the Discovery Islands in the south to the BC-Alaska boundary in the north and it covers an area roughly 32,000 km2.
The Great Bear Rainforest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unspoiled temperate rainforest left in the world. The area is home to species such as cougars, wolves, salmon, grizzly bears, and the Kermode bear, a unique subspecies of the black bear, in which one in ten cubs displays a recessive white-colored coat. This is the only place of the planet where you can spot the elusive white Kermode bear.

The forest features 1,000-year-old  western red cedar and 90-meter Sitka spruce.

Great Bear Rainforest
Photo credit: Kathryn Burrington / flickr
The 6.4 million hectares on British Columbia’s north and central coast is equivalent to the size of Ireland with a human population of less than 17,000 outside of the town of Prince Rupert, compared to 4.5 million in Ireland. Hidden from the outside world, it is one of the wildest places left on earth and protected by the region’s indigenous people unchanged for 10,000 years.

The historic agreement that secures the future of the Great Bear Rainforest means more old and second-growth forest will be protected, while still ensuring opportunities for economic development.

Visit Great Bear Rainforest

The Great Bear Rainforest has become a popular destination for travelers seeking first-hand views of the region’s stunning landscapes, waterways and array of wildlife.
You can approach the Great Bear Rainforest by roads using one of the area’s main gateways Bella Coola in central BC or by sea with ferry through BC Ferries’ Inside Passage route and the Discovery Coast Connector.

Sea Kayaking and Wildlife Viewing in regions of the Great Bear Rainforest provides an unforgettable adventure. Touring through this spectacular wilderness in a spacious and beautiful sailboat provides visitors with an intimate and unique experience.

The warmest months to visit the area are from June to August. The best chance to spot bears is during the annual salmon run from late August to September.

Biodiversity

The Great Bear Rainforest is a wildlife location in Canada and it is ideal for Bear watching, wildlife cruises, wildlife festivals, and wildlife photography.

Humpback whale
Photo credit: Brodie Guy / flickr

Marine Life

Off the coast of the newly protected Great Bear Rainforest lies the Great Bear Sea, one of the richest cold-water marine environments in the world. Its pristine, thriving waters are packed with nutrients, supporting an abundance of whales, all five species of Pacific salmon, as well as dolphins, porpoises, sea birds and other marine life.

Salmon are a vital key to the Great Bear Rainforest ecosystem and an important food source for a wide array of wildlife as well as grizzly bears for their survival. The great salmon population attracts a wide range of animals, including killer whales, sharks, sea lions, seals, otters, bears, loons, mergansers, heron, and kingfishers. At the same time, a lot of insects and plants are benefiting from nitrogen from salmon.

Mammals

The Great Bear Rainforest is home to hundreds of species of animals that make up one of the most bio-diverse areas on the planet. and rich in various species especially large predators due to the vast expanse of wilderness, cougars, wolves, black bears, Spirit bears and grizzly bears are the larger mammalian predators, with a wide variety of mustelids such as otters, mink, martins and fishers.

The Kermode (Spirit) bear, a subspecies of black bear with a white coat and British Columbia’s provincial mammal, is found almost exclusively in the Great Bear Rainforest. There are likely fewer than 400 of these rare bears in existence. Spirit Bears are found most frequently on Princess Royal Island which is also the location of the recently created Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy.

Birds

Birdlife includes Bald Eagles in abundance as well as Marbled Murrelet, Blue Herons, reptiles can also be found but in smaller numbers due to the climate and Salamanders are represented in pools and streams.

Plants

The main forest tree species is Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, Red cedar and Western Hemlock. The amount of moisture means that fire is very rare which results in an incredibly damp decomposing habitat filled with mosses and fungi and decaying trees.

Great Bear Rainforest BCPhoto credit: Dru! / flickr

Trees

BC’s coastal temperate rainforests are characterized by some of the oldest and largest trees on Earth, the most common of which are Sitka spruce, red cedar, western hemlock, amabilis and Douglas fir. Trees can tower up to 300feet and grow for more than 1,500 years.

Cultural History in BC Canada
Photo credit: Province of British Columbia / flickr

Cultural History

The Great Bear Rainforest is a land of fjords, islands, and great river estuaries. You have the unique chance to explore the worlds of several northwest First Nations: the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Haisla, Gitga’at, and Henaaksiala. Everywhere is evidence of their civilization. You can join tours and you’ll be able to visit modern villages, talk with local residents, and see the ancient art traditions still in place today.

In 2016 the Premier of British Columbia and First Nations of the Great Bear Rainforest region announced a conservation agreement of global significance.

Main photo credit: Sam Beebe / flickr
Want to learn more about other sustainable destination? Check out section sustainable travel destinations.

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