Sustainable Development - more Politicians

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Sustainable Development is the latest buzzword.  Like "Ecotourism" the term was viable for the first 15 seconds.  Today hotels claim to be Ecotourism and support NGOs and licensing agencies perpetuate the folly because hotels pay more membership fees and donations than real Ecotourism companies ("real Ecotourism" by original definition must be High Quality, Low Volume Nature-Based activities i.e., there isn't much money in it.)

Once we agree on whatever sustainable development is, certification without trade union intervention can be a good thing.  We DO need sustainable forest and jungles, especially in Central Africa, the Amazon Basin and SE Asia where Chinese exploitation is (again) killing Mother Earth's lungs.

However, just like Ecotourism, Sustainable Development is easily twisted into counter-productivity.  The EU passed a law requiring 15% of all EU petrol should be ethanol - and immediately doomed Orangutan, one of our closest relatives.  The unchecked SE Asia forest fires of the late 90's cleared jungle habitat for Palm Oil.  While Malaysian timber companies dominate rainforest extraction (even if it is Chinese driven), both Malaysia and Indonesia are responsible for the fires that suffocated SE Asia.  Now, Indonesian forestry companies - the ultimate in corruption and lack of conscience - are claiming their Palm oil products are "certified", spending a fraction of their profits on PR just to look good. 

Shame on the short-sighted EU for creating the problem in the first place.  Expensive 5-star hotel food is simply overpriced institutional food. The best hotel chef I ever met resigned his luxury assignment when the famous hotel chain chose to look the other way at dangerous drinking water quality, and GM’s turn off their sewage treatment plants as soon as the Green Globe inspectors depart the premises.  Same happens in forestry.

Anytime you see Big Money claiming to be Sustainable, Eco, or Ecotourism - either at the source or the buyer - don't believe it, and don’t buy it. 

See you on the water,

Ling Yai (Thai for 'Big Monkey')  AKA John Caveman Gray