I love to travel, but I always worry about the effect traveling has on the environment. The good thing is that companies are recognizing the need to protect the environment so things are getting better.

Along these lines, I was happy to see that Royal Caribbean cruise lines was honored with a responsible tourism award. The primary reason they won is because they are buying ships that produce far less pollution compared to ships built just ten years ago.

As I said, things are getting better, but we still have a long way to go. One thing I am not sure about is whether or not cruise ships still dump their waste into the water. Since most cruise ships operate in international waters, there are few laws stopping ships from dumping their human and garbage waste into the water. Hopefully this has changed in recent years, but the last update I had was that dumping was still taking place.

In addition to cruise ships getting more environmentaly friendly, I hope airplane engines continue to use less fuel and give off less exhaust. I know the technology is getting better, but airplane pollution is a big factor in the amount of carbon being put into the air.

If we can get these basic pollution problems solved, then I think travel will reach its potential as a positive aspect fo the human species. By traveling we meet other people and learn about other coultures. The friendships we make all over the world makes the world a better place. Our tourism dollars also help development in areas that often have little resources for basic roads, schools, clinics, etc...

Development strategies are being improved to be more mindful of the environment and local populations. Let's hope that this trend continues. Let's reward companies that are making an effort to iprove the impacts they are having as they cater to our travel desires.