We have traditionally taken a strong stance on many environmental issues, and pronouncements on responsible and sustainable travel have been published in many of our products, as well as on lonelyplanet.com. We need to ensure statements regarding responsible and sustainable travel are specific and, as far as is practical, supported by independent scientific evidence.
Ensure discussions encompasses both sides of the argument. While we believe that there are many environmental issues – such as climate change, deforestation and species extinction – that deserve attention and are supported by strong scientific evidence, we want to avoid sounding like preachy finger waggers or one-eyed tree-huggers.
When including information about environmental issues, consider the following questions:
Does the activity have environmental consequences that run counter to Lonely Planet’s stance on environmental issues such as sustainability or climate change?
What are the opinions of local people on the particular environmental issues being discussed and are they adequately represented?
Can we provide a balanced representation of the facts so that readers can make up their own minds about the issue, or is the issue so clear-cut that we can afford to provide a list of dos and don’ts?
Is this only an environmental issue, or are there associated ethical or political issues that need to be taken into account?