Energy Conservation for Earth Hour and Green Travel with Elevate Destinations

Earth Hour, put on by the World Wildlife Fund, is a phenomenon that has taken the the world by storm. Originally founded in Australia, and now in its third year in the U.S., people all across the country are turning off their lights for a designated hour of observance. Leslie Aun, Executive Director of Earth Hour U.S., talks to John and Mike about this year’s Earth Hour, taking place on Saturday, March 27 at 8:30 p.m. in your local timezone.

“The purpose is to send a message that the world wants action on our climate, and we need to do things right away to save our planet,” Aun says. She encourages those interested in participating to sign up on the official website and see which people and places are making the commitment.

Later in the hour, Dominique Callimanopulos, founder of Elevate Destinations, joins the show to discuss how the travel sector is greening rapidly.

Elevate Destinations’ trips — green honeymoons, service trips and family trips all over the world — donate 5% of costs to a host of green-minded charities. The company also carbon offsets the ground portion of its trips and tries to find eco-friendly lodging for travelers as much as possible. Callimanopulos says that many of the travelers are looking to make service a part of their trip, whether they are honeymooners, businesspeople or families.

“[Our clientele] can be any kind of person — any age, from any background — that wants to make a difference,” Callimanopulos says. “There is something for everyone.”

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