Developing world's 10 best ethical destinations

Searching for e-mail from Jeff Greenwald is pretty easy. Out of the 300 or so messages The Chronicle's Travel section gets daily, Jeff's are the only ones with the word "ethical."

At a time when everyone in travel is releasing end-of-year and end-of-decade lists about Top 10 cheap hotels, romantic sites, waterproof jackets, iPhone apps, burger joints and airfare deals, Greenwald and his partners at Ethical Traveler, a Berkeley nonprofit advocacy group that advises travelers on how to use "economic power to strengthen human rights and protect the environment," are focusing on making responsible decisions.

"Travel has become one of the planet's biggest industries - on par with oil - and our economic power as travelers is enormous," Greenwald and co-author Christy Hoover said in the group's annual report of the Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations. "The way we travel has a measurable impact on the environment, human rights, and the way our home country is viewed by people in other lands."

The list is based on three general categories - environmental protection, social welfare and human rights - as well as a number of subcategories, including preservation of resources, mortality rate, civil liberties, safe drinking water and political rights, to name a few. The idea is that nations with responsible policies, not just sexy attractions, should be recognized and rewarded. "By visiting the countries mentioned here, we 'vote with our wings.' "

The group's recommendations for 2010 are, alphabetically: Argentina, Belize, Chile, Ghana, Lithuania, Namibia, Poland, Seychelles, South Africa and Suriname. (Find the entire report online at www.ethicaltraveler.org.) A few highlights from this year's report, in no particular order:

Lithuania: Scored well in environmental protection with "a very high level of overall environmental health, air and water quality, and sustainable forestry practices."

Chile: Notable for "outstanding air quality, conservation practices and sustainable land management."

Argentina: Recently committed "toward zero net deforestation" and is a "world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets."

Seychelles: Nearly 50 percent of the country's land is under natural conservation, a global record.

Poland: The lowest infant mortality rate on the list, as well as a top ranking for civil liberties, according to the Freedom in the World 2009 Report.

Namibia: Highly rated in social welfare category, especially in the area of "ruling justly."

Ghana: Was added "due to an impressive commitment to genuine democracy."

Belize: Earned the highest possible rating for political rights from Freedom House, a rights monitoring group.

South Africa: High marks for sustainable coastal development and environmental management, as well as for freedom of press.

Suriname: On the list because of its "unspoiled rainforest biodiversity and sincere efforts toward ecotourism and environmental protection."

Almost as important as the names on the list are the ones from last year's list that were removed, including: Costa Rica (increase in sex tourism); Bolivia and Bulgaria (child trafficking and corruption); and Nicaragua (deteriorating record on human rights). Also, Croatia and Estonia are no longer considered developing nations.

"No country on Earth is perfect. Some are strong in some areas, and weaker in others. Some do many things well, but fall dramatically short in one critical area," Greenwald and Hoover say in the report. "It's as difficult as recommending dishes in a great restaurant. Everything is delicious; but these are the specials."

Source:sfgate.com/