National Geographic Journeys with G Adventures show you some of the world’s most innovative sustainability initiatives. When you travel on a National Geographic Journeys with G Adventures tour, you support projects that help protect the planet for generations to come. Witness the power of geothermal heat at a greenhouse and power plant in Iceland. Learn about the Clean Cookstoves Project in Tanzania, where more than 200 clean cookstoves have been installed in Maasai villages to reduce indoor smoke and eliminate the need for fuel gathering. In New Zealand, enjoy lunch at an eel farm that focuses on developing sustainable aquaculture. Find more info about these initiatives — and how to visit them — below.
Iceland's geothermal green thumb
Just over a quarter of Iceland's power is supplied by geothermal energy, which is power harnessed from the high concentration of volcanoes on the island nation. At Friðheimar farm, about an hour from Reykjavik, geothermal energy powers greenhouses that are used to grow fresh tomatoes (the farm's adjacent restaurant serves an all-tomato menu). Meanwhile, the nearby Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant — the world's third-largest geothermal power plant — allows visitors to get a first-hand look at how geothermal energy is harnessed and distributed. Want to learn more? Check out our Explore Iceland tour.
In Tanzania, 95% of the population relies on stoves that burn wood or coal. The risks here are manifold: girls who are tasked with gathering wood are at risk of assault; girls and women who cook on these stoves — which are indoor — are exposed to high concentrations of smoke, putting them at risk of developing emphysema, cancer, pneumonia, and blindness. In Partnership with the Planeterra Foundation, the Maasai Clean Cookstoves program installs new stoves in the homes of Monduli, Tanzania, reducing the risk of indoor pollution-related illnesses. Want to see the Maasai Clean Cookstoves program at work? Check out our Tanzania Safari Experience tour.
There's more than one way to sustainably grow food. Case in point: An eel farm in Auckland, New Zealand, that's developing sustainable aquaculture solutions for dairy farms in the area. In addition, the systems developed on this farm have been built with an eye to improving the surrounding wetlands — truly an initiative that aims to give back to the earth as much as it takes from it. Want to see these environmental eels in action? Check out our Explore Australia and New Zealand tour._