Week 12 Prompt - Code Green: Experiences of a Lifetime by Kerry Lorimer

Coordinating Author: Kerry Lorimer

Title:   Code Green: Experiences of a Lifetime

Publication date:        2006

Number of Pages:     211

Geographic Setting:   Africa & the Middle East, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, Europe, North America, Pacific, South & Central America, Mexico, Antarctica & the Caribbean

Time Period:  Present

Subject Headings:     Travel, ecotourism, sports & outdoor, nature travel

Type:   Adult Nonfiction

Series Notes: General Reference

Book Summary:         Code Green is a collection of almost a hundred eco-friendly travel experiences from across the globe.  Code Green is a demonstration on how to travel and immerse yourself in the environment and culture of your destination so that upon your departure, your destination is positively impacted by your presence.   With varied destinations, and travel mistakes along the way, the documented travel experiences are entertaining and eye-opening.  The examples contained within all have one common element, “…every example adheres to the principles of responsible tourism:  they are sensitive to environment and culture, and ensure that a proportion of their revenue is directed into the host community,” (Lorimer 8).

Beginning with the basics, “What is ‘Responsible Tourism?’ and finishing with the global impact of an estimated 1.5 billion people traveling internationally by 2020, Code Green educates, enlightens and entices the adventurous reader to travel, domestically and internationally, in an environmentally responsible manner, leaving a trail of positive impacts behind, “Traveling by the responsible travel ethos is one of the most direct and personal ways you can make a difference to some of the biggest issues affecting our world: poverty and peace.  And you’ll have the time of your life doing it,” (Lorimer 210).

Reading elements:   

Setting

Detailed settings and rich, descriptive language, establish the backdrop of the forthcoming eco-friendly travel experience, “Straddling the border between Poland and Belarus, the Bialowieza primeval forest is the most important and largest remaining tract of the ancient lowland forest that covered Europe until 6000 years ago,” (Lorimer 126).  Descriptive language paints a visual picture for the reader, creating a sense of awe and desire to experience the scene personally, “At first glance the Romanian city of Tulcea looks like little more than a concrete ulcer blighting the banks of the Danube.  But with its busy wharves and jostling ferries, it is the launching pad for voyages into one of the most extraordinary and far-flung corners of Europe:  The Danube Delta,” (Lorimer 133). 

Style/ Language

The rich language encourages a slower pace, inviting the reader to enjoy every step, stroke and sight of the journey, “As you navigate the arms of the river and the channels that crisscross the Delta’s 5640 sq km, passing traditional fishing villages that lie hours by boat from any road, you can encounter a proliferation of mammal and reptile life…” (Lorimer 133).  Like fishing on a lazy river, Code Green offers readers an unhurried reading experience.

Characterization

The often used second person narrative invites the reader into the scene, transforming the reader into an active participant, “You start of walking in tropical warmth alongside the raging rapids of the Tamba and Bhote Kosi Rivers,” (Lorimer 77).  The reader can almost feel the tropical steam as they hike along the rapids.  Including the reader in the travel experience by implementing a second person narrative, allows them to visualize the journey and encourages participation in future eco-travel adventures.

Tone/ Mood

The collection of eco-friendly travel experiences offer an intimate glimpse into the lives of the travelers during their trip.  The author thoroughly explores the scene of the travel, reflecting on the grandness of the adventure, “I’d dreamed of driving its (Route 66) 3550km ever since I’d moved to California.  Starting at Santa Monica Pier down by the Pacific Ocean, I gunned my car’s engine and whooped as I sped down the road,” (Lorimer 157).  A sense of awe and tone of admiration and appreciation flow throughout the book, used to highlight the positive impacts of traveling in an environmentally and ecologically friendly manner.

Annotation

Code Green is a collection of travel experiences and tips inviting readers to “explore some of the world’s most magnificent wilderness…help tag turtles on the Great Barrier Reef, count macaws in Peru or learn to be a ranger in an Indian tiger sanctuary,”  or numerous other adventures in a sustainable, eco-friendly travel experience, (Lorimer 8).

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