It might be a natural wonder, but the Dead Sea can’t be entered into the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest because of politics.

The contest’s rules require that if a nominated site, such as the Dead Sea, is located in more than one country, all the countries involved must form an Official Supporting Committeee (OSC) by July 7. This doesn’t look like it will happen for the Dead Sea. Israel and Jordan,  two of the three countries which share the Dead Sea have signed on, but the third - Palestine - is refusing to do so. Nothing at all to do with natural beauty and wonder. Everything to do with politics and the continually volatile Middle East situation.

Disappointing really, as having the Dead Sea nominated and then possibly winning would help highlight the environmental threats it faces. Continual mineral extraction and human exploitation of the Jordan River feed waters has caused the Dead Sea to shrimk dramatically over the past 30 years.

Only a last minute re-think by the Palestinian Authorities would allow the Dead Sea to progress to the next stage of the contest in which internet voters around the world reduce the contestants down from 261 to 77.

From there a short list of 21 which will then be voted on to choose the final seven that will be announced in 2011

It‘s estimated that over a billion votes will be counted. Will yours be one of them?

And if so, which sites will you vote for?

Getting to and from England’s airports just got greener with the launching of Carbon Voyage, an environmentally friendly door-to-door car service.

And while in England, let Walkit.com help you get around. This website, launched by environmentalist and walking advocate Jamie Wallace, maps out walking route 14 different British cities. (read more…)

Go Green Travel Green offers some tips on flying green. And for anyone trying to get their head around carbon offsets, have a read of their 12 Things You Need to Know About Carbon Offsets

MMN is offering some green road trip tips.

eMagazine lists 10 Music Festivals That Are Serious About Being Green.

Find out how Six Flags parks are trying to go green.

Portland International Airport has an interesting way of showcasing it’s recycled sewage.

In New York, local restaurants are trying to be more sustainable.

Meanwhile, in Taipei the city is launching eco-friendly city tours.

Green Destinations: Orlando, Florida and San Diego, California.

Just because you live in the big city doesn’t mean that you have to forsake nature. Escape the city with these 12 natural getaways from WebEcoist.

Find out how U.S. Mayors are supporting  global guidelines for Sustainable Tourism.

Intelligent Travel helps your discover the greening history of Boulder, Colorado. 

Jamble Mag asks Is sleeping in a hotel room with no bed eco-friendly?

Meanwhile,  the Guardian asks Just how green can a €1bn, 3,000-room resort really be?

Check out this Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuel written by Geneva-based Air Transport Action Group (ATAG).

Segways in national parks - ecofriendly or lazy?

Mother Nature Network lists the Top 10 organic fast-food restaurants.

World Hum looks at When (So-Called) Eco-Travelers Sin.

the daily green lists The 10 Greenest Airlines Fly Friendlier Skies.

Or you might call it eating in. Santa Cruz is the poster child for Northern California values and attitudes. With a population composed of university students going for an environmentalism-related degree at UC Santa Cruz, tech workers commuting to Silicon Valley, and a permanent itinerant population that in another generation might have classified as Deadheads, the city is both seriously laid-back, and serious about its organic and locally grown food sources. Not only that, but people there like to eat. Case in point: the first time I ever visited Santa Cruz, for my older sister’s wedding over ten years ago, a crowd of happy and hapless homeless young hippies on the sidewalk were happy to take leftover handmade cannolli in lieu of change I did not have. Another guy used to sit on the sidewalk with a cardboard sign saying, “Why lie? I need a beer.” I like honesty.

I also like to eat out — a lot, my scale tells me now I’m back home — when I visit my sisters in sunny Santa Cruz. And both they and the town are happy to accommodate. One of their favorite spots is Cafe Brasil for brunch, which serves fabulous Brazilian fare (obviously) and truly appalling Brazilian coffee. Really terrible coffee. Trust me, skip it. But don’t skimp on anything else. The most popular dish is hands-down the Açai Bowl, a blend of the “Amazonian power fruit” with strawberries, bananas, apples, and guarana syrup, topped with granola and more strawberries and bananas. It’s a healthy, great-tasting meal in itself, but I never stop there because the vegetarian Gallo Pinto served with fried plantains is just too fabulous for words. And filling.

The thing is, though, no matter how much I like to eat out, I do actually have family in Santa Cruz, so there’s a lot of home-cooked meals. And, boy, do they make me jealous. I mean, I live in a great farming region of New York State and have access to plenty of fresh produce — in the summer, when things grow here. Santa Cruz? They’ve got one of the best farmers’ markets in the country year-round.

The Santa Cruz Farmers’ Market is held in a parking lot off the main drag every Wednesday from 2:30 - 6:30 p.m. And it’s not the kind of thing we get in the Hudson Valley. Fresh-baked bread, a variety of produce, yeah, we’ve got that. But fresh, sustainably harvested seafood? A variety of street musicians? Farmers foisting cherries on you at every turn? A gelato stand? Fresh sauerkraut? I don’t think so.

That’s not to mention the fact that I can stand around scarfing freshly shucked oysters while my sisters shop for the tastiest local organic greens and ready-to-freeze pizza dough. They’re so damn spoiled.

Wandering around Santa Cruz gives you an appetite anyway, there’s so many good-quality sushi bars and taquerias and coffee shops just hanging out waiting for your attention. And it takes a long time to traverse the main street if you’re going to listen to all the good music, stare at the inventive requests for money in the form of cardboard signs, free belly dancing, or flower-arranging skill.

It’s a strange place, and you never need to leave Pacific Ave, the main drag, to get your full complement of Santa Cruz food and lifestyle. My favorite eatery by far, however, is the River Cafe and Cheese Shop located a few blocks off of Pacific. With a variety of cheeses, breads, sandwiches, soups, and homemade canned local fruits and veggies, you’d never go hungry, but I recommend the “daily toast,” which, the day I went, featured sharp Cowgirl Creamery cheese on toast topped with marinated apricots and served with a fresh salad. And the fruit/berry crisp is to die for.

It also leaves room for a quick stop at Aqua Bleu, which is where I always like to drop in after a long flight from the East Coast. Why? Because the Asian restaurant and sushi bar’s Long Life Soup feels like just the tonic needed after a life-force-sucking airplane ride, especially with a cranky toddler in tow. I’ve had the same post-flight ritual ever since the place first opened up and it was my younger sister’s first serious restaurant job. The Bleu Meany (pictured above) is one of their eclectic sushi dishes (you have to try it to believe it) and the Sake Bomb burger just kicks ass when what you really want is a burger and a beer. Me, I go for the Long Life Soup, some sashimi, and their fabulous horseradish-laced Bloody Marys.

Santa Cruz’s food, in the end, comes from its culture and its climate. Being part of liberal Northern California, its denizens scramble for the best local, fresh, and organic ingredients that sun and mild seasons can provide. I never go away hungry in either stomach, palate, or morals, even if my wallet is leaner. Ethical, local, sustainable, and great-tasting food, you can’t beat it.

Perry Garfinkel at Huffington Post writes  How Green Is My Costa Rica?

SFGate looks at Volunteer Vacations for Surfers.

Go Green Go Travel has an Interview with Green Traveler Kelly Galaski from Greenspot.

Traveling the Green Way looks at new Green Earth Guides.

eco Interactive looks at  how to Volunteer for Turtle Conservation, Stay on One of Costa Rica’s Most Beautiful Beaches.

Airport Hybrid Rentals looks at the The Pros and Cons of Renting a Hybrid Car Versus Conventional Car

WebEcoist lists 15 Cities Where Pedestrians Rule

A Luxury Travel Blog tells us how to  Go green in Hong Kong! with information on boutique hotel The Luxe Manor is launching a new Green Package.

Sierra Club wants you to Vote for Your Favorite Farmers’ Market.

The Daily Green offers The 10 Most Romantic Ecotourism Destinations and 11 Eco-Friendly Volunteer Vacations.

And this weeks green city guides feature Auckland, New Zealand and Glasgow, Scotland.

Happy Green Travels…