Eco-logy. Homer or Plato already used these two words, eco: oikos which means home and logos which means science though possibly they never ever put them together in those times: trash was not a concern, though yes they were extremely hygienic, and in a way…delicate. But these two Greek words were possibly put down together for the first time in 1866 by a German biologist called Ernst Haeckel, who (according to books and google) was a great inventor of words (just as I am!).

What our friend Ernst said is that ecology is the science that studies our home, yes, but not our four walls and window, he “macro-viewed” his home and thought about our oldest mansion, the biggest one, our planet, our environment, our common home.

I am positively a fan of ecology and recycling, and hate all Argentine beaches filled with plastic bottles, bags, cans and all post modern packaging and textures degrading in the sun, possibly over more years than my life will have.

We are, as citizens of Buenos Aires, are completely used to the view of a silver river, and to the absolute non-possibility of bathing in it or betting a friend that we could swim to the other shore of Uruguay. We are very used to fantasising that the Río de la Plata is the widest river in the world, and we are so used to the fact that it is 100% polluted…God! In a way it is like having the biggest penis on earth and being unable to not only use it, but even touch it… and we still talk about size!

So what can I say about this beautiful country and all its geographic diversity regarding ecology? We can say we are still surviving maybe because the biggest amount of people live in the cities, which are 100% polluted, and where no government ever made clear rules or advertising to educate the masses regarding pollution. I am of course not even counting the factories, the mines, supermarkets, etc. Geography did an amazing job, but we are in our way to changing it.

We are an amazing nation, our people are mostly adorable, but if there is one thing that we are not it is eco-friendly. And here I think I am not only talking about Argentina, but of most of Latin America – we are not clean people, we have no conscience about pollution, our buses pollute, our cigarettes pollute, our glossy brochures that come with the paper ticket that we pay to enter a national park pollute, our picnics pollute, our family days by the beach pollute, our dogs pollute our streets, we use plastic bags like underwear, we are addicts to plastic, and victims of throwing it out of the window, on to the beach, in the mountains, by the river, in the streets, in the desert or at the falls.

So… if you expect me to recommend all the hypocrite hotels who have their organic groves while they throw their trash in the highway or that have golden details that come from a magnesium-using, ultra-cancerous mine in Catamarca, I may just say I am not buying those eco-stories.

The first time I was taught that I couldn’t throw a can through my car window was when I was 18 years old. 

Well, that is only Argentina, if I have to talk about the world, I think there is a double speech in all this eco-message, an eco-hotel recommending the closest airport sounds hypocrite for me, those hotels live from non-ecological suppliers and clients and indirectly we are all victims of – but most of all accessories to – pollution. WE ARE GUILTY!

So, here I am, with my computer (non-ecological and next to be a technological trash) plugged to the wall to use electricity, and honestly the list of my non-ecological lifestyle is very long, just like yours.

Do you want to know what is ecological for me? I mean real ecology? No clothes, no medicine, no markets, no ice, no matches, no lighters, no energy, no fuel, no cars, no jets, no passports, no buttons, no spas, no credit cards, no Coca Cola, no cocaine, no i-pods, etc, etc. Therefore, let’s not be hippies in the 21st century, we screwed it, there is no way back, so let’s fight against apocalypses, but please do not fall into the weakest arms of saviours of nothing: you may not wear a coat made of animal skin (which is something really ecological if you hunted it yourself and ate it and then made your coat) but you may own a car that keeps throwing dirty fumes into the air … So don’t be hypocrite, being eco-friendly is good, being an eco-extremist is insane.

Go to the desert, find a cave, light a fire (with stones), hunt a snake, eat it and make a wallet for your return, that is the only eco-tourism I may recommend.