Today we went on a Blue Mountain Tour in Sydney, Australia. There were multiple excursions throughout the tour but my favorite part was visiting the actual mountains. There have been loads of bush fires which filled the skies with smoke and made the outlines of the mountains barely noticeable. Bush fires are common but these are the worst to date. I was able to talk to one of the Sky Cart workers about sustainable practices in Sydney and was pleasantly surprised by what I was told. For instance, Australia is currently on water reduction due to drought so water is being withheld and used appropriately. Also specifically at Scenic World, the park is powered by solar panels and the Sky Carts themselves reuse/regenerate electricity. The water misters at the top of the mountains were adjusted to spray in a super fine manner as a way to keep guests cool and ensure that water wasn’t being wasted but the air was being cooled efficiently. It was nice having a conversation about sustainability with a local especially studying abroad getting his perspective was helpful.