Johnson’s Eco houseboat has an inboard engine (noise free-non-pollutant).  The bathroom is fitted with a bio-tank.  No plastic is sold on board.  Power for the eco-friendly CFL lamps/bulbs and fan is derived from the boat’s engine using invertors/alternator method, with storage batteries.

Solar panels – green wash?
Since the power can be derived from the engine itself, it does not make sense to buy solar panels.  It’s just additional expense.  Some of the bigger companies put them in their boats to lead gullible tourists to believe it’s eco-friendly.   It’s not.   It’s what they now call- green wash.

Eco-worthiness of a kerala built houseboat (Greenpalm certified, Gold certified etc) is limited to what is viable here.  Until the Government brings in proper guidelines, and install waste disposal units – it is only so much that a houseboat operator can do.  Johnson’s eco-worthiness on his boat began even before the boat was built.  For every tree (jacwud) that was cut to build the hull of the boat – a sapling was planted to replace it.  See (making of the boat video).

All the staff who work on his boat are from the villages off the backwaters.

Ceiling of the lower deck of the boat are lined with bamboo and coconut wood panels.  Even the décor is made of roots of abandoned tree roots that are retrieved, it’s outer bark peeled, polished & placed strategically on board.

Newspaper clippings of climate change articles are kept onboard to remind guests of it’s adverse impact.