Tips for Traveling Green

Tips for Traveling Green

With growing concern over the size of our carbon footprint, it's no surprise that people are taking into consideration their impact on the environment throughout all aspects of their day-to-day lives. Vacation and travel are no more exempt from that ideology than anything else. What can make it challenging is that so many factors become out of your control when specific destinations and a limited budget come into play. There are still a lot of things you can do, however, to keep costs reasonable and your green life in one piece.

Shut it down. Ensure that prior to leaving, you've turned off all electric devices and unplugged any power strips or A/C adapters (eliminates phantom load). Lower the temperature on your water heater and thermostats, and suspend your newspaper subscription while you're gone. Some even suggest going as far as turning off the water main, on the off chance a pipe bursts and you become the unwitting owner of an indoor swimming pool.

Use public transportation. Shuttle to the airport, avoid rental cars and use public transportation (fill in the gaps with car sharing services like Zipcar when needed) as much as possible. Not only is it cheaper and environmentally friendly, but you can to leave the driving to someone else.

Don't fly. While not really a viable option for cross country and international trips, if you're staying within a few states or on the same coast, consider traveling by train or carpooling with a group of others. Many environmental organizations cite air travel as a "climate killer," so by choosing not to support the industry, you're minimizing the amount of CO2 released on your behalf.

Avoid excessive packaging. A high level of preparedness for the hotel and restaurant industry usually means plastic wrapped utensils, napkins, and single-serving everything. Pledge to avoid these items as much as possible, and if you do find yourself in need of something, try to reuse it several times throughout your stay.

Stay home. Or "staycationing" as it's being called. Venture to the outlying regions of your area, walk off the beaten tourist path, and get to know your own neighborhood a little better. Not only will you reduce emissions from a shorter distance traveled, you'll be able to upgrade your accommodations and length of stay by virtue of not having time consuming and costly travel to absorb into your vacation.

Other sites of interest:

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

Sustainable Travel International