July 13, 2011


You want to travel, but you also want to be kind to the Earth. The good news is you can do both.  According to Harriet Elder of Latitudes Cruise and Travel in Midlothian, Texas she says “This is certainly a concern for a specific group of travelers and it is a growing trend in all walks of life to be more protective of our planet. It is important to do all that we can to leave as small a footprint as we can.”

Not sure where to start as you begin planning for your next trip, here are some easy ideas that you can incorporate into your next big jaunt or even a short weekend getaway. 

•    Save paper and do all your travel research online – Many people consider guidebooks and roadmaps as standard must haves when traveling.  Guidebooks are printed annually and the books often waste paper since all the information is already online.  That includes maps too.  Just print the information you need as well as the maps you know you’ll use and give the planet a rest. It’s not as easy to recycle map paper because of all the ink used.  If you must buy a map recycle it and use it for wrapping paper down the road.

•    Book your airline reservation online – You can buy airline tickets online these days and most people do, but remember to print your boarding pass out at home.  Before you ever head to the airport you can check-in and print your boarding pass.  This enables you to use plain copy paper versus the thicker paper the airlines use for boarding passes, which is much harder to recycle.      

•    Consider what you pack before taking it along – With airlines charging for bags it just makes sense to pack a “carry on” only instead of checking a bag.  When you pack lighter Mother Earth will smile too since for every extra 10 pounds per passenger it’s an additional 350 million gallons of jet fuel used per year.  If you do check a bag, give back by visiting an organization like www.Carbonfund.org, offsetting traveler’s CO2 emissions by supporting viable renewable energy development, re-forestation and other projects to turn back the clock on global climate change.

•    There is such a thing as a green cruise – The cruise ship will still use the dreaded marine diesel to keep the boat going, but there are a few cruise lines, for example Holland America, looking for greener ways to do business.  For example, the fleet’s ship Zaandam uses a saltwater "scrubber" to detoxify its engine emissions.  If you choose to cruise through Australia's Clean Cruising then trees will automatically be planted in your honor making your trip carbon-neutral. 

•    Or what about an eco-tour – Lots of tour companies these days have gotten the message that folks want a sustainable vacation option.  Usually these types of vacations are all about becoming aware of the natural environment while minimizing impact.  Some vacations might even be considered a job since guests are put to work improving the destination while enjoying the local culture.  For more information on eco-tours visit Canyon Creek Travel in Richardson’s website at www.canyoncreektravel.com, the company specializes in green travel among other specialties.

•    Green lodging is available too – Green can definitely mean comfort these days when it comes to hotels.  From urban retreats to luxury resorts all are doing their part to consider their carbon footprint from recycling to thermostat control to growing local gardens.  For a list of green hotels check out www.EnvironmentallyFriendlyHotels.com.

•    Reuse hotel linens and towels - You don't change your towels or your sheets every day when you’re at home so why expect it when you’re traveling.  By saving the water used for laundering towels and sheets at a hotel there’s an approximate savings of up to 40 percent of the hotel’s water.  Consider one or two towel changes a week at the most. 

•    If you aren’t already using a digital camera invest now – You not only save money on film when you use a digital camera versus a film camera, but you also have many more photos to choose from too.  From an environmental standpoint, a digital camera means using none of those hazardous chemicals often required to process film.

•    Rent a hybrid car if you need a car at all – First figure out if you can use the city’s public transportation.  If not, then consider a hybrid car or at least a fuel-efficient model when renting.  A hybrid car will also save you money on gas since it will triple the distance of a standard car on one tank.  Statistics actually show that as many as 1 million rental cars are used in the United States each year, if all those were hybrids just imagine the cost savings to the consumer and to the environment.  Most major rental car companies do offer a hybrid rental program such as Enterprise, Hertz, Avis and Budget and you can also get more information on green rental cars and in which states it’s easier to find one at http://www.orbitz.com/App/ViewCarsDeal?vendor=&deal_id=C_ORB_GREEN-CAR&c...