By Wendy Worral Redal
Anxious to make summer travel plans without turning your back on the
Earth? Travel-related activities contribute an estimated third of
worldwide greenhouse gas emissions — so we asked travel experts at
eco-tour outfitter Natural Habitat Adventures [1]
in Boulder, Colo., for their advice on how to help fight global warming [1]
and be a cool traveler. They offered five easy ways to avoid making
your next vacation a guilt trip:
Stay Neutral: Going the
group tour route? Check for green credentials. Increasingly, travel
outfitters like Natural Habitat Adventures are bolstering an ongoing
commitment to sustainable travel by going carbon neutral. Natural
Habitat Adventures reduces its carbon emissions with programs that
include recycling and renewable energy use, then buys offsets to make
up the difference – guaranteeing carbon neutral trips for its guests.
Other carbon-neutral outfitters include O.A.R.S., REI Adventure and
Escape Adventure. Traveling on your own? Organizations like Sustainable Travel International [2]
will help you calculate and offset trip emissions; major online travel
companies Travelocity and Expedia also offer travelers offsetting
options when they make reservations.
Chart a green course: New eco-maps chart the natural and cultural environment to suggest low-impact activities and resources wherever you travel. Green Map System [3]
provides “green” maps of some 302 spots around the globe, with most
recent offerings ranging from Missoula, Montana, to 17 new Taiwanese
maps.
Train yourself: Europe isn’t
the only place worth traveling by train. Check into train or bus
options wherever you travel; railroad shuttles up and down the U.S.
Eastern Seaboard are particularly quick and convenient. And if you do
end up driving, keep your car well-tuned and tires properly inflated to
pollute less – and cut gas costs up to 15 percent.
Fuel for Thought: Committed
to a road trip? Try to buy gas from a more environmentally responsible
oil company: The Sierra Club recently updated its "Pick Your Poison"
guide to gasoline; two companies, BP and Sunoco, continue to receive
its "top of the barrel" rating. Better yet, buy or rent a hybrid or
bio-fuel car. While mainstream rental companies continue to increase
eco-friendly offerings — Hertz recently began offering its "Green
Collection" — the few truly green rental companies are prospering and
expanding. EV Rental Cars [4]
and Fox Rent A Car regularly offer hybrid rentals, and Bio-Beetle Eco
Rental Cars offers bio-fueled vehicles. Or consider hybrid car-sharing
through a service like Flexcar [5]. Whatever your vehicle choice, consider joining eco-friendly auto club Better World Club [6], which offers discounts on hybrid cars and eco-travel — and even roadside assistance for bicycles.
In transit: If you do fly,
eschew individual cabs in favor of public transit or a hotel shuttle to
and from the airport. Or try hailing a hybrid cab: San Francisco, New
York and Chicago all have added hybrid taxis to their fleets, mainly
Ford Escape Hybrids, while the Brits recently introduced the new
lower-emission diesel TX4 taxi in London. And the first hybrid taxi
service, PlanetTran [7],
continues to serve airports in greater Boston and the Bay area by prior
reservation. While you’re visiting another city, remember to plan your
day around walking destinations or the city’s public transit options.
Reprinted courtesy of GaiamLife [8].