Green Travel Tips Guide
Traveling actually increases a person’s carbon footprint (over that of someone who never strays from home). However, it’s the people who travel that generally have a higher awareness of the need to reduce their carbon footprint, taking care to preserve the environment. If you are one of those individuals, or are simply curious about what it means to be a green traveler then read on….
What follows are tips on what you can do to tread lightly on the environment when you travel (many apply to your every day life as well):
1. Look for accommodations with green credentials backed up by a certification program. At this time, there is no single global certification but the following are some we’ve run across: the Eco Flower label in the European Union, the Eco Certification Program in Australia, and STEP–the Sustainable Tourism Eco-Certification Program in North America.
2. Choose fewer, longer trips when getting there by plane. Planes are responsible for a large amount of emissions so the fewer plane trips you take, the better.
3. Skip the rental car and take public transportation (bus, subway, train…or even rent a bike).
4. Stay with a family and learn more about the culture while you reduce the energy load by sharing activities such as watching TV and doing laundry together.
5. Avoid bottled water (if possible given the local sanitary conditions) and carry a re-usable water bottle with you.
6. When purchasing food avoid the chain stores and buy from the local shops and farmers markets.
7. Don’t buy souvenirs produced from endangered species (shells, animal skins, feathers, tusks).
8. Re-use your towels daily and request that your sheets not be changed more than once a week.
9. Turn off all lights when you leave the room; don’t leave it for the maid to do after you leave.
10. Never litter. Carry your trash if necessary until you find a receptacle.
11. Recycle. Many countries offer recycling bins in the subway and train stations.
12. Visit local wildlife refuges.
13. Use a digital camera (instead of a disposable, film camera).
14. And before you leave for your trip turn down your thermostat, unplug electrical appliances, and turn down the setting on your water heater.
When all is said and done you may be able to employ only a few of these suggestions but that’s still an effort and being conscious of the choices you make is a great step forward in preserving the planet for generations to come.
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