50 real ways to journey responsibly—and still have fun.
We all know enough to reuse our hotel towels and request that guest room linens not be changed every day, but what else can we do to reduce our impact as we travel?
Traveling responsibly means conserving natural resources, supporting local cultures, and making a positive impact on the places we visit. This guide will help. Some steps are big, others are small, but all can make a difference, especially if we take them together.
Planning
1. Pack Your Environmental Ethic
A 2007 survey commissioned by ELEMENT Hotels—an eco-friendly, extended-stay brand that Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide launched in early 2008—found that most people ignore their normal environmental habits when traveling, including turning off lights and using less water.
According to the telephone survey of 1,041 travelers conducted by the research firm STUDYLOGIC, 60 percent reported that they are more likely to leave the light on when they leave a hotel room compared to when they leave home. And while 70 percent say that they attempt to conserve water at home "as much as possible," less than 20 percent practice water conservation when traveling.
"Why?" asks Catherine A. Wilt, director of policy with the University of Tennessee's Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment, "Maybe because there is no financial impact for using the seemingly unending hot water, or because those little bottles of shampoo can be so enticing."
When traveling, Wilt says, remember to walk your talk, no matter where you are staying. She adds, "Come on, how many of us wash sheets and towels after one use at home? Be mindful of the global impacts of resource use, and avail yourself of the local hotel or community environmental programs."
2. Unplug Your Home or Office
Responsible traveling begins at home. Before you head out, unplug any appliance that won't be in use while you're away such as computers, chargers, televisions, video game players, and microwaves.
"As much as 10 percent of the electricity used in your home is wasted energy burned by adaptors, chargers, computers, and other appliances that we leave plugged in when we're not using them," says Thomas Kostigen, co-author of The Green Book (2007). "When we do that across the planet, you start to see how much of an effect that has on energy consumption."
According to Kostigen's research published in The Green Book, if every U.S. household unplugged cell phone chargers and computers when not in use, "collectively we'd save $100 million—enough to provide free health care to every low-income child under the age of five in the state of California."
For more simple ways to save energy in your home or office (whether you're there or not), visit www.readthegreenbook.com/.
3. Go Paperless
Use online resources to plan and book your trip, and then, when necessary, print out maps and other materials at home on recycled paper.
"Heading straight for the e-ticket is such a no-brainer these days," says Kostigen. "Taking that one simple step saves paper, saves waste, saves the airlines money, and allows you to go straight to the security checkpoint without a lot of hassle."
For many travelers, e-tickets soon may be the only option. As of June 1, 2008, all the tickets issued by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents over 230 airlines and comprises more than 90 percent of international scheduled air traffic, will be electronic. According to the IATA, the switch to total e-ticketing will save the equivalent of 50,000 mature trees each year or about three square miles (five square kilometers) of forest.
4. Consider Dates Carefully
Traveling to some destinations during the market-induced high season can increase your overall negative impact, so planning a month earlier or later can be beneficial. However, an off season can also provide "just enough time for a destination area to rejuvenate itself" reminds Stuart Cottrell, professor of natural resources and tourism at Colorado State University.
To lessen the negative impact of your travels—and help ensure the optimum positive impact—thoroughly research your destination before you book. Online and print travel resources such as National Geographic Traveler Online, National Geographic Traveler guidebooks, and the Rough Guides and Lonely Planet series highlight sustainable places, helping you determine when and where to visit.
5. Visit During a Festival
Scheduling trips in conjunction with vibrant, local celebrations provides a window into the culture and helps support traditional crafts and customs.
"By attending authentic festivals, travelers support the living culture because they spend money on food, lodging, and possibly locally made crafts," says Jim Kane, founder of Culture Xplorers, an immersive cultural adventure tour firm focused on the people and living traditions of Latin America. "The challenge for visitors is to support the culture without inadvertently trampling it by being there."
To illustrate, Kane points to a Peruvian festival called the Virgin of Carmen, which celebrates ancient traditions and attracts international visitors.
"During this festival, I've seen well-intentioned travelers who juggle fire in the main square or find other ways to participate that have nothing to do with the intent of this festival," says Kane. "Unwittingly, perhaps, they are putting their imprint on this authentic tradition and changing the event and the culture in a negative way."
The key to supporting festivals without creating a negative impact is education, says Kane. Before you travel, research the history and traditions of the festival and the area you will be visiting. Resources such as National Geographic Traveler's Places of a Lifetime series offer quick insider information on local festivals, cultural norms, and other suggestions designed to lessen your impact on a culture when traveling.
6. Sign the "Responsible Traveler" Pledge
Sign the Friends of World Heritage online Responsible Travel Pledge, and help preserve the natural and cultural attributes that make places you visit unique.
"Often times the best souvenirs are the things we leave behind," says Erika Harms, executive director of Sustainable Development at the United Nations Foundation. "When traveling to fragile and irreplaceable places such as the Taj Mahal in India, Machu Picchu in Peru, or the American Grand Canyon, it's important that visitors take steps to lighten their ecological footprint. By signing the Responsible Traveler Pledge, travelers can take small but important steps to preserve areas like the more than 850 places that the international community has recognized as World Heritage sites, and help ensure that these natural and cultural treasures remain for generations to come."
The Responsible Travel Pledge challenges travelers to incorporate three basic tenets when planning a trip and when traveling to a World Heritage site:
1. Discover the natural and cultural beauty of World Heritage sites by learning about the history, customs, folklore, and biodiversity that make them so special.
2. Share their commitment to these sites with hotels, tour operators, and other travel-related entities.
3. Preserve the natural and cultural values of World Heritage sites by following designated trails, respecting local rules and customs, and not removing archaeological or biological treasures.
Visit Friends of World Heritage to learn more about World Heritage sites and to sign the Responsible Traveler Pledge.
Accommodation
7. Choose ENERGY STAR Properties
Before making a hotel reservation in the United States, go to Energy Star for Hospitality to see if any properties in the area you're visiting have earned the Energy Star label. Compared to hotels with an average efficiency rating, Energy Star locations produce 30 to 35 percent less greenhouse gas emissions. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
"For a 200-room, upscale hotel, the avoided carbon emissions associated with a hotel that has earned the Energy Star are 580 to 620 tons per year," says Stuart Brodsky, Energy Star's national program manager for commercial property markets. "This is the annual emissions' equivalent in the range of 123 cars, 70 households' worth of energy consumption, or 2.5 railroad cars of coal."
In 2007, there were 242 Energy Star-labeled hotels in the U.S., yet, Brodsky reports, actually 25 percent of the nation's hotels qualify for the certification. To qualify for Energy Star, hotels must achieve an energy-efficiency rating of at least 75 on a 100 point scale, subject to verification of indoor air quality.
"A lot of the organizations we work with use the rating system as a management strategy, but haven't taken their graded scores and had them certified," adds Brodsky. "In a very short period of time, I think that you will see more hotels listed on the Energy Star website because we know there are a lot more that qualify. Generally speaking, travelers haven't asked about a property's Energy Star rating, so hoteliers haven't taken the step forward to get external credit for their environmental efforts. Inquiring about Energy Star is one way travelers can let hoteliers know that what they do to help lessen their impact on the environment really matters."
8. Support Sustainable Tourism Practices
Choose tour operators that support sustainable tourism through their bookings and operating policies.
"When I book a trip with a tour operator, I always do it directly and I always start with one key question: 'How do you support sustainable tourism practices?' If they do not have a clue what I am talking about, or cannot put me on to someone in their company who does, I just move on to another company," says Costas Christ, president of the Adventure Council and founding member and former chairman of the board of the International Ecotourism Society.
"Once upon a time—like ten years ago—this kind of question would be an oddity, but not anymore. There are so many tour operators out there that are benchmarking best practices in sustainable tourism that if one company that you are dealing with does not have any idea what your questions mean, take your business someplace else, where it really will make a difference in the world."
To learn more about companies with strong, formally declared sustainability policies and practices, visit the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations.
9. Book Responsibly
Let hotel operators know that environmentally sound management and stewardship programs matter to you by staying at certified, eco-friendly properties. Before you make a reservation, ask about any environmental certifications such as Green Globe, the international benchmarking and certification system for the travel and tourism industry; CERES' Green Hotel Initiative (GHI); Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions (CERC); Florida's Green Lodging Program, and Environmentally Friendly Hotels.
One of the North American industry leaders in sustainable tourism and environmental stewardship is Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, winner of the 2006 Worldwide Hospitality Award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program. The Fairmont Green Partnership, founded in 1990 by the company's Canadian properties, evolved into the acclaimed Green Partnership Guide, a comprehensive how-to text for companies committed to incorporating eco-friendly practices and principles.
The guide encompasses topics such as energy management, water conservation, and community outreach and partnerships. Each of the ideas included is put into practice at a Fairmont location. For example, the Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver, British Columbia, features a heat-recovery system that captures condensate—steam that has been condensed back into water—from hot-water tanks, and then uses it to preheat incoming city water. According to Fairmont engineers, the energy saved (an estimated 305,380 kilowatt-hours, or 1,100 G per year) is enough to meet the annual energy needs of seven average-sized homes.
10. Book New
New hotel construction is more likely to feature state-of-the-art energy saving features. So, particularly in areas where no property shines as an obvious green star, look for locations that have been built in the last few years. New appliances and heating and cooling systems operate more efficiently than older models, providing maximum energy and cost savings.
"Larger, older, hotels can consume up to 400 gallons of water per day per room," says Mitch Rofsky, president and chief executive officer, Better World Club, an environmentally friendly auto club based in Portland, Oregon. "This huge waste can be cut dramatically by choosing a hotel that uses low-flow toilets, showerheads, and faucet aerators, and that recycles its laundry water."
While most new properties can be more eco-friendly without really trying, other recent entries into the lodging industry are built on a foundation of environmental stewardship. For example, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's ELEMENT extended-stay hotels, which launched in early 2008, promise to incorporate eco-friendly elements into each room.
Element, an extension of the Westin Hotels and Resorts brand, will feature showers equipped with shampoo and conditioner dispensers, eliminating the need for millions of plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles; bathrooms featuring low-flow faucets and toilets are expected to save an estimated 4,358 gallons of water per room each year; recycling bins in guest rooms; and energy-saving compact fluorescents to light guest rooms and common areas.
11. Stay Simple
When looking for a place to stay, choose the smallest, simplest option. Smaller properties with fewer amenities consume less energy, and typically provide more personal, and authentically local, service.
"Some people are only going to stay in top-shelf hotels, but it is good to keep in mind that luxury hotels, by the nature of their services and accommodation, use a lot more energy than a simple roadside hotel," says Tedd Saunders, president, EcoLogical Solutions, Inc., and owner of Boston's Lenox Hotel and Comfort Inn & Suites Airport/Boston.
In 1992, Saunders instituted an aggressive environmental program at the Lenox Hotel, which has grown to include over 100 environmental initiatives designed to protect people's health and preserve natural resources. Saunders's eco-friendly efforts, as well as similar companywide programs at Hilton, the Rezidor Hotel Group, Fairmont, Kimpton, Marriott, and Starwood hotels and others, prove that upscale properties can be responsible environmental stewards. Choosing comfortable, yet basic accommodations when possible is an easy way to conserve local resources.
"You don't have to go to some exotic location to be an eco-tourist and help the environment," says Josh Dorfman, author, The Lazy Environmentalist. "Live simply, recycle, reuse, conserve energy wherever you are and wherever you travel. You don't have to go to the rain forest to help save the rain forest. Choosing a green hotel or opting for the small inn over the mega-resort helps. It's all about the choices we make—and where we stay is a choice we can all make when we travel."
12. Survey "Sense of Place"
Responsible travel is not just about recycling garbage and turning the light switch off when you leave your room, it is also about supporting hotels, lodges, and resorts that enhance sense of place and help protect the character and authenticity of a destination, says Costas Christ, president of the Adventure Council and founding member and former chairman of the board of the International Ecotourism Society.
Christ conducts this "sense of place" test each time he walks into a hotel he hasn't stayed in before.
"Standing in the hotel lobby and imagining that I appeared there magically, I look around me," he explains. "If I cannot figure out what country I am in, or worse yet, what continent I am on, I head for the door."
The National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations provides links to tour, transportation, lodging, culture, and heritage travel resources for people seeking a more authentic travel experience. Included is the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Historic Hotels of America (HHA), where you can book a room at one of more than 200 HHA hotels and resorts in the United States, or at a partner property in Europe or Mexico.
Properties are selected for HHA designation based on historic integrity, architecture, and ambience. Accommodations range from rustic to refined, and rates range from $99 per night at the LaSalle Hotel in Bryan, Texas, to $339 per night for a night in a regular room at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.
13. Ask About Composting
Hotels and restaurants with composting programs keep tons of organic waste, such as food scraps and paper-based cartons with food residue, out of landfills. Instead, that waste is transformed into humus, an organic material used in landscaping, potting soil, and in the agriculture industry.
"We started a composting program at the Comfort Inn and Suites Airport/Boston that is eliminating about 60 tons from the waste chain. And this is only a select-service hotel offering a continental breakfast," says Tedd Saunders, owner of Boston's Lenox Hotel and Comfort Inn & Suites Airport/Boston. "With a large hotel, composting would be hundreds of tons per year. It sounds pretty incredible that all of that is currently going to waste, but it is in most places."
The San Francisco Marriott Hotel instituted a composting program in 2004, which currently keeps about one million pounds of food waste out of the city's landfill each year. Instead, the food scraps and other organic waste generated by hotel guests, kitchens, and staff is taken to an organic composting facility where it's converted into nutrient-rich mulch.
Packing
14. Lighten Up
Packing lightly will make it easier to get where you're going, while also reducing your negative impact on the environment. So leave the extra shoes and clothes at home, and stick with durable, neutral-colored clothing that can be easily mixed and matched to create different looks over several days of travel.
"In our research for The Green Book, we discovered that every additional ten pounds per traveler requires an additional 350 million gallons of jet fuel per year," says Thomas Kostigen. "That's enough fuel to keep a 747 flying continuously for ten years, which is pretty amazing."
15. Bring Your Own Water Bottle
According to the Container Recycling Institute, more than 60 million plastic water bottles are thrown away in the United States each day. Recycling or reusing those bottles instead would save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for an entire day in 15 million households. Travelers can help by recycling and reusing existing water bottles, and refusing to purchase or accept new bottles; instead refilling a single bottle or other dishwasher-safe, reusable bottle with filtered water.
"Breaking our addiction to water bottles is one of the easiest things we can do to help the environment, " says Josh Dorfman, author of The Lazy Environmentalist, 2007, and national spokesperson for the Filter for Good campaign, a partnership between Brita and Nalgene to encourage consumers to reduce plastic water-bottle waste. "Not only will we keep the plastic out of landfills, but we'll be helping conserve the 1.5 million barrels of oil it takes to produce all the water bottles we toss each year."
If you don't have access to filtered water, use a portable filtered water bottle or a reusable filter designed to fit in standard sport and water bottles. Check out a wide range of portable filter brands and products at www.waterfilters.net.
16. Pack a Meal to Go
The average U.S. resident produces 4.5 pounds of trash each day, according to the Energy Information Administration, and more than a third of that waste is from containers and packaging.
To trim excess food wrapper and storage waste from your diet when you travel, pack a waste-free meal or snack in a reusable container to bring on your trip. Clean and reuse the container during your travels to limit excess wrapping whenever possible.
"The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation estimates that a child packing a reusable lunch box will prevent 67 pounds of lunch waste from entering the landfill each year—and that's just for schools," says Amy Hemmert, author of The Laptop Lunch User's Guide: Fresh Ideas for Packing Wholesome, Earth-Friendly Lunches Your Kids Will Love. "Children and adults spend so much time away from home. When we're hungry and in a rush, it's only natural for us to reach for something indisposable packaging. However, all that packaging ends up in the landfill, on the streets, and in the oceans."
Hemmert and partner Tammy Pelstring created the reusable, dishwasher-safe Laptop Lunch system for children and adults, inspired by the traditional Japanese bento box featuring multiple interior containers neatly arranged within a larger box. While the bento system is convenient, any washable, reusable plastic containers with lids can be used to safely store on-the-go meals and limit waste when traveling.
For more information on packing waste-free lunches, visit www.wastef reelunches.org.
17. Pack a Battery Charger
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans buy nearly 3 billion dry-cell batteries containing lead, cadmium, nickel, and other heavy metals each year. When batteries are improperly dumped in landfills, the metals can contaminate the air, ground, and/or water.
"Remember to bring rechargeable batteries and your battery charger. This reduces toxic waste, saves the environment and your pocketbook," says Alyssa Johnson, president of Oro Azul, a Seattle-based ecotourism and sustainable tourism consulting, and international small business development firm. "Check your destination's power supply to see if you will also need a power converter."
18. Get a Green Map
Whether you're visiting a distant city or traveling somewhere closer to home, a locally designed Green Map can be a great tool for exploring a new place with a fresh, eco-friendly perspective.
Downloadable and interactive maps contributed by Green Mapmakers from over 50 countries are available for more than 400 cities, villages, and neighborhoods worldwide at www.GreenMap.org. Each map highlights local natural and cultural resources (parks, bike paths, farmers markets, and so on) making it easy for visitors to access green and authentic products, services, and activities.
"With a Green Map, instead of finding yourself at yet another mall, you'll be cycling in a wonderful park or greenway, entertained by authentic local theater, or dining at a unique healthy café that serves local produce," says Wendy E. Brawer, founder and director of Green Map System. "Green Maps help globetrotters become aware of local environmental issues and resources as well as ways to engage in sustainable ecotourism."
For example, the "Powerful Green Map of NYC" gives visitors the chance to explore New York City through its energy-efficient resources. The map highlights everything from underwater turbines that generate low-impact electricity in the East River to a warehouse of reusable building materials in Queens, along with more traditional sights such as the New York Aquarium and the biomass-powered Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
19. Use the Right Gear
Choose environmentally friendly clothing and travel gear made from recycled, reused, organic, and sustainable natural materials such as cotton, hemp, and bamboo.
Sustainable Travel International publishes an annual Green Gear and Gift Guide featuring eco-friendly and fairly traded backpacks, messenger bags, clothing, shoes, and other travel essentials. Items include packs and bags containing waterproof solar panels that generate up to four watts of power. Inside each bag is a Li-lon battery pack, which can store enough surplus power to recharge most handheld electronic devices.
Many eco-friendly gear vendors also give back to their local communities or invest a portion of profits in environmental initiatives and organizations. Before purchasing, check out the company's website to research their community outreach efforts.
20. Bring a Reusable Shopping Bag
Packing a basic canvas tote, or other similar sturdy, washable bag, in your luggage is an easy way to help keep trash out of landfills and off roadsides, conserve energy, and protect marine life. Use the bag—instead of the paper or plastic bags provided by stores—to carry souvenirs and other purchases made during your trip.
So how can one little bag really help? Worldwatch Institute's Good Stuff reports that people in the United States toss out some 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags each year. In California alone, 600 plastic bags are used per second and, according to Californians Against Waste, most of those bags are thrown out.
To help people visualize often staggering, abstract statistics—including the number of plastic bags we use—Seattle artist Chris Jordan is creating an online image series entitled "Running the Numbers: An American Self Portrait." Jordan's "Plastic Bags 2007" composite image depicts 60,000 plastic bags, the number of bags, according to Jordan's research, which are used in the United States every five seconds.
While some plastic bags make it into landfills (where they'll eventually photo-degrade—break down and release toxic ingredients into the soil and ground water), others litter roadways and float in waterways where they can choke or entangle sea turtles, jellyfish, whales, and other marine life and waterfowl, which mistake the bags for food.
A 2007 state law requiring large grocery stores and pharmacies in California to recycle plastic shopping bags will help reduce the plastic waste in that state, but no matter where you travel, you can help. Bringing your own reusable bag every time you shop eliminates the need for plastic bags.
Several eco-friendly shopping bags—made from biodegradable, organic, and or recycled materials—are available. Reusablebags.com features a line of reusable shopping, grocery, and lunch bags made from materials including organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, recycled cotton, and recycled PET. While you're checking out their bags, watch the reusablebags.com ticker continuously tally the number of plastic bags used around the world.
On the Road
21. Minimize Your Waste
While traveling avoid buying disposable items for which there are reusable alternatives, such as Styrofoam food containers. This can be challenging with children in tow, especially if you typically use disposable hand wipes, and juice boxes at home, but it's worth the extra effort, says Thomas Kostigen, co-author of The Green Book.
"I was traveling with friends who have kids, and was just amazed by the amount of stuff people bring along for their children," adds Kostigen. "If they're used to mini-containers of everything at home, a trip is the ideal time to begin some new conservation habits you can continue at home. Use a reusable cloth instead of a disposable wipe. Put drinks in reusable bottles or cups. Bring along reusable containers to store snacks."
If packing a cup, cloth napkin, and plastic-lidded container isn't possible, then simply look for ways to minimize the waste you produce as you travel, such as purchasing products with minimal or no packaging.
"In researching The Green Book, we discovered that if one out of every ten products U.S. consumers buy had little or no packaging, collectively we'd send 5.5 billion fewer pounds of waste to landfills. That's about enough to cover all of Central Park in New York City with a 27-foot layer of trash."
22. Lend a Hand
Make a positive impact on any community you visit by giving back in some way.
"A simple thing like picking up the trash you see when you walk down a beach helps the environment," says Josh Dorfman, author, The Lazy Environmentalist. "Or you could participate in an organized river or road clean-up, or support the efforts of a local environmental organization. It really doesn't take a lot to make a difference."
Organized service opportunities abound for people who would like to combine philanthropic opportunities with travel. For example, you could join other Habitat for Humanity volunteers to help construct simple, affordable housing for people in need. The Habitat for Humanity Global Village Program gives travelers the opportunity to participate in short-term building trips as part of a team, which partners with local homeowners and volunteers in host communities to build simple housing. Global Village options are available in the United States and around the world.
International volunteer opportunities in support of sustainable, community-led initiatives are also available through Cross-Cultural Solutions. Volunteers can sign up for one- to 12-week structured programs where they work side-by-side with local volunteers. Programs are designed to match each volunteer's skills and interests. Service opportunities include working at orphanages, hospitals, and child care centers; teaching English; and sharing professional skills such as engineering, photography, or management.
For a list of additional organizations offering volunteer/service travel experiences, check out National Geographic The Green Guide "Haste Makes Waste: Learning to Travel" (www.thegreenguide.com/doc/114/ecotourism).
23. Don't Pre-Heat or Pre-Cool
Since hotel visitors tend to spend more time out of their room than in it, setting the thermostat at a comfortable setting when you are actually in the room is one of the easiest steps you can take to save energy.
"The most important thing you can do in the hotel room is to not set the thermostat in the room to an extreme hot or cold temperature when you're leaving the room," says Stuart Brodsky, national program manager for commercial property markets for Energy Star. "Most every hotel, whether they have received the Energy Star certification or not, have systems that are so well designed that they will respond quickly to ensure that you're comfortable once you enter the room."
Energy Star suggests leaving the thermostat at an energy-saving level—8 to 10 degrees above (in warm weather) or below (in cold weather) your preferred comfort setting when sleeping or leaving the room for an extended period of time. When you wake up or re-enter the room, set the dial to your desired temperature.
Adds Brodsky, "The hotel guest has tremendous control over the heating and cooling system, and, in turn the hotel's overall energy efficiency. By operating the system as needed when needed, you'll be comfortable when you are there, and the system won't be running overtime when no one is in the room."
24. Shut Off the Lights
When you leave your hotel room, turn off the lights, television, and radio to save electricity. In the summer, close the blinds and/or curtains to reduce heat gain in the room. In the winter, open the blinds and/or curtains on sunny days to let in the sun's warmth.
According to Kostigen, "Seventy-five percent of the energy in a hotel room is used when the bathroom lights are left on for more than two hours."
25. Wash Your Own Clothes
Cleaning your clothes through a hotel laundry service is pricey and wastes water, says Kostigen. He advises waiting until you get home to wash your clothes or using a self-service Laundromat.
"Hotels wash each guest room's clothes separately because they can't throw everyone's laundry in together and then pull them apart. They have no idea whose clothes are whose," he explains. "That was a big dawning for me, because I never really thought about it that way. Now I think about all the extra energy and water that gets used."
Shopping
26. Buy from Local Artisans
"While travelers are becoming more aware of the environmental fragility of our planet, much more ;attention needs to be paid to the ;fragility of the ancient living culture of the places we visit," says Jim Kane, founder and owner, Culture Xplorers, an immersive cultural adventure tour firm focused on the people and living traditions of Latin America. "Support and celebrate the local culture by purchasing hand-crafted artwork directly from the artisan whenever possible."
In Peru, Kane's firm partners with the nonprofit Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco (CTTC) to sponsor the annual Culture Xplorers Weavers Awards. The awards, which honor the indigenous textile artists of the Sacred Valley, have helped spark the revival of Peru's endangered 2,000-year-old textile tradition. More than 500 indigenous weavers from nine countries participate in the awards program.
Travelers' economic decisions directly impact the survival of the local culture. So instead of buying 100 little machine-made sacks for a dollar each to give as gifts to friends and family back home, spend $100 for a single handmade textile you can display in your home and share with guests when they visit.
Explains Kane, "By buying the cheapest souvenirs you can find you are unintentionally supporting the mass-market, cheap product and moving people in the area away from their traditional culture. Artisans and people that are maintaining their ancient living cultures are like everyone else. They need to put food on the table for their families, they want a place to live, and they want to sustain themselves. So if they are not selling their handmade textiles, which are taking them months to produce using natural dyes and ancient techniques, they are going to say, 'I am going to go pick cocoa leaves in the jungle. I am going to go to the city and get a job.' They are going to lose their roots and their traditions."
27. Know What's Endangered
You know not to buy any products made with elephant ivory or reptile skins, but what about black coral or big-leafed mahogany? Before you travel, access up-to-date information on which animal and plant species are considered endangered around the globe by consulting the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
"Local merchants in many countries have jewelry, clothing, and accessories widely available for the tourist trade that are made from endangered species such as sea turtle shell, black coral, reptile skins, ivory, and animal furs," says Alyssa Johnson, president of Oro Azul, a Seattle-based ecotourism and sustainable tourism consulting, and international small business development firm. "You can help by not purchasing such items, and lessening the demand on these products. Instead, consider buying organic sustainable products such as items made from renewable sources like trees, cocoa, bananas, coffee, coconut shell, or preserved fruit products."
Transportation
28. Choose On-Time Airlines
"Try to go with an airline that has the best on-time arrival and departure schedule because they are contributing less to congestion," says The Green Book co-author Thomas Kostigen. "They aren't sitting on the tarmac burning all that fuel. Of course, a lot of what causes delays is beyond the airlines' control, but why not go with the on-time carriers and help protect the environment?"
Check the on-time performance on U.S. airlines on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics website, www.transtats.bts.gov/carriers.asp.
29. Fly Nonstop
Jets produce an average of almost .4 tons of CO2 per passenger per flight, and burn the most fuel at takeoff. Reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associate with flying by choosing non-stop flights whenever possible.
"You can save money and even more emissions by flying coach, where there's room for more passengers per square foot than in first or business class," says Wendy E. Brawer, founder and director of Green Map System.
30. Consider an Eco-Friendly Auto Club
Traditional auto clubs offer maps, guidebooks, and towing, but Portland, Oregon-based Better World Club adds eco-friendly features into its membership benefit mix such as discounts on auto maintenance, hybrid car rentals, and bicycle roadside assistance.
In addition, Better World Club donates one percent of revenue to environmental clean-up and advocacy. This commitment includes offsetting the first 2,000 miles of driving of each Better World Club insurance customer.
In 2007, Better World donated $8,000 to its carbon offset partner Live Neutral and more than $2,000 to Portland public schools in support of a control system using carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors to turn down the heat—and thereby conserve energy—when a gym, auditorium, or other large room isn't in use.
The Better World network extends across the United States and Canada with more than 40,000 service vehicles. For membership information, visit www.betterworldclub.com.
31. Go Car-less
Having a car leads to using a car, even for very short trips. So instead of renting a car or driving your own car, come up with creative, car-less ways to get where you need to go, such as public transportation, hotel shuttles, and biking and walking paths.
"According to the National Household Transportation Survey, more than 40 percent of trips in the urban areas in the United States are two miles or less and 89 percent of these trips are made by car," says Bill Wilkinson of the National Center for Bicycling and Walking. "The next time you travel, take your bike with you or plan to rent one when you get there. I took a week-long bike vacation one fall and met a wonderful person who has been my wife for 25 years."
Before traveling, research the car-less transportation options offered at your destination. Many cities are launching free or inexpensive bike rental and public transportation programs designed to ease traffic congestion and reduce carbon emissions.
For example, in summer 2007, Paris launched the Vélib bike co-op program with 10,600 bikes at 750 stations. Visitors and residents can reserve a bike online or at a station for a small fee, plus security deposit, and drop it off at any station in the city.
The first half hour's bike rental is free; daily, weekly, and yearly passes are available. Plans call for an additional 1,000 bikes and 700 stations. The goal is to have a Vélib station location approximately every 900 feet throughout the city. Currently, Paris has over 230 miles (371 kilometers) of bike lanes.
32. Go Public
Public transportation is inexpensive, generally efficient, and comes in many shapes and sizes around the world. Wherever you are going, plan ahead to see if you can get there—or move around when you arrive—via bus, subway, trolley, light rail, commuter train, streetcar, cable car, water taxi, monorail, tramway, and/or van pool service. Check Google Transit for help in some cities.
According to the American Public Transportation Association, "public transportation produces 95 percent less carbon monoxide, 90 percent less in volatile organic compounds, and about half as much carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide (NOx), per passenger mile, as private vehicles."
33. Share a Car
If you absolutely have to rent a car, look for available shared car options in the city you're visiting. Shared cars are typically ultra-low emission vehicles or fuel-efficient hybrids, which are parked in high-density areas throughout a host city. A membership fee allows drivers to reserve, and then drive, a car for a specific period of time.
Current shared car services in the United States and Canada include Zipcar and independent car companies such as I-GO Car Sharing in Chicago, AutoShare in Toronto, CityCarShare in San Francisco, Cooperative Auto Network in Vancouver, Community Car in Madison, Wisconsin, HourCar in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and PhillyCar Share.
Zipcar members can access cars in any of the company's regions (12 states and the District of Columbia), and in other cities where Zipcar has partnerships with independent car-share organizations.
34. Rent a Hybrid
To meet consumer demand for environmentally friendly transportation options, rental car companies are scrambling to add low-emission, fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles to their menu of options.
Enterprise Rent-a-Car, the world's largest automobile fleet, offers both Toyota Prius hybrids and flex-fuel vehicles, which have the ability to burn the corn-based ethanol fuel blend E85 as well as unleaded gasoline. Enterprise—and its National and Alamo brands—currently has about 4,500 hybrids in a fleet of approximately 700,0000 vehicles.
Hertz also offers hybrids at the top 50 airports in the United States. The company expects to have more than 3,500 hybrids available for rental by the end of 2008. Avis-Budget has approximately 1,500 hybrids (Toyota Prius and Nissan Altima Hybrid) throughout California. A limited number of hybrids are available at locations in Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Washington, D.C., with additional U.S. sites planned.
Typically, renting a hybrid costs $5-10 more per day than other vehicles—a fee you'll easily earn back through your cost savings at the pump. And in some states, renting a hybrid could also save you time. The Federal Hybrid HO V Waiver allows states to open their carpool or high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) freeway lanes to dedicated alternative fuel vehicles or hybrids achieving 50 percent or better in-city fuel economy or 25 percent or better in combined city/highway fuel economy compared to a similar gasoline fueled vehicle. Drivers don't need a passenger to experience life in the fast lane.
Since the number of rental hybrids is limited—especially at non-airport locations—book well in advance to ensure your ride is ready when you arrive. Guaranteed hybrid reservations aren't always available, so check the specific policies at each company before booking.
35. Check Your Ride
Doing some very minor, simple, and inexpensive maintenance to your vehicle before embarking on your travels will go a long way toward reducing fuel consumption, increasing gas mileage, and saving both the environment and money.
According to Brian Carr, creator of the Daily Fuel Economy Tip website, replacing a clogged or dirty air filter will increase a vehicle's gas mileage up to ten percent.
"At today's gas prices, driving around with a dirty air filter will essentially add 30 cents to each gallon of gasoline that you buy," adds Carr. "On a 1,000-mile road trip, that could easily add $20 to the cost of fuel."
For more money- and gas-saving driving tips, visit www.fueleconomy.gov.
36. Check Your Tires
Rocks, bits of twig, and other bits of road debris are all things that can lodge in the treads of your tires. Keeping your treads clear of debris will decrease your rolling resistance and increase your miles per gallon.
"Keeping your tires properly inflated is another quick and easy way to maintain your car's fuel efficiency. If all four tires are under inflated, fuel economy will drop 0.4% per pound of under inflation," sys Mitch Rofsky, founder of the Portland, Oregon-based Better World Club, which bills itself as the nation's only environmentally friendly auto club.
"It is estimated that 5 to 15 percent of fuel consumption is used to overcome rolling resistance for passenger cars," adds Rofsky. "The average passenger vehicle consumes roughly 571 gallons of gas per year. At the current average of $2.79 per gallon, that amounts to $1,593.09 per year. Proper tire maintenance can reduce gas consumption by 57 gallons a year, and save the average driver $159 at the pump."
37. Pack Light
There's no need to pack a month's worth of clothes and supplies if you're going away for just the weekend. Extra clothes, toiletries, food, and so on take up extra space in your car and add extra weight, which will reduce your vehicle's gas mileage.
"As a general rule of thumb, adding 100 pounds to your vehicle will reduce gas mileage by roughly 2 percent," says Brian Carr, creator of the Daily Fuel Economy Tip. "While that may not seem like much, think about it this way—if each driver were able to increase gas mileage by 2 percent, based on America's current daily gasoline consumption of 386 million gallons, we would save nearly three billion gallons of gasoline each year."
One way to reduce excess weight when taking a driving trip is to only pack what you can reasonably store inside your vehicle or trunk. While rooftop carriers free up extra space for passengers, they're also sure to cause your fuel economy to drop significantly, says Carr.
He explains, "Aside from the fact that it is adding weight to your vehicle, the car-top carrier is also increasing aerodynamic drag on your vehicle. The more aerodynamic your vehicle is the less energy (burned gasoline) is needed to keep it moving forward. By placing a car-top carrier on your vehicle you can expect to see up to a 10 percent decrease in your vehicle's gas mileage."
For additional tips from Carr on how to get the most out of your car's gas mileage, visit www.dailyfueleconomytip.com.
38. Limit Left Turns
It seems like a small thing, but avoiding left turns when driving can really help the environment, and helps prevent accidents.
United Parcel Service (UPS) drivers, who operate the company's land-based package delivery fleet 120,000 vehicles, follow routes designed to avoid left turns across traffic.
The reason? Idling while waiting to turn left burns fuel in the turning vehicle and every other vehicle waiting behind it. All of that idling pumps needless pollution into the air, wastes gas, and decreases efficiency. Besides, left turns are riskier since they lead across a lane or more of oncoming traffic.
Touring
39. Visit Blue Flag Beaches
Support coastal communities practicing responsible environmental stewardship policies, and help ensure a healthy beach vacation, by choosing Blue Flag beaches. Marinas and beaches earning the coveted Blue Flag have met 29 criteria covering four major areas:
1. environmental education and information
2. water quality
3. environmental management
4. safety and services
"Choose a safe and clean beach by checking for Blue Flag certified beaches in your destination," says Alyssa Johnson, president of Oro Azul. "The Blue Flag program has certified over 3,200 beaches and marinas in 37 countries around the world." Go to Blue Flag to view a searchable database of Blue Flag-certified marinas and beaches (updated each June).
40. Hike a Historic Cemetery
A historic cemetery offers visitors peaceful respite and a completely non-commercialized view of the past unlike that available anywhere else in the community.
"Cemeteries can oftentimes be one of the most beautiful sites in a community, very representative of the local flavor and of a people's values and beliefs," says Risa Ishikawa, designer for the Green Map System. "Green travel is not just about preserving local environmental resources, but also about respecting long-held traditions and cultural heritage. Furthermore, a wooded cemetery can provide a great opportunity to appreciate a place's natural features and enjoy a refreshing, well-shaded walk."
Every cemetery has its own hours, regulations, and terrain, so check at the on-site cemetery office, or call in advance, before embarking on a walking tour. One of the best U.S. cemeteries for green hiking is Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the nation's first garden cemetery. Located about 30 minutes from Boston, this urban oasis features a pond, two lakes, grassy trails, and hilltop tower providing panoramic views of the Boston skyline. There's no fee to walk, but bring a quarter to buy a cemetery map at the gate.
41. Go Where the Wild Things Are
"With all the talk of airlines and global climate change, a well-meaning traveler could easily conclude that taking a safari to Africa is bad for the planet. Wrong," says Costas Christ, president of the Adventure Council and founding member and former Chairman of the Board of the International Ecotourism Society.
"From the Serengeti to the Papua New Guinea highlands, sustainable tourism is the last great hope for protecting rare and endangered plant and animal species and their vanishing habitat," he explains. "More than 70 percent of all life on land exists on roughly 1.4 percent of the Earth's surface—the so-called biodiversity hotspots. Ecotourism is one of the few ways to keep more species from going extinct more quickly—like mountain gorillas in Rwanda. The issue is not to stop traveling, but to make travel more sustainable."
42. Stay on the Trail
We all know the universal visitor's adage: "Take only memories, leave only footprints," but it can be tempting to venture off the beaten path to save time, avoid crowds, explore pristine territory, or experience the thrill of riding a snowmobile through forested backcountry or an all terrain (ATV) or four-wheel-drive vehicle across an open beach.
Unfortunately, if we all took the road less traveled by—whether on foot or on an ATV—we'd end up destroying the very natural or historic sites we came to see. According to the Sierra Club, veering off the marked route in the wilderness can erode or compact soil, degrade animal habitats and water quality, destroy wildflowers and vegetation, spread invasive weeds, and frighten, injure, or kill animals. And blazing your own trail through an archaeological or cultural heritage site can damage the integrity of the artifacts.
Government parks and wilderness areas typically require hikers who want to venture off the path to apply for an off-trail permit. While traveling off trail isn't actually prohibited by law in other locations, sticking to the marked route is the right—and green—thing to do.
"Responsible travelers follow designated trails and do not remove archaeological or biological treasures from sites." says Erika Harms, executive director of Sustainable Development at the United Nations Foundation.
Tread Lightly, a U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting outdoor recreation access and the environment through education and stewardship, offers a series of downloadable "Tips for Responsible Recreation" brochures to help outdoor enthusiasts become better environmental stewards. Before you embark on your next outdoor adventure, read and heed the tips related to your outing. Topics include Responsible Camping, Responsible Hiking, Responsible Snowsports, and Responsible Horseback Riding.
43. Respect Local Cultures
"Treating others the way you wish to be treated is the basic premise of responsible travel," says Sherry Schwarz, editor and publisher, Transitions Abroad magazine and, director of the Abroad View Foundation. "It sounds simple, because it is simple: When we travel, we are visiting the homes of our global neighbors, getting to know them, and experiencing how they live."
Schwarz suggests taking these four practical steps to "become a more conscious and conscientious traveler:"
1. Choose local guides
2. Stay in locally owned accommodations
3. Eat locally produced food
4. Respect local customs and traditions
"Only some 5 percent of the world's population has even been on a plane," continues Schwarz. "This is a humbling statistic that reminds me how fortunate those of us are who can travel and that we must show great respect and gratitude for the people and places we visit."
For more responsible travel suggestions, download the Transition Abroad Responsible Travel Handbook.
Food and Drink
44. Eat Local Foods
Patronize restaurants and shops offering fresh, local produce, meats, fish, breads, cheeses, pastries, and other items to help save energy, and experience the authentic flavors, ingredients, spices, and dishes unique to each area you visit.
LocalHarvest features a searchable, online database of farmers markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown foods in the United States. Search the site before you travel to find LocalHarvest partner locations at or near your destination.
"More and more research is being done on the environmental benefits of eating food produced close to home, especially in lowering use of preservatives and fuel from reduced storage and transportation," says Catherine A. Wilt, director of policy with the University of Tennessee's Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment, "When traveling, eating local has the added benefit of enhancing your travel experience, by letting you more fully experience the culture and cuisine of a new place. Enjoy fish that has been caught in the local waterways, and eat fruit and vegetables grown nearby. And sample the local wine or spirits. Not only will you reduce the local impacts near your vacation spot, but you'll further support the local economy."
45. Choose Organic Coffee
Can a single cup of coffee really harm or help the environment? It can when you consider than people in the United States alone consume an estimated 300 million cups of joe each day, according to the Specialty Coffee Association of America.
Choosing organic coffee at home and when you travel can help reduce pesticide use, since certified organic coffee beans are cultivated without chemicals—instead using eco-friendly farming methods such as composting, terracing, and inter-cropping. In addition, organically grown crops also are produced use less fossil energy than conventional crops.
Opting for organic coffee is a small, but significant choice. As part of its companywide EarthCare program, San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels exclusively offers organic and/or shade grown coffee where complimentary lobby coffee is available in its properties. Kimpton reports that in one year alone, the impact of serving organic-only coffee preserves more than 40,000 acres of pesticide-free sustainable agriculture. That's the equivalent of about 18 football fields.
46. Order Ocean Friendly Seafood
Limiting your seafood choices to fish and shellfish that are more abundant and more responsibly managed helps protect ocean life and habitats. Before you travel, download and print out the Blue Ocean Institute's Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood. This wallet-size guide offers specific information on fishing methods, population, and any federal consumption advisories for seafood commonly available in U.S. markets.
"The seafood choices that we make have an impact on the marine environment because fish caught in certain techniques, such as dredging and bottom trawling, will damage marine habitats and the marine floor," says Nick Hall, Blue Ocean Institute's seafood program manager. "It is very important for people to understand that by choosing certain seafood species, not only are you affecting that fish population, but due to the catch methods or the farm methods involved in order to make that fish available for your dinner, there could be serious environmental consequences."
47. Support Chefs Collaborative Restaurants
Chefs Collaborative's ever-expanding community of chefs, fishermen, farmers, and educators includes more than 200 restaurants located throughout the United States, all of which are dedicated to promoting local, sustainable cuisine. The collaborative's online guide is a searchable database of member restaurants, producers, and wholesale producers.
"Our member restaurants are committed to working with local farmers and fishers. By eating at a Chefs Collaborative restaurant, you are supporting the local economy as well as the producers who work so hard to get delicious food to the table," says Melissa Kogut, executive director of Chefs Collaborative.
Take the Next Step
48. Offset Your Travel
Using carbon offsets in lieu of true environmental stewardship is not cool. But if you travel responsibly by recycling, reusing, and taking advantage of every low-emission, energy-saving transportation option along your way, then purchasing carbon offsets is an additional step you can take to minimize your impact.
"Whether you're flying, driving, or taking a cruise, your travel will produce greenhouse gas emissions," says Mitch Rofsky, founder and chief executive officer, Better World Club. "The average domestic commercial airline travel, for example, emits more than 1,700 pounds of harmful greenhouse gases (like CO2) into our atmosphere per passenger."
Instead of skipping travel completely—which would be the only way to completely eliminate carbon emissions related to traveling—Rofsky suggests investing in carbon offsets after you return home from each trip.
He adds, "A carbon offset is an investment into a project or action with the goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions. Offset projects come in many varieties and may include tree planting or reforestation, building retrofits (i.e., installing more efficient heating/cooling systems), or wind power projects. The common goal is to reduce fossil fuel usage, which in turn, eliminates harmful greenhouse gas emissions."
There are numerous online resources available to help you calculate your carbon emissions, explore the projects supported through offsets, and purchase offsets such as Better World Club and Sustainable Travel International.
If you're traveling with a group, many tour operators offer a carbon-offset add-on to leverage the investment dollars of travelers. For example, Natural Habitat Adventures, a Boulder, Colorado-based nature travel outfitter that runs trips from the Arctic to Africa, recently became the world's first 100 percent carbon-neutral travel company.
To offset the climate-altering effects of emissions on its land tours, Natural Habitat partners with the nonprofit Sustainable Travel International (STI). STI calculates the greenhouse gas emissions, and then NHA funds environmentally friendly energy projects worldwide to reduce emissions equal to the amount released on our trips.
STI invests in such projects as mounting solar paneling on a university in Costa Rica or installing a methane-capturing facility on a sewage plant in South Africa.
"We can't be perfect," says Ben Bressler, NHA's founder and director, "but we can make up for our indulgence."
49. Share the Wealth (of Information)
If it's paper, pass it on. When we travel, we accumulate research and reading materials—maps, guidebooks, magazines, newspapers, paperback books, brochures, and so on. Instead of abandoning any of these at the hotel, in the airport trash bin, or in the seat-back pocket on the plane, share them with fellow travelers along your journey.
Not only will you reduce the amount of paper trash dumped in landfills, you'll also lessen your own load. If you do return home with gently used books, share them with friends and family, donate them to the local library branch, or trade them for cash or credit at a used book store.
50. Make a Suggestion
Little things mean a lot when it comes to lessening our impact on the environment, so speak up and let hotel and restaurant owners know what more they could be doing.
"Guests can have a significant impact on hotels' environmental decisions and practices," says Mohammad Ghaffari, strategic planning manager for the Jumeirah Group, a Dubai-based international hotel and hospitality company. "Next time you're filling your comment card, suggest at least one simple improvement activity that a hotel can adapt such as switching lights off during the day in an unpopulated area."