Going On A Trip? Why Not Go Green!

Plenty Magazine gives tips on where to go and stay and still be green.

Summer travel season is just around the corner and if you’re keeping the environment – and fuel prices! - in mind, you may be interested in making a greener getaway! And no, that doesn’t mean pitching a tent in your neighbor’s backyard.

Here with some ideas for how to see the planet – and save the planet – is Tobin Hack of PLENTY Magazine.

Why Eco Travel? Find out...

VIDEO & MORE AFTER THE JUMP...

Travel can wreak havoc on the planet – the transportation alone is already responsible for approximately a third of the average American's global warming impact. (Think of that diesel bus spewing out all that exhaust to keep the tourists cool inside…)

Luckily there are more and more options to help you tread more lightly on the earth when you’re trotting the globe.

Eco-travel is a great way to really a gets hand on appreciation for the environment and to share that with your family.

A few ideas for greener getaways:

1. Take an Eco-Adventure
· Consider booking your summer travel with a sustainable travel company like GAP Adventures that specialize in eco-adventure trips that provide a high-impact experience with minimum impact on the environment!
· Destinations and activities range from the most exotic and off-the-beathen path – to more popular summer destinations like Europe.
GAP Adventures offers a greener way to see places like Catalonia Spain by touring primarily by bike and foot.
· These tours you a chance to learn about environment first hand and allow you to connect with the natural world while learning about various indigenous cultures of the local area.
· Minimal impact through small group sizes (average 10 passengers), small-scale and environmentally responsible lodging (no high-rise towers), support community based eco-tourism an engage with local people, businesses and cultures, etc.
· Not just greener – but really often a better way to see your destination and interact with local culture.
· Also affordable – $745

2. Explore Car-Free Destinations – Take a break from the traffic, pollution, and gas prices and visit one of the handful of U.S car free islands, whether Fire Island right here in New York or places like Mackinac Island in Michigan.

This the truly "all natural" theme park of America. Limited to transportation of horse and buggy, bicycle or foot, surrounded by water, it has banned motorized vehicle for more than a century.
You can spend less refueling the tank, and more on other activities!

3. Take a Volunteer Vacation
· A volunteer vacation with an organization like Earthwatch could be considered the ultimate green vacation – as not only lessening environmental impact, but you’re also doing something to give back and help protect the Earth.
· Earthwatch Institute matches would–be research assistants with scientists who are studying animals and their natural habitats.
· The expeditions range from protecting the sea turtles in New Jersey to assisting with marine mammal research and coral reef studies in the Bahamas.
· Great for entire families –Bahamas trips is for all ages, so even the little ones can participate.
· What you’ll do: snorkel with an underwater tablet and marker in hand to survey coral reefs, study marine mammals and search for signs of dolphins and whales, In your free time, you can scuba dive, go spelunking, see where Columbus first set foot in the New World, nature hike, or just enjoy your beautiful surroundings.
· Most trips last two to 17 days.
· Volunteers pay: $950 to $2,650, including meals and shelter—which varies wildly, from tents to country inns. (earthwatch.org)

4. Check in to a Green Hotel
· If the phrase “eco-friendly lodging” makes you think of primitive huts and bathrooms that make you want to head home, it’s time to ditch that notion. There are a number of ‘green’ spas and hotels that go beyond recycling soda cans in their commitment to sustainability.
· Many hotels— big and small—have begun making sustainability a part of their service.
· Kimpton is a high-end boutique hotel company with over 40 hotels across the country, and with the many luxury services and amenities offered at their hotels, guests would never guess the hotel is “green behind the scenes.”
How: In-room recycling services
· Eco-friendly housekeeping
· Hybrid car incentives (preferred parking, hotel discounts, etc)
· Organic Mini-Bars
Water and energy conservation programs Rent a hybrid or a biodiesel!

Additional Tips
Carbon offset your trip Through a number of companies, tour operators and airlines - you can purchase an "offset" to compensate for your tavel’s carbon emissions – something to consider especially since For every mile you fly, roughly 1.3pounds of CO2 is emitted.

A number of companies now offer the service, usually providing mileage calculators on their Web sites to help you gauge your emissions. In effect, you are purchasing activities that are calculated to remove as much CO2 from the air as you contributed through your travel. This is accomplished by funding solar and wind energy, supporting tree plantings, etc.

Travelocity is the first major online travel company to allow customers to purchase “carbon offsets” during the checkout process when they buy travel, an option to add on to your purchase during check out.

Rent a Hybrid or Biodiesel Vehicle - If you plan to hit the road, look into your options for eco-friendlier car rentals. You might not know that some of the leading rental car companies now offer hybrid rentals, and there are even rental car companies that rent exclusively biodiesel and hybrids. For example – Hertz just added 2500 Priuses to its ‘Green Collection.’ So maybe you have yet to purchase that greener car you’ve been eyeing, but this is a great opportunity to take a test drive!

To learn more - check out current and upcoming issue of PLENTY and go to www.plentymag.com