 When you consider the environmental impact of a vacation, you might wonder whether you can really have a green vacation. Airplane travel is a monster, when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions. For example, if you and your family of 4 take a flight from Los Angeles, California to New York City, New York, you'll rack up more than 11,000 pounds of carbon emissions. Then, when you get to your hotel, you'll be responsible for about 33 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions for every day that you stay there!
There are some glimmers of hope for your vacation, though. Search for hotels that promote sustainability. The best green hotels go beyond reusing towels in their rooms. Instead, they might recycle gray water (the water that goes down the drain in the sink or shower) to irrigate their native plants in the landscaping. They might even use that gray water to water an on-site, organic garden. Look for hotels that use energy-efficient lighting or hotels that use clean, renewable energy. Many hotels are now topping their roofs off with solar panels.
You could also choose to drive instead of fly. Let's say that you're going to travel to a destination that is 1,000 miles away from your home. You pack up your family of 4 and drive there and back. That trip will emit about 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. That same trip, traveled in an airplane, will emit about 3,400 pounds of carbon dioxide. While driving to your destination won't erase your carbon footprint, it'll shrink it a bit. If you're driving a hybrid vehicle, it'll shrink even more.
There are other ways to make your vacation green. Try to find restaurants that use local ingredients in their meals. That way, you'll reduce the number of miles your food traveled. You could also choose to camp instead of staying in a hotel, since camping has a much smaller carbon footprint than hotels do.
While at your destination, try to take advantage of public transportation instead of renting a car. You'll save some money and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time. Another way to get the carbon footprint of your vacation down is to forego the use of disposable stuff. Instead of sipping your coffee from a disposable cup in your hotel each morning, bring a travel mug with you. You can also bring a reusable water bottle to eliminate your need to buy bottled water.
In the end, it's up to you, the conscious traveler, to make your vacation as green as possible. EnviroCitizen.org knows that it can definitely be done, and more and more hotels and other businesses in the travel industry are joining the green movement. We challenge you to do research before you to schedule your vacation, making it enjoyable, stress-free and green. |
