 If you want to take a vacation, EnviroCitizen.org suggests that you hold off on calling the first hotel that comes up in an online search. There are many different kinds of green accommodations; you just have to think outside of the box before making any plans. Hotels are notorious for huge energy consumption, water waste and waste in general. This is caused by the fact that tourists often don't have a connection to the place they're visiting. Though tourists rarely consider the toll their vacation habits have on the environment, the fact remains that the environment WILL be impacted. So, forego the conventional hotel and explore some alternatives!
The first green accommodation is about as green as it gets. Camping in your vacation destination can be a fun, inexpensive, very green kind of accommodation. In most cases, camping is completely devoid of electricity, which means that your vacation's carbon footprint will shrink substantially. Water is usually available, but when you camp, you won't be taking 20 minute showers. Instead, you'll be practicing the kind of water conservation that camping lends itself to. You can camp anywhere in the world, too.
Hostels are another great form of accommodations. Because you share resources in a hostel with more people, it's more efficient than a hotel. You could also explore the possibility of staying in the home of a local family. Many online resources are now available to help you connect with a family. One such company, CouchSurfing, connects locals and tourists. The great thing about this kind of accommodation is that it is free. It also comes with a small environmental impact in comparison to a conventional hotel.
If staying in a stranger's home doesn't seem like a good fit you, you could also choose to volunteer on an organic farm. One organization, World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), allows tourists to stay on an organic farm for free. The only condition is that the tourists have to provide a certain amount of labor to compensate the farmers. It's a particularly great program because you can learn a valuable skill while you vacation.
The final alternative to the conventional hotel is the eco-friendly hotel. Many hotels are now changing their practices to incorporate sustainable, eco-friendly ways of doing things. The best eco-friendly hotels run on clean energy, have a comprehensive water conservation plan and offer energy-efficient lighting in every room. Some eco-friendly hotels use native landscaping to reduce or eliminate the need for irrigation and some of them grow their own gardens, too.
In the end, there is simply no reason to patronize a conventional hotel. Instead, EnviroCitizen.org challenges you to consider one of these options. You'll meet like-minded people, have a rewarding, memorable experience, save some money and reduce your environmental impact.
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