Tips for Eco-friendly Travel
November/December 2007
Aubrey Vaughn
November brings with it the start of the holiday season, school
breaks and family vacations. Whether you're visiting Grandma Millie
in Cheboygan or escaping to the Bahamas, many of us may travel more
in the next few months than we do all year. The bad news is that
travel produces a lot of carbon dioxide, the primary culprit in
global warming. The good news is it's easier than ever to choose
more eco-friendly travel methods and offset the emissions from your
journeys. Here are several ideas to consider when making travel
plans.
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Bus and Rail
Staying in the country, your region, state or even city can leave a
far smaller footprint that stepping abroad ? the closer you stay to
home, the fewer fossil fuels will be burned. Taking a trip within
the United States opens up the option of taking a bus or even
riding a train. A tour by train can be a vacation in itself, and is
a fun way to enjoy the scenery and get off the main path.
Driving
If you can drive rather than fly, drive a small car with good gas
mileage. Also look for rental companies that offer hybrid-electric
vehicles. Among these, Enterprise Rent-A-Car recently launched the
50 Million Tree Pledge ? committing to
underwrite the planting of 1 million trees a year for 50 years
as part of their environmental stewardship program. If you're
traveling to Los Angeles or Maui, you can even rent a
biodiesel-powered Volkswagen Bug from
Bio-Beetle. Cities throughout the U.S.,
Canada and abroad also offer
car
sharing programs ? simply pay per trip to reserve a vehicle
for a few hours or several days. No matter what the vehicle,
hitch a ride with grandma and your kid brother rather than
taking separate cars. You'll save gas, and are practically
guaranteed to get a good story or two in the deal.
Flying
Airplanes burn the most fuel during lift-off and landing, so book a
direct flight to reduce both, and decrease the total distance
traveled along the way. And try to save air travel for when it's
the best or only option. Whether you're taking a train, plane or
automobile, Web sites such as
TerraPass
