5 Tips For A Green Vacation
Thu, Apr 10, 2008
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Ah, Summer is almost upon us, and that means most American families are plotting madly to get out of town for a week.
Image from Kaydee did on Flickr
Never mind that the economy is in the tank, or that you’ll use just under half of your vacation days at once– it’s time to go to the beach! But wait… before you slam the kids in that minivan and speed off: there’s a greener way.
5. Don’t Travel As Far
In one of those special instances where environmentalism saves you a ton of money, the simplest piece of advice is one that most Americans aren’t likely to follow, even in this hour of $4.00 gasoline: stay close to home. Heck, even stay home: if you live in a major city, there are probably loads of museums, parks, baseball games, and restaurants that you haven’t been to. But if you MUST travel– try to stay within 100-150 miles of home. Your wallet, and the planet, will thank you.
Image from Stuckincustoms on Flickr
4. Find A Green Hotel
This may seem like a monstrous task, but it’s not– check this registry of environmentally friendly hotels. They’re standing ready to assist in your eco-escape, conserving waste, and committed to reducing their toll on the planet.
Image from Flickr
3. Take the Train
Rail travel isn’t quite dead in the U.S., which is good, because it features some of the lowest carbon emissions per-traveler of any form of transport. In order of most polluting, it goes: airplanes, cars, trains, and coach buses–but I don’t know many people who think of Greyhound as a good way to get around anymore. “Boost that failing government-subsidized rail system, America!”
Image from Flickr
2. Buy Local Souveneirs
This is hard, seeing as how we’re nationally addicted to airbrushed t-shirts and plastic toys, but buy local goods when you travel. Supporting a local artist doesn’t just do more for the economy of the place that you’re visiting, it cuts the cost of transporting all of those mass-produced tourist trap souvenirs. And besides, taking home art, or cooking ingredients from a place you can’t get at home, is far more interesting.
Image from Flickr
1. Minimize Waste
I know, that seems like a gimme– but it’s not. Turn off your thermostat when you’re not home. Take the pets to a sitter, or board them, rather than leaving them in the house with some neighbor stopping in to check on them. Pack a couple of water bottles so you don’t have to buy bottles of water everywhere you go. Common sense still applies on vacation, as odd as that seems.
Image from Flickr
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April 11th, 2008 at 8:06 am
That’s a pink hotel, not green. Want a real green vacation? Try Ireland! Plenty of leprechauns and clover there.
April 11th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Nice post - that registry of environmentally friendly hotels is awesome. The only thing I would add is that you should look for green travel once you get there too - many popular destinations offer green transport now, particularly by biodiesel. Costa Rica’s even got a green domestic airline now.
When I was in Maui recently, I was amazed how many vehicles were run on biodiesel and other green fuels - I even went on a scuba diving trip on a biodiesel boat. Now THAT is green vacation!
April 11th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Good tips, but what about aiming for carbon neutral travel? There are offset companies that you can pay to offset your flights and vehicle costs.
Also, with the kentucky bluegrass of that B&B/hotel, as well as its meticulous gardening, I strongly doubt that it can be considered a “green hotel”. I know it’s picky, but that right there is another form of greenwashing - being drawn to ideas that look as though they *should* be green.
It’s great to hear that trains have lower emissions pp. I travel mostly by train for the legroom and power plugs. Could you reference that statement?
April 11th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
“Common sense still applies on vacation, as odd as that seems.”
Now there’s a way to win people over to green living with your article: insult the readers. Choose a snarky sentence to end a bone-dry, killjoy bore of an article that was padded around a single useful link.
Check the comments you inspired on Digg, where I buried you for turning people off to green choices. I couldn’t agree more with the comment, “Tell you what, just stay home and eat tofu.”
April 11th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Other tips:
1. Choose not to support mass-market, all-inclusive-style package vacations; opt instead for more self-directed journeys that pump money directly into local economies.
2. Especially if you are heading to an urban destination,request a hybrid vehicle from your car rental company. If they don’t offer hybrid reservations, choose another firm.
3. Simple: Bring less stuff; choose a smaller vehicle. You’ll be liberated from the baggage; if you need gear, rent it from an outfit at your destination, which will have the added benefit of enriching the local economy.
April 11th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Could you elaborate on why coach buses are better than trains, or provide a reference to explain this to me.
April 12th, 2008 at 1:01 am
There are only two things you can do to help the environment:
1. Move into the building where you work;
2. Don’t have children.
Everything else, unfortunately including the advice above on vacations, is just useless talk.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Very nice :) btw very good tips i will use them. Some of them i did not knew.