Green Travel

Why is green travel important?  Tourism is an integral factor in the global economy, with significant climate effects. As greenhouse gas emissions from transport and accommodations increase, the need for responsible travel grows as well.

Here are some ways to reduce your carbon emissions from travel:

Take the train or bus rather than a plane or car.

• Air passenger traffic (expressed in passenger-kilometers) has grown nearly 9% a year for the past 50 years and demand is expected to increase in the coming decades. Taking trains or buses slows the demand for airplanes and drastically reduces CO2 emissions. Compare CO2 emissions (in tons) for travel from DC to NY and DC to LA. (Calculations from www.CarbonFootprint.com )

	plane	car at 20 mpg	hybrid car at 100 mpg	train	bus
DC to NY (230 miles)	0.057	0.101	0.044	0.022	0.033
DC to LA (2675 miles)	0.525	1.066	0.515	0.259	0.384

• When traveling within a city, use public transportation whenever possible. If you’re visiting a new city, renting bikes or walking can be an excellent way to see the sights and meet local people. If you’re renting a car, rent a hybrid – this saves you money for gas and reduces your CO2 emissions.

Be conscious of your hotel’s environmental impact.

• Use your linens more than once. Most hotels offer racks to dry your towels and doorknob cards signaling no need to change the sheets. Reusing linens reduces water, electricity and detergent consumption from washing machines and dryers.
• Participate in hotel recycling programs.
• Turn off all lights and AC when leaving your room for the day.
• For websites offering a list of green hotels and vacation packages, try www.responsibletravel.com or http://www.greenhotels.com/members.htm

Green your home before leaving on a trip.

• Turn your water heater to “vacation” or the lowest setting and turn AC or heat off. 
• Unplug appliances, such as the TV, computers, printers, cable boxes and DVD players – even when turned off, appliances can draw as much as 50 watts per hour. The government’s Energy Star program estimates that 40% of electricity used by home electronics is consumed while the appliances are turned off.
• Stop your newspaper to reduce waste, or consider donating it to a school or library.

Purchase green souvenirs.

• Buy local food products rather than goods that have been shipped from abroad. This reduces CO2 emissions from transport and allows you to savor local cuisine.
• Avoid souvenirs made from seashells, ivory, coral, animal skins or feathers. The animals may have been killed exclusively for the tourist trade.
• Take only photographs; do not remove items from natural or historical areas.