These days, the polar ice caps are melting and the weather across the world is going into a wild tailspin. Many energy conservationists and environmentalists are saying that this is because of an excess of emissions – namely from things like air conditioners, cars, and yes, airplanes. This is why you may want to think of a few eco-friendly ways to get around without hurting the environment. Of course, this can be difficult if you have to travel overseas for work or for another purpose, but there are plenty of things to do regionally and nationally that won’t increase your carbon footprint. When it comes down to it, your carbon footprint could also be affected by driving or even camping. However, there are a number of eco-friendly travel tips to keep on hand so that you can travel guilt free. Here are five eco-friendly travel tips for families.
- Take the train – taking the train is one of the most eco-friendly ways to get around. Trains emitrelatively few emissions and they travel through parts of the landscape that don’t affect the ecosystem. Plus, on a train you can see more and do more – and you’ll stop in a lot more locations than if traveling by plane.
- Look for a hotel that specializes in eco-friendly service – for instance, you may want to search for green Calgary hotels or eco-friendly lodges outside of Montreal. These hotels go to great lengths to make sure they are certified to offer “green” services. Many states and provinces will actually give a certificate showing that a certain establishment has taken measures to reduce its carbon footprint. When you book a hotel, you may want to ask about these certificates.
- Carpool to your destination – if you are going on a trip with multiple friends and you can all fit in one car, you probably want to go in one car to your destination. If you all leave in four or five cars and there is room to spare in all those cars, you are essentially wasting a lot of energy. Moreover, sharing the ride responsibility will also save a lot of money on things like gas and lodging. You may also all pitch in on other expenses too, like meals.
- Fly commercial and not private –if you can afford to travel in a private jet, it’s awfully tempting to avoid the crowds and long lines at the airport. However, when you fly private, you have to contend with the fact that you are burning a lot of jet fuel and all of those emissions are going straight into the atmosphere. If you take a plane, at least you are sharing the emission waste with 100 to 200 passengers. Because of the emissions, flying by private jet is one of the most egregious things you can do in terms of energy conservation.
- Clean up along the way – when you are on a road trip or camping trip, you want to make sure that you clean up all your refuse all the way. This is especially the case when you are camping and are in a pristine nature preserve. The last thing you want is to leave the wrapping from lunch. In the end, even if you have to hold on to the refuse for a few miles, it’s a small inconvenience to wait to throw it out properly.