With spring around the corner and summer not far behind, it’s time to start thinking of what traveling adventures you will be going on. There are ways to travel in a green friendly manner and at Sustain the Green we want to make sure you are equipped with the knowledge of how to do so. Now, green travel seems like kind of a cliché catch phrase and perhaps you’re thinking it doesn’t even really mean anything, but when you travel green, it’s not just about avoiding throwing your garbage in your street or packing aerosols, but rather to travel green one must conserve and respect the local plant and animal life of the visited locale as well as the culture of the communities experienced.
It’s tough to go to a place like Hawaii or Cancun and be 100% green. Unless of course you’re going to take a sail boat as your method of transportation which let’s be honest, not the best plan. Don’t worry about avoiding planes to get to your destination. Instead, research the places you will be staying once you arrive. Resorts and hotels alike have begun green initiatives all over the world. For example, the Mauna Lani Bay Resort has made a name for itself by generating the majority of the power used by this luxury resort through solar panels. Hacienda Trés Rios in the Mayan Riviera south of Cancun has created a way to use the natural waterways passing underneath the resort to heat and cool the property rather than using non-eco friendly power sources. Even most of the Holiday Inns that I have stayed at recently tell you not to throw your towels on the floor after one use. Re-use them and you help save water.
For those of you not into the five star experiences, there are other ways to travel green, such as hiking, camping, and extended bicycle trips. Don’t be fooled though. Just because it’s not in a train, plane, or automobile doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to be green. When you are directly involved with nature, it is more easily damaged. Respect the plant life: take pictures, don’t pick them. If you are going to be bathing in a natural water source, make sure you are using bio-friendly soap. If you are really returning to nature, make sure your toilet paper is bio-degradable.
No matter where you are actually going or what you are doing, there are a lot of ways to travel green. For more tips on how to travel green visit msnbc.com and see what they have to say on the matter.
Have some tips of your own? Tell us about it below.
