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YahooTrains instead of planes. When you have a choice, go for trains. You will see a lot more of the countryside. In some cases, in Europe, North America, some of Africa and some of Asia, you can book sleepers and travel overnight. You can save hefty hotel bills if you schedule your trip right. And here is the kicker....you usually end up much closer to downtown...often next to a subway...so you really reduce overall travel time if you plan carefully.
Planes, at the speed they are traveling, add tons of carbon emissions. But for long distance travel, there is no choice. So, buy carbon offsets. Some airlines offer these and even calculate the percentage allotted to you as a passenger in a particular flight. Carbon offsets are usually simply donations to support eco-friendly programs.
Public transport instead of taxis or rental cars. Maybe not in some places. Better yet, walk or bike. In Cambodia and Thailand, you can hop on a motor bike and reach your destination quicker. Just make sure you have your helmet or borrow one from the driver. Better still, choose a bike rickshaw. Every weekend in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, you will see a group of green clad rickshaw drivers scooting around the city to raise awareness on the environment.
Non-stop instead of flight with stop-over. Planes burn more fuel in take off and landing. The fewer connections you take, the lower your carbon footprint will be. Of course, many times, airlines love bringing you to hubs and many of the direct flights are more expensive. Sometimes, we just have to swallow the price for something we value more.
Turbo props. On shorter routes, check to see if there are turbo prop aircraft (with propellers) working for the airline. You might see the word "Dash" in front of their numbers. These use much less fuel and the airline industry seems to be rediscovering them. They are nearly as fast (on short routes), quiet and sometimes go into downtown airports and save even more time.
Go to your gate on time. Linger not in duty free shops or bars. It is not uncommon for airlines before take off to be calling for one or two passengers who have checked in but have not yet shown up at the plane's entrance. Maybe, that bargain is just too good to miss. Know, though, that the less time the plane spends idling on the ground, the less carbon dioxide emissions they put out.
Pack light. A lighter aircraft burns less fuel. Most travelers admit they use about half the things they take and most of the "just-in-cases" never happen. You will also save yourself the curse of inserting yourself in the crowd around the baggage carousel to peek at the baggage arriving. They seem to look all alike now. If you try to just have a hand-carry, you will not have to do this and the chance of your losing your luggage is nil.
Green programs before luxuries. Before you book a hotel, ask about their eco-friendly programs not just the luxuries they offer. Ask about their recycling programs, the steps they take to become more energy efficient and other things they do to reduce consumption.
If you don't want to be a pain in the neck, read about the hotel's program on the internet. Often, as part of their advertisement to attract green customers, they place these in their website.
By just asking, you raise the consciousness of the hotel to be more serious about being green. If you just go to the internet and book a room and can't be bothered finding out, at least, compliment the hotel when you see their effort towards becoming more eco-friendly. Mind you, if you are not a smoker and they place you in a room right beside a smoker, you will have a problem. Or, if they say in their site, they cannot guarantee a non-smoking room, forget it. You can hardly breathe the air in many of the rooms not specified as non-smoking. I tell you, it is not pleasant especially when you are paying $200 for the night.
As well, there are other things you can do. Keep your showers short, and shut off the water when you brush your teeth. When you go out, turn off the air conditioning, heating, television, lights or any other electric devices in your room. Ask to reuse your sheets and towels instead of having these changed every day. When you use the hotel's toiletries, take the ones you have not finished using and use them at home or during the rest of your trip. Encourage their effort by expressing your appreciation for any eco-friendly programs they currently offer.
Relieve yourself before and not on the flight. Make it a habit to do so before boarding a flight. While it is true that airplane toilets use around 10cc of water per flush and the water is treated and recycled, each flush in flight uses enough energy for a fuel efficient car to run for 10 kilometers. Just think about that.
