Go Green for the Holidays

Green Travel

Green travel does not mean spending the holidays backpacking in

Yosemite. Regardless of your destination, there are easy ways you can

travel sustainably:

Before You Leave:

Turn off all lights, turn off the heater if possible (or at least lower it to sixty degrees), stop your newspaper, turn off the icemaker and unplug all computers, TVs and cable boxes (which can drain energy even when off).

Traveling:

When flying, take nonstop flights whenever possible. Since 50% of the carbon emissions an airplane produces come from takeoff and landing, nonstop flights are much better for the environment. Also, use paperless tickets when possible.

To get around a new city, walk or bike as much as possible. If the city has good public transportation, experience it instead of renting a car. If renting a car is inevitable, rent the smallest car possible to fit your needs since it will consume the least amount of gas. Many rental car companies now also offer hybrid rentals; definitely the smartest option for being earth-friendly.

Green Hotels

Patronizing eco-conscious hotels encourages more hotels to go green in

the future. For a fairly comprehensive list of green hotels in the

U.S., check out Green Hotels.com. 

If you cannot book a green hotel, you can still make your regular hotel stay greener:

- Participate in the hotel programs that reduce water waste from

washing linens and towels (hang them up in your bathroom instead of

leaving them on the floor so you can reuse them).

- Bring your own shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste to reduce packaging waste from mini hotel amenities.

- Turn off the AC or heater, TV and lights every time you leave the room to conserve energy.

Green Hostess Gifts

Staying with friends for the holidays? If you’re staying overnight,

proper etiquette requires giving the hostess a gift.  In general, the

longer your stay the more expensive the gift should be. Here are a few

good green options:

- Organic, fair trade chocolates or truffles in a reusable container

- Instead of cut flowers, give a beautiful potted plant that will live much longer

- A bottle of organic or biodynamic wine (check out Eco Wine.com)

- For a long stay, give the hostess a gift certificate to an organic spa like Jurlique.