I am no green-warrior. I don’t think of the artic glaciers every time I step foot on my accelerator. I don’t wonder if the planes pollute more than my car or even if I rather use the airport lavatory than the one on the plane (believe me there is even a theory on how much fuel is saved based on the place u relieve) . I am sure most of us don’t think of these things as we find it trivial or we don’t understand the impact.
But all of us also have a growing concern for the environment. Hence small changes that go a long way in helping save our earth, changes we can surely adapt when we travel form the basis of the new “it” concept in travel – “ECO Travel“.
I won’t suggest things that the hardcore green preachers want all of us to do. But only things you can easily incorporate in your itinerary and travel needs.
So here we go :
1) Should you always fly?
This is a tough one. Most people fly because its the fastest, most convenient mode of travel and also in some cases there is a certain status attached to the first class traveler. But for the normal you and me, there is always the good old train. At least when you have the time to kill on your leisure trips and for short distances ranging up to 1500 km’s or a nights travel, train journeys are always the most memorable. It has its own enigmatic charm attached to it. So go for it.
Fact : Studies suggest a 500 mile flight, per person pollutes as much as you car would in a month.
2) Travel light
Don’t take your grandma’s trunk along. Travel with only what you need.
3) Help and local
Support the local people of the place you visit.It may be via employing them as guides or buying their handicrafts. In turn they help save the environment around them.
4) Go trekking, hiking or camping.
Don’t visit opulent hotels which are energy guzzlers. A hike or a camp on the beach carries much more memories than a sauna bath.
5) Don’t litter, Avoid bottled water(you will find water in most places, bottled water would have been transported over huge distances and thus is a source of absolute waste of fuel)
6) Don’t spend all your trip time just in the car. Reach a place and explore it fully. Don’t keep hopping from location to location separated by hundreds of kilometers.
7) If you are on a road trip, drive sensibly to increase your fuel efficiency.
8 ) If you have a choice, choose hotels which are more energy efficient.
9) Use Blackle instead of Google when you are googling for your travel plan 
www.blackle.com
For all my eco-evangelism here, I myself don’t follow many of the above mentioned points. But climate change is affecting everyone’s lives. It is slowly changing weather patterns which could affect agriculture and the entire food chain in the long run. It’s high time we react and do something about it.
Start today….
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