Eco-Friendly Travel Tips
March 13, 2013 
2 Comments
More and more people become responsible for their actions on a global ecological scale, finding it is important to adhere to that ideal. Proper enjoyment of green vacations requires some careful planning beforehand, so we can truly stick to what must be done. We can help you achieve that with a few easy to perform eco-travel tips. Earth Day is coming up once more this year on April 22nd and this will give you a great idea to share your eco-friendly ideas with your friends as well.
Being eco-friendly is a bit hard to define. There are many aspects of the green life, from proper cleaning to carbon footprint and waste management. The most important aspect of that life however are the activities and ideas that make our trip more friendly to the environment itself. Wherever you go you leave traces of your passing. The best way to avoid that is to stick to a few useful practices as you move on from each area. We will cover what we can here, though you can undoubtedly find even more useful ideas as you explore what the green ideal is all about.
1. Stay at green-certified lodges and cottages
This will not only make you enjoy your stay more than the other usual accommodations, but it will also help keep the Earth clean by utilizing natural materials. Green certified accommodation means something very simple – the owners have the same mindset like you do, trying to make a difference in the fight against pollution.
2. Consider your personal carbon footprint
This is very important, as your various transportation methods may have quite an impact on the environment. Is it possible for you to bike or walk on vacation rather than drive a vehicle? Will you rent a car, or are you planning on using a cab? Every choice you make has a larger impact on the overall carbon emissions in the world. It is down to the individual’s choice to make a difference. Something else you could really use in your travels are trains, streetcars and subways. They are usually quite an experience in a car-dominated world.
3. A question of willpower
When you travel, you need to ask yourself the question after all: Do you adhere to your code of staying green or do you take breaks from it. Overuse of cleaning products, towels and clothes can easily lead to wasting water and speeding up the pollution of the area. Keeping the lights and AC on leads to wasting energy and adding on to the carbon footprint of the area. It is essential to be conscious about the way we live our lives.
4. Avoid taking mementos from a place
Although it may only come as natural to you to take a little piece of the place you have visited along to remember it by, you should stay your hand. Respecting the local ecosystem is important to protecting and preserving the beauty of it for future generations. Your interference can not only change the local ecosystem, but it can also cause unknown bacteria and species of plants to wreak havoc on your local ecosystem. That is one of the reasons why some countries such as the US have forbidden live plant samples from entering their borders.
5. Keep your souvenir picking to a minimum
Before you buy something you should consider whether you really need it or not. Much of what you buy will either end up collecting dust or being thrown out in a few years. Having useless trinkets laying around your home is quite pointless, but if you are fond of them try to only pick the ones you feel you really want.
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Thanks for sharing interesting blog,I like it.
I agree with point #5. To elaborate, often locals will steal ancient artifacts off temples, etc in order to make money by selling it to tourists. Unknowingly, by buying these souvenirs, you are contributing to crime and the damage of ancient buildings, etc.