10 Ways to Be a Greener Traveler, Even if You Love to Fly

You want to be green. You recycle. You turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth. But you’re not going to forgo a flight to a tropical paradise and top-notch accommodations, even though planes emit greenhouse gases and routine hotel practices, like washing the linens each day, hurt the environment. After all, you love to travel — and well.

There’s still hope. To help you sleep easier on those high-thread-count sheets, here are 10 small ways to travel a little more responsibly, even when taking that trip to Hawaii.

1. Offset Your Flight

Flying (especially on short flights) is among the least sustainable ways to travel, according to groups such as the Environmental Defense Fund. Some airlines allow you to try to compensate for the carbon footprint you create when flying, however, by buying what are known as carbon offsets, or various ways to reduce greenhouse gases. Passengers on airlines like Delta and United can calculate their carbon footprint on the airline websites, which equate the size of a trip’s carbon footprint with a dollar figure. They can then donate their money or miles to a carbon reduction project such as forest conservation or renewable energy. Airlines are not the only ones offering offsets, though. Amtrak, for instance, has a rail calculator and allows you to offset your train trip through Carbonfund.org.

Some environmental organizations have said that offset programs are problematic. And a number of them have suggested that the carbon calculators on airline sites are not precise enough because they do not take into consideration factors like whether you’re flying first class (which results in a larger carbon footprint because you’re taking up space that could otherwise have been used to transport more people). Still, contributing to such programs is better than flying and doing nothing. For a more precise calculator, check out carbonfootprint.com.

2. Tour Cities on Foot

If you can’t walk, bike. If you can’t bike, take a subway, bus or train. If you rent a car, request a hybrid. If you hire a driver, try to car pool. Services such as Lyft and Uber offer car-pooling, though the notion that they are environmentally friendly is being studied; researchers at NRDC Urban Solutions and the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley, are analyzing whether such services are good for the environment or if they are merely congesting roads, competing with public transportation and encouraging people to be driven instead of walking. Bottom line: If you have the option, walk.

3. Have a Green Hotel Stay

The greenest vacation is one in which you don’t travel far, impossible for those who wish to see the world. Airbnb has argued that home sharing is a greener option than hotels, though its study published in 2014 — which said that using Airbnb results in a significant reduction in energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions and waste, and relied mainly on guest and host survey responses from February to April of that year — was not scientific. But if home sharing isn’t for you, you can still make any hotel stay greener by reusing your sheets and towels (many hotels give guests the option to not change their linens each day), taking short showers, turning off the air-conditioner (or using a fan instead), turning down the thermostat and using less electricity by forgoing the hair dryer and switching off the lights when you’re not in the room. You can also choose to stay in hotels that have sustainable practices like harvesting rainwater and not heating or air-conditioning rooms or spaces that are unoccupied. To find them, check out a site like the Green Hotels Association. Expedia.com also has some tips for green travel. Not sure your desired hotel is green? The Nature Conservancy has 10 questions you can ask to find out.

4. Take a Reusable Water Bottle

Millions of barrels of oil are needed to produce the plastic water bottles consumed by Americans alone, according to the Pacific Institute, a sustainable water think tank. In 2007 the group said that the amount of oil used in the production of plastic water bottles was enough energy to fuel more than a million cars and light trucks for a year. You can do your part to curb emissions by always traveling with a reusable bottle. And coffee and tea drinkers can help when it comes to saving paper by carrying reusable travel mugs instead of to-go cups.

5. Pack Light

The heavier your luggage, the more fuel is needed. Even something as small as a cellphone multiplied across the number of passengers affects the weight of a plane. Besides, it’s easier and more fun to travel when you’re not loaded down with bags.

6. Opt for E-Tickets Instead of Paper

By now we know not to print documents when we don’t have to, and recycle whatever paper we do use. Paper production and pulpwood harvesting contribute to climate change and “threaten some of the last remaining natural forests and the people and wildlife that depend on them,” according to the WWF. E-tickets, meanwhile, have come a long way from their wonky early days. Having your smartphone scanned at airports and train stations is often seamless.

7. Go Local

Eat locally sourced food and buy locally made souvenirs — and carry them back to your hotel in a reusable bag instead of plastic. In addition to supporting local economies, shopping locally generally means there’s less packaging. And items don’t need to be flown or shipped in, cutting down on waste and greenhouse gas emissions. As the Michigan State University Extension has pointed out, buying locally grown food can help maintain farmland and green space. To cut emissions even more significantly, reduce or eliminate red meat; its production is carbon-intensive.

8. Put Your Laptop to Sleep

Allow your computer and other devices to sleep when you’re not using them. It’s an energy saver that’s good for their battery life and for the earth, too.

9. Choose Tours That Don’t Harm the Environment

Many environmentally minded groups including the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club and the WWF offer eco-trips and outings that strive not to harm natural resources, wildlife or people. Backroads and REI Adventures also offer tours that aim to be environmentally low-impact.

10. Spread the Word

Pass your green travel habits on to others. You’ll multiply their effect — something you’ll need to do given all the trips you hope to take.

即使你爱搭飞机旅游，这十种方法让也可以让你变成绿色的旅行达人

摘自《纽约时报》2016年4月20日

你想要保护环境，所以你利用可回收垃圾，你在刷牙的时候关掉水龙头。但是你抵挡不住飞往热带度假天堂和顶级会所的诱惑，然而飞机会释放大量的温室气体，而且宾馆的日常运营，例如每天洗床单，也会破坏环境。但是没办法啊，你热爱旅行。还好，还有希望能让你躺在那高级床单上，放下这些心事睡个好觉。以下是十种小方法能让你变成一个更加负责的旅者，甚至是飞去夏威夷。

为飞行造成的污染买单

根据美国环保协会的调查指出，航空旅行（尤其是短途航线）是最不环保的旅行方式之一。很多航空公司都为旅客提供多种方法来弥补他们在旅途中所留下的碳足迹（碳排放），你可以购买“碳补偿”，也可以通过其各种他方法捐款以减少温室气体的排放。三角洲航空和美联航的乘客可以在航空公司官网上计算他们的碳足迹量，然后得出整个行程碳足迹的报价单。他们可以按此把钱或里程数捐给环保机构，这些机构可能从事防林业，也可能从事可再生资源的开发。不仅仅只有航空公司提供碳补偿，美国铁路公司的旅客也可以再Carbonfund.org上计算并购买他们搭乘火车旅行所留下的碳足迹。

很多环保组织称碳补偿计划存在很多问题。很多专业人士指出航空公司网站上的碳排放计算器并不十分准确，因为他们没有考虑到旅客搭乘的是否为头等舱（头等舱旅客所制造的碳排放要更大一些，因为他们占据了更多空间，这些空间本可以被更加充分利用以容纳更多旅客）。即便如此，参与碳补偿活动也总好过完全不做为。若您想要更精准的计算碳排放，请登录carbonfootprint.com。

2. 步行游城

如果你不想走路，那就骑车。如果你不想骑车，那就搭地铁、公交或者铁路。如果你要租车，那就租混合动力车。如果你打算雇一个司机，那就干脆拼车。很多服务机构，例如雷夫和优步都提供拼车服务，虽然人们仍在研究这种做法到底是否环保。加州大学交通持续性研究中心NRDC城市交通问题解决部的专家正在分析这些服务机构是否有利于环保，亦或者因为他们与公共交通的竞争而把道路变得更加拥堵，这些服务机构会不会反而鼓励人们开车而非步行。因此我们的底线是：如果你方便的话，请选择步行。

3. 入住绿色宾馆

最绿色最环保的假期要求你不出远门，这对那些“世界那么大想出去看看”的人来说根本是不可能的。爱本卜公司认为家庭共享

相较于住酒店要环保的多。虽然他们在2014年的调查报告说明使用爱本卜的服务可以大幅度降低对水电的消耗，减少温室气体和垃圾的排放。然而他们的报告却被指不科学，因为只有2014年2月到4月之间的旅客和屋住参与了调查回馈。

如果你不想住别人家的话，你也可以更加环保的居住酒店。你可以不必每天换床单和浴巾（很多宾馆同意客人选择不每天更换床单浴巾），缩短沐浴时间，关掉空调，把温度调低，不使用吹风价，并且人不在房间的时候关掉电灯可以省很多电。你也可以选择入住履行环保作业的宾馆，这些宾馆采取回收雨水，对于无人居住的房间和区域不提供供暖和空调。你可以登录例如绿色宾馆协会等相关网站搜索这些宾馆。Expedia.com也提供一些绿色出行的小贴士。如果你不确定你所居住的酒店是否是绿色酒店，你可以查询美国自然保育协会，他们准备了十个问题你可以研究一下得出答案。

4. 不要用一次性水壶

一所名为“太平洋研究所”的可持续性水源智库指出仅美国一国对塑料水瓶的需求就要消耗上百万桶原油。该智库于2007年声称用来生产塑料水壶所消耗的原油足够为一百多万辆汽车和电灯提供一年的能量。你可以通过在旅途中使用可再用的水壶为节能减排出一份力。喜欢喝咖啡喝茶水的旅客也可以通过使用自己的水杯而不是一次性的外带纸杯来节省对纸张的消耗。

5.轻装出行

你的行李越重，消耗的能量就越多。即使是像手机这么小的东西，乘以旅客的数量也会影响飞机的整体重量。况且，如果能轻装上阵，你也会在旅途中玩的更开心，更方便。

6. 使用电子票据而不是纸质票据

现在我们已经习惯于在不必要的时候尽量不打印，并且把纸张循环利用。据世界野生动物基金会，造纸和纸浆制造会增强气候改变，并且“威胁着最后仅存的几片我们人类和野生动物赖以为生的原始森林”。电子票据早已经脱离了当年尴尬的雏形，现在我们可以在机场和火车站无缝的扫描手机上的电子票据。

7. 消费本地化

购买本地生产的食材，购买本地制作的纪念品，然后在把这些东西使用可循环利用的购物，而非塑料袋，袋带回酒店。这样做不仅可以刺激本地经济，而且可以减少包装浪费。这样一来货物不需要长途运输，减少浪费和温室气体的排放。密歇根州立大学拓展计划指出购买本地种植的食材可以维持农场和绿地。若要进一步减少排放，那就减少食用红肉，红肉的生产是极度碳密集性的。

8. 把你的笔记本电脑调到休眠模式

在不使用的时候，请把你的电脑和其他设备调到休眠模式。这样做既可以延长电池寿命也可以延长我们地球的寿命。

9. 选择不会破坏环境的旅行

很多环保旅行团体，例如大自然保育组织、塞拉俱乐部和世界野生动物组织都提供环保出行，旨在不妨害自然资源、野生动物或居民。Backroads和REI Adventrues也提供环保旅行。

10. 宣传环保意识

把你的绿色出行意识宣传给其他人。这样事半功倍—要想无忧无虑的自在旅行，你一定要记得这样做哦。