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As summer draws nearer, so do thoughts of vacations to the beach, the lake, the golf course, the amusement park, international destinations, or wherever your travels may take you. Whether your vacation is just a short drive away or halfway across the world; this guide will give you a few quick tips to make sure your journey is a bit greener.
Getting There:
Driving
If you are driving, here are a few helpful hints to save money on gas, and saving gas means reducing your emissions:
Check your tires – properly inflated tires can increase fuel efficiency by 3%.
Go easy on the gas pedal and the brakes – Leave the lead foot at home. Accelerating and braking at controlled, slow(er) speeds can save you money in gas (up to 30% bettr efficiency!).
Use the 1-minute rule – If you are going to be idling for more than 1-minute, you’ll save gas and emissions by turning the car off.
Use cruise control – Works the best if you are using it at highway speeds (it is said that the most fuel efficient speed is between 55 and 60 mph).
Pack light – If you can fit everything your family needs inside the car, scrapping the need for your roof rack, you can decrease drag and increase efficiency by as much as 10%!
Air Conditioning – AC is best to use while traveling at highway speeds, but for cruising around town, roll the windows down, turn off the AC, and enjoy the smells and sounds of your surroundings.
Flying
If you are flying to your destination, there are multiple ways to either offset or reduce your environmentally harmful emissions.
Purchase offsetting carbon credits – There are numerous organizations from which you can purchase carbon offsets that will match your carbon emissions by supporting clean energy alternatives like wind, solar, and biomass power, reforestation projects, and projects to increase efficiency where it is needed.
Fly full – Though comfort is always in issue on airplanes, flying during those busy times will help cut the emissions for which each individual is responsible. Recently, a major airline flew a plane from Chicago to London with only five passengers! The flight used 22,000 gallons of fuel; consequently the CO2 output of each individual was 43 tons (45 times more than it would have been if the plane were full).
So now that you know how to get there, a few questions remain: Where are you going? Where will you stay? What are you going to do when you get there?
Check back in the next few weeks for some very 'green' answers to these vacation-related questions!
About the Author:
Stefan Peter-Contesse is a recent college graduate from Colorado looking to find his way in the environmental and/or recreation fields in Nashville, TN. He is a skier, snowboarder, backpacker, runner, and overall outdoor recreation enthusiast. He couples these activities with his interests in social and environmental change. He can be reached at Stefanpc@hotmail.com
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