When flying became a every mans past time as well eating red meat ,is when the problems started. Travel less and eat very little red meat !
All the tips accomplish at least one important goal, raising personal awareness of how we contribute to overconsumption and environmental degradation. Every little bit contributes -- a little bit. But to have real impact, we have to take airplanes out of the sky and vehicles off the road. Looking at individual efficiency improvements can be deceptive, like suppose I get a vehicle with twice the fuel economy, but then drive it twice as far because it is so efficient!
How can we be just as happy while using far fewer resources in total? The adjustments in our way of life and in how the economy actually works suggests a very deep change in our own wants and desires. Therein hangs a human revolution that is truly paradigm changing on many fronts.
How can we be just as happy while using far fewer resources in total? The adjustments in our way of life and in how the economy actually works suggests a very deep change in our own wants and desires. Therein hangs a human revolution that is truly paradigm changing on many fronts.
2
We could all decide at a certain planned time to just kill ourselves. That would save the planet. I suspect that after our voluntary mass extinction, the planet will continue to grow more hot and palm trees will grow in Michigan. That is until the next cold snap rolls around and Michigan will once again be covered in mile thick ice as it was 10,000 years ago.
Seriously, birth control is the only way out....maybe.
Seriously, birth control is the only way out....maybe.
3
Tip #11: Choose lodging where you are able to open the windows.
It is travesty to see so many Americans literally switching from heat to A/C or vice versa twice per year without taking advantage of beautiful spring days, cool summer nights, and the crisp autumn air. I even open my windows on warm winter days just to drive out some of the stale air.
Most of us grew up with parents who opened the windows, dried their laundry outdoors via sunshine and a gentle breeze,
Building codes across the land should require that both residential and commercial space have windows which actually open.
I'm virtually certain that some oversensitive helicopter parent type will bring up allergies, but all all combined allergies affect only roughly 30% of Americans, many of which are no worse outdoors vs. indoors save the occasional seasonal allergy sufferer.
It is travesty to see so many Americans literally switching from heat to A/C or vice versa twice per year without taking advantage of beautiful spring days, cool summer nights, and the crisp autumn air. I even open my windows on warm winter days just to drive out some of the stale air.
Most of us grew up with parents who opened the windows, dried their laundry outdoors via sunshine and a gentle breeze,
Building codes across the land should require that both residential and commercial space have windows which actually open.
I'm virtually certain that some oversensitive helicopter parent type will bring up allergies, but all all combined allergies affect only roughly 30% of Americans, many of which are no worse outdoors vs. indoors save the occasional seasonal allergy sufferer.
1
How about..."Choose Airlines, Hotel Companies, etc that are more environmentally conscious"?
1
I found number 8 to be hilarious. Seriously? All laptops I've owned go to sleep when you close the lid. Who travels with an open laptop? as for smartphones and tablets they're designed to go sleep when not being used. That's how they save on power. Wow. What ridiculous advice.
2
To steal from "The Big Kahuna": I wouldn't trust an airline to wax my car.
A better use of your money is to give directly to environmental organizations like the Sierra Club, World Wildlife, or the Nature Conservancy.
A better use of your money is to give directly to environmental organizations like the Sierra Club, World Wildlife, or the Nature Conservancy.
1
The government could station a stern woman in sackcloth at the jetway to ring a bell and shout "shame" as each person boards.
6
Would benefit from some actual data .... A few numbers to show just how much you could offset and not just feel good about.
1
Dine Vegan. 51% of GHG* come from animal agriculture. Transportation and the aviation sector much less (a widely quoted figure by the EPA is 11% for the aviation sector).
A change of diet and a change to industrial farm practices will have the greatest positive impact environmentally whether you are here at home or abroad.
*http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6294
A change of diet and a change to industrial farm practices will have the greatest positive impact environmentally whether you are here at home or abroad.
*http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6294
4
Travel at off peak times when planes are not full. A full plane means an extra flight would need to be added.
Fly coach. A business class seat can be the equivalent of four on coach.
Fly coach. A business class seat can be the equivalent of four on coach.
1
Stories like this set the fight against climate change back 100 years. I am speechless. How about listing we all travel by covered wagon?,,, oh right, we'd have to cut trees for the wood and don't even think about the horses and all that methane they'd produce. The comments were better than the story. Intentionally in some cases and not in others.
3
Let's be clear, from the environmental perspective flying is extremely damaging to the atmosphere. Nothing else emits untreated exhaust directly to the upper layers of the atmosphere.
I know it's not fun to say it, but none of the suggestiona here will do anything to take away the damage, not even the so-called offsetting with carbon credits. All these little tricks could serve to only make me feel better for flying anywhere and anytime I want.
Every top ten list of ways to be eco conscious, in order to be credible needs to first recommend NOT flying/buying/using unless absolutely essential, and follow that with less impactful/harmful alternatives like the train, or even a video chat!
It is very problematic that we are taking for granted that an extra $200 charge on a getaway will somehow undo all the emissions of that flight. So long as I have money to pay that peanut charge I guess it is okay to take 40 flights a year. Zero guilt. Zero inconvenience.
Most people cannot afford to fly, or fly only for very meaningful reasons rather than the quick getaways and pleasure travel.
Sorry, this is a very poor attempt at making the impact of flying somehow more palatable.
I know it's not fun to say it, but none of the suggestiona here will do anything to take away the damage, not even the so-called offsetting with carbon credits. All these little tricks could serve to only make me feel better for flying anywhere and anytime I want.
Every top ten list of ways to be eco conscious, in order to be credible needs to first recommend NOT flying/buying/using unless absolutely essential, and follow that with less impactful/harmful alternatives like the train, or even a video chat!
It is very problematic that we are taking for granted that an extra $200 charge on a getaway will somehow undo all the emissions of that flight. So long as I have money to pay that peanut charge I guess it is okay to take 40 flights a year. Zero guilt. Zero inconvenience.
Most people cannot afford to fly, or fly only for very meaningful reasons rather than the quick getaways and pleasure travel.
Sorry, this is a very poor attempt at making the impact of flying somehow more palatable.
2
It's hard not to conclude that the most environmentally damaging choice you can make as an American is to have American children. Have kids living anything close to a typical American lifestyle? You're responsible for their globally outsized carbon footprints as well.
Individual actions are important, but ultimately we need to do something as a society to bring our per-person energy use more in line with other developed nations. Charging the full costs of wasteful behavior to the wastee - such as disposal, energy and environmental costs of consumer packaging like water bottles fully to the manufacturer and end user - would be one free-market start. If you buy a water bottle on vacation now, you don't personally pay those extra costs.
Individual actions are important, but ultimately we need to do something as a society to bring our per-person energy use more in line with other developed nations. Charging the full costs of wasteful behavior to the wastee - such as disposal, energy and environmental costs of consumer packaging like water bottles fully to the manufacturer and end user - would be one free-market start. If you buy a water bottle on vacation now, you don't personally pay those extra costs.
This is another column by a writer addressed to "people who love to fly."
Tell me, where does she find these people? Unless you can fly business or first class, flying these days is torture. I suggest she fly in cattle car class and see how much she likes it.
Tell me, where does she find these people? Unless you can fly business or first class, flying these days is torture. I suggest she fly in cattle car class and see how much she likes it.
What about this: Don't take flights unless necessary for business.
2
Well the big obvious tip is missing...don't travel. Travel is a luxury, not a necessity. These ten tips are small bandaids on an enormous optional use of energy. The big question, should we continue to threaten the world just so we can see it?
2
These are nearly effortless steps that have as little effect as the amount of effort or thought they require. The principle outcome is to make rich, well-fed people feel noble. Meanwhile, 1.3 billion people have no electricity and cook over dung fires. But, what the heck? They're far away and mostly brown or black, and helping them would be...hard.
4
... and unplug all your standby devices at home before you leave (TVs, DVD, stereo, wifi, video game consoles, satellite/cable boxes, various chargers even if not connected to devices like laptops, microwave, etc.). And of course turn off your heaters.
1
What a joke. You can't possibly be delusional enough to believe there is a greener way to fly. Let's stop pretending that it's possible.
2
This column is rather piffle-poo. I really enjoy staying home and traveling by viewing the various wonderful PBS and travel channel shows on t.v. on my energy-saving device. And yes, I feel I've been there and done that!
1
A wonderful way for people to believe they are doing something about climate change. Unfortunately the scientific evidence that this would make even the slightest difference is completely non existent. But this is really about making people feel good right? If you believe you are "green" then that's what matters.
As an example if all airplanes in the world were grounded tomorrow and never flew again that might reduce warming by 5%. That is significant of course but not practical. The idea that this laundry list of useless gestures might actually impact climate change in any meaningful way is simply a fantasy. Lots of unscientific suggestions by readers as well, things like biofuels ( they still produce CO2), etc. Electric cars have become the rage except when you analyze the carbon footprint and environmental impact of manufacturing and recycling vast numbers of batteries there is a trade off there as well. Just another example, climate change is real but there are many questions about what we can effectively do about it. The answer is not to make stuff up that sounds good, and have people who do these useless things pretend they are "green".
As an example if all airplanes in the world were grounded tomorrow and never flew again that might reduce warming by 5%. That is significant of course but not practical. The idea that this laundry list of useless gestures might actually impact climate change in any meaningful way is simply a fantasy. Lots of unscientific suggestions by readers as well, things like biofuels ( they still produce CO2), etc. Electric cars have become the rage except when you analyze the carbon footprint and environmental impact of manufacturing and recycling vast numbers of batteries there is a trade off there as well. Just another example, climate change is real but there are many questions about what we can effectively do about it. The answer is not to make stuff up that sounds good, and have people who do these useless things pretend they are "green".
1
I'm dismayed by the number of commenters who advise not traveling as the solution. They equate global travel with bragging rights.
My feeling is that travel to other cultures has the potential to bond us, to make us empathetic, and to broaden our understanding of our world...which makes us more informed, caring world citizens.
A stay-cation is ethically unimpeachable but less broadening. A hike to your nearest wilderness, likewise.
I'm with those who point out that eating meat daily and driving a gas guzzler to work supports an extremely polluting system, and to cut down or give it up is to move us towards less pollution. These are daily, meaningful, things we can do...then, can we please fly somewhere breathtaking and broaden our understanding of the world once a year?
My feeling is that travel to other cultures has the potential to bond us, to make us empathetic, and to broaden our understanding of our world...which makes us more informed, caring world citizens.
A stay-cation is ethically unimpeachable but less broadening. A hike to your nearest wilderness, likewise.
I'm with those who point out that eating meat daily and driving a gas guzzler to work supports an extremely polluting system, and to cut down or give it up is to move us towards less pollution. These are daily, meaningful, things we can do...then, can we please fly somewhere breathtaking and broaden our understanding of the world once a year?
2
The suggestions in this article are equivalent to trimming fingernails and saying we are curing colon cancer. The first paragraph blows off the real carbon footprint of traveling. The rest of the article then details for us how to trim fingernails.
We are soooooo hypocritical.
We are soooooo hypocritical.
5
Thanks for noting that everyone should forego red meat because it's carbon intensive. The real inconvenient truth, though, is that everyone should go vegan.
2
These kinds of articles, designed to assuage your eco-guilt, were popular 10 years ago. That was when we hadn't felt the direct impact of climate change yet. They list little things you can do on the edges. Change your lightbulbs, unplug your computer at night, buy bamboo socks. Truth is we're beyond that now. If you fly, you're burning Carbon. There's no way to mask that. You'd be better off reducing your number of flights, lobbying US and the EU to enact tighter efficiency standards on planes, pressuring Boeing and Airbus to invest in technologies to make airplanes burn far less Carbon. All other tips are mere window dressing.
2
We need to push the airlines to use more biofuels. I believe United has begun to do so. It is possible. Renewables are the future, if we are to have a future.
2
If every traveler, in the aggregate, consistently did this, there would be some carbon footprint reductions. Still more if face-to-face meetings went screen-to-screen. I've been a working plane warrior for some 15 years now. So my carbon sin is great.
The irony was not lost on me last week, when we went to Grand Teton and Yellowstone. While we brought our Contigos, and while the Xanterra run hotels purposely had no A/C, we reused towels, and the gift shops don't use plastic bags anymore, I felt the poignancy as we viewed so much wildlife that I dubbed the area the American Serengeti.
We felt equally guilty when, rushing to snap our own shot of the Mormon's Row barn against the magnificent Teton Range, we unknowingly stepped on a bern of restoration area edging the parking lot. Some deeply concerned woman accosted us and made us aware, nearly incredulous that we didn't see the sign felled to the ground and covered in frost, telling is about said restoration.
The irony was not lost on us as we slowly drove by a red fox trotting along side the same road, aware of us but not fearful as it pounced at a missed kill.
I took a pic of a parked Sysco truck as we left Yellowstone. We flew 4 segments, 2 people, plus a rental car that we logged 900 miles in to see this beauty. It was a stark reminder that, worldwide, this habitat for them - and by extension us - is shrinking faster than an Alaskan glacier.
This week, I did 3 cities in 4 days, all by planes, trains, and automobiles.
The irony was not lost on me last week, when we went to Grand Teton and Yellowstone. While we brought our Contigos, and while the Xanterra run hotels purposely had no A/C, we reused towels, and the gift shops don't use plastic bags anymore, I felt the poignancy as we viewed so much wildlife that I dubbed the area the American Serengeti.
We felt equally guilty when, rushing to snap our own shot of the Mormon's Row barn against the magnificent Teton Range, we unknowingly stepped on a bern of restoration area edging the parking lot. Some deeply concerned woman accosted us and made us aware, nearly incredulous that we didn't see the sign felled to the ground and covered in frost, telling is about said restoration.
The irony was not lost on us as we slowly drove by a red fox trotting along side the same road, aware of us but not fearful as it pounced at a missed kill.
I took a pic of a parked Sysco truck as we left Yellowstone. We flew 4 segments, 2 people, plus a rental car that we logged 900 miles in to see this beauty. It was a stark reminder that, worldwide, this habitat for them - and by extension us - is shrinking faster than an Alaskan glacier.
This week, I did 3 cities in 4 days, all by planes, trains, and automobiles.
5
You missed by far the most important tip for green traveling: Don't forget to take your birth-control device(s) with you when you go. What's the carbon footprint of one more child brought into this world? Probably 100,000 times as much as anything on this published list. Spread the word.
23
Yes! thanks Terry Malouf, birth/population control coulda/ shoulda been PLUS NUMBER 1 on the list...
1
Stay local. Travel is increasingly stressful and ungratifying. Can't tell you how many times I've attempted to travel to some far-flung, exotic locale, only to see tour buses and global chains have beat me to it. We need to get past the idea that travel in and of itself is broadening and makes us a better, more interesting person.
I still feel we need to find ways to connect with other people and cultures, but perhaps air travel is no longer the best or only way to do it.
I still feel we need to find ways to connect with other people and cultures, but perhaps air travel is no longer the best or only way to do it.
8
A lot of good tips, even if people are mocking. But the best possible way to save the planet is to cut the birth rate. In this country too many wealthy people are so enamored of their own genes that they think they owe the world a lot of children—a lot of children whose carbon footprint is destined to be huge. It's the wealthy who consume expensive fish, take expensive trips, play golf (how much herbicide is poured onto golf courses every year?) and generally lead a high-carbon lifestyle. Two is enough! Adopt the ones after that!
17
We have been using those recommendations for over 3 decades. Old news. Further, we often have friends and colleagues where we are going and often stay with them rather than a hotel.
6
11. Lose some weight. Most Americans could stand to shed some pounds. The heavier you are the more fuel it takes to keep you in the air.
27
I thought you might actuallly list the option of not flying, discuss what Ivan discusses, maybe discourage people from flying, fun though it is -- for now.
8
You should recommend that people hike to the nearest wilderness area and camp, eating dehydrated food reconstituted with captured rain water - no cooking allowed. What you propose are half measures.
5
There are people who love to fly these days? I'd chew off my right arm to avoid it.
7
Last year I took the train to and back from Spokane; this year I'm going to Kansas City the same way. I don't have a car, don't know how to drive, and plan to do a lot of walking in KC. My big problem is that next year I want to go to Helsinki, Finland, but can't find any trains that go there from NYC.
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
2
If you want to travel to Helsinki, do as my late mother used to say (with a wink): "I go there with my finger on a map". Now you can go with Google. You can even listen to Finnish radio online. Not the real thing, but close...;-)
Get Away by Staying Local. It's more than a trend. It's a shift in how we travel, how we see our personal actions effecting the world around us. As co-owner of Orchard House Bed and Breakfast in Granville, Ohio, we know this is also the preference of a growing group of travelers. Guests to at our 1850's farm can check off a few on the list:
3 - Stay at a Green Hotel
4 - Cut Down on Disposables
7 - GO LOCAL!
http://orchardhousegranville.com
Thank you New York Times for the entire section on Greener Travel!
3 - Stay at a Green Hotel
4 - Cut Down on Disposables
7 - GO LOCAL!
http://orchardhousegranville.com
Thank you New York Times for the entire section on Greener Travel!
7
Great tips that are really important for jet setters to think about, Stephanie. Travel is phenomenal, but as the industry grows, we need to be responsible in preserving the planet.
Eating locally is not only environmentally friendly, but almost always cheaper and much better! Each to their own, but it's a little strange when people fly across the world and buy something made in their own backyard.
We've used Airbnb and not only is it generally greener, but it keeps more money locally rather than filtering it upwards into the hands of greedy corporations who pollute. Airbnb is controversial though, but as we previously hosted when one of us lost a job, it can be an important source of income for hosts. Here's some handy tips for people thinking to open their homes and also help make tourism a little greener for the environment and their pockets!
http://wanderlustmarriage.com/thinking-to-be-an-airbnb-host/
Eating locally is not only environmentally friendly, but almost always cheaper and much better! Each to their own, but it's a little strange when people fly across the world and buy something made in their own backyard.
We've used Airbnb and not only is it generally greener, but it keeps more money locally rather than filtering it upwards into the hands of greedy corporations who pollute. Airbnb is controversial though, but as we previously hosted when one of us lost a job, it can be an important source of income for hosts. Here's some handy tips for people thinking to open their homes and also help make tourism a little greener for the environment and their pockets!
http://wanderlustmarriage.com/thinking-to-be-an-airbnb-host/
2
I just got back from 3 weeks solo touring in Europe. Italy, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, France. I went everywhere by first class train using a Eurailpass. When necessary, I either walked or used a taxi, mostly because I thought I would get lost if on foot in some instances.
I whole heartedly agree about packing light. Most things you think you might need can be purchased if actually needed. And make sure you have a suitcase with spinner wheels. I moved luggage for blocks from train stations to hotels with no issues, provided the ground is reasonably level.
Much of the other advice here is nonsense.
I whole heartedly agree about packing light. Most things you think you might need can be purchased if actually needed. And make sure you have a suitcase with spinner wheels. I moved luggage for blocks from train stations to hotels with no issues, provided the ground is reasonably level.
Much of the other advice here is nonsense.
10
Conserving energy, whether on vacation or at home, saves money. The unintended consequence is saving the planet.
1
Number 7, Go Local, is generally good advice, but please don't eat the local wildlife. Hopefully, that's understood when the author advises "reduce or eliminate red meat" but I think it should be specifically highlighted. When you watch shows like Globetreckker, it seems like everybody thinks you can't leave an exotic local without saying you ate whatever local furry or scaly creature the area is famous for. Also, can we add to #9, Choose Tours That Don’t Harm the Environment, tours that don't hurt animals? Swim with the dolphin facilities, zoos, aquariums, and circuses are all ethically problematic and should be avoided, especially in nations with few animal welfare laws.
5
I wonder how many of the people making fun of this article drive cars every day and if it would be possible to go for a day without consuming or using something that did not have air transport in its chain of production.
4
So as the saying goes, it's the little things that count - bull! Don't print a paper ticket or let the agent give you a better seat at the gate to improve your seating that requires printing a new ticket. Put your laptop so sleep to save a speck of coal, don't carry a bar of soap.
A Boeing 737-800 burns 4.88 US gallons (18.5 L) of fuel per seat per hour. From Minneapolis to Denver takes an hour of flying time. A car to Denver uses 30 gallons of fuel. Put in a spouse and 5 children and the fuel consumption is a wash. The problem isn't the gas, its having 5 kids and thinking that an e-ticket will save the world.
A Boeing 737-800 burns 4.88 US gallons (18.5 L) of fuel per seat per hour. From Minneapolis to Denver takes an hour of flying time. A car to Denver uses 30 gallons of fuel. Put in a spouse and 5 children and the fuel consumption is a wash. The problem isn't the gas, its having 5 kids and thinking that an e-ticket will save the world.
34
This is a pretty silly article.
54
This is about making yourself feel good. Put your laptop to sleep? Compared to the damage of that short hop flight, you have done zero. Don't kid yourself.
39
The 1% don't care.
8
And a lot of the 99% don't either.
18
Bring reusable bags of you're going shopping! They're very light, fold into almost nothing, carry much more than plastic or paper, and are much much better for the environment.
8
Most luxury hotels in the Caribbean put nice, thick duvets on the beds, often tucked between two sheets. Beautiful, but what is this, the Alps? You can't really be comfortable with that bedding unless you adjust the A/C as low as it will go and put it on full blast. I cover the Caribbean for a trade magazine, and the first thing I do after checking in is get that ridiculous duvet off the bed so I can sleep with just a sheet and adjust the A/C accordingly.
16
Since flying is so environmentally damaging, what's the best way to travel long distances? Railroad? I don't want to stop traveling, but I don't mind getting where I'm going more slowly if it's more sustainable.
4
Better than flying. Even in first class.
4
Rail can be far less damaging. And it would be even more so if we had high-speed rail options.
1
Instead of taking two 1-week vacations, take one 2-week vacation. You'll cut your flight carbon footprint by half.
I once had so much use-or-lose vacation time banked up that I ended up taking an entire month off. On one flight from the states I spent the whole time in southern Spain. Once there, I traveled the country by bus or train. Bonus: I only had to deal with the air travel going and coming once. Surprisingly, taking a month off was easier for the office than taking a week here and a week there. Instead of just having my work sitting around waiting for me to get back it was distributed around to other people. And no, I didn't fear that this demonstration would make my job redundant: it actually showed how valuable I was and everyone was soooo glad when I returned.
I once had so much use-or-lose vacation time banked up that I ended up taking an entire month off. On one flight from the states I spent the whole time in southern Spain. Once there, I traveled the country by bus or train. Bonus: I only had to deal with the air travel going and coming once. Surprisingly, taking a month off was easier for the office than taking a week here and a week there. Instead of just having my work sitting around waiting for me to get back it was distributed around to other people. And no, I didn't fear that this demonstration would make my job redundant: it actually showed how valuable I was and everyone was soooo glad when I returned.
13
I sure would like to travel by high speed rail instead of the frustrating, uncomfortable, sardine tubes in the air we are stuck with. The majority of Americans voted for Obama. I welcomed his message of bringing America into the 1st world with High speed rail. Once again the Republicans thwarted our vote, preventing this from happening in every place they could.
33
Getreal: The Democrats held the White House and both houses of Congress from 2009-2011. They could have passed any number of bills for high-speed rail, but they did not.
9
Actually, John, they did. 3 laboratory "high-speed" corridors were started: Madison - Milwaukee (and on to Chicago), the Ohio "3-C Corridor" (Cleveland - Columbus - Cincinnati), and Orlando - Tampa. All 3 were to be federally funded, managed by the states. What happened? The 2010 elections. More precisely, Walker in WI, Kasich in Ohio, and Scott in Florida. All three refused the federal funds rather than build a "Democrat" project. The money went to other states (Illinois, Chicago - St. Louis), California (LA - SFO), Washington / Oregon... but those projects were either bigger (and so not fully funded), or more modest (so didn't manage to create true "high-speed" rail). Illinois is the closest to completion, but will "only" be for 110 mph operation. Not bad for the US, but hardly true high-speed. Whose fault?
41
That is not exactly so. You might want to read this.
http://sandiegofreepress.org/2012/09/the-myth-of-the-filibuster-proof-de...
http://sandiegofreepress.org/2012/09/the-myth-of-the-filibuster-proof-de...
6
I've lost track of the number of times I've hung up my towel and put the green card on the bed, only to come back to a bathroom full of clean towels and a bed with fresh sheets. Curiously, the worst offenders are the mid-level, three-star chain hotels - the ones you'd think would love to pocket that extra few dollars' profit.
14
Hotel practices are a big part of this equation. They have tons of separate, tiny bottles that get thrown away instead of the refillable shampoo and soap dispensers inside the shower - which is what they do in Scandinavia, and a handful of boutique hotels in the US such as the Marcus Whitman hotel in Walla Walla, WA. I've asked hotels about recycling and been told housekeeping separates it out. Really? If it really is part of their $8 an hour duty, I feel for them - but I'm quite skeptical. Other countries are way ahead of the US and I don't understand why we can't catch up. Don't even get me started on hotel conference rooms, especially in Texas and the south. Does it really need to be 40 degrees?
23
I always leave my Citation at home, unless I need to go direct to Jackson or Cody.
8
Still driving a Citation? At least move up to a Phoenix. Oh, you're not talking about a 1980 cars, but airplanes?
4
Alas, the most important tip is again the most often overlooked, and also the easiest to implement.
What contributes even more to global warming than all transportation combined? Our factory farming system.
I figure I offset my 1 or 2 annual flight(s) by not eating meat.
What contributes even more to global warming than all transportation combined? Our factory farming system.
I figure I offset my 1 or 2 annual flight(s) by not eating meat.
39
None of this really addresses the flying aspect
in any useful way. I fly between MKE and PHL because it takes
6 hours instead of 13 to drive and 19 on the train. The alternative
is not going at all or moving there.
in any useful way. I fly between MKE and PHL because it takes
6 hours instead of 13 to drive and 19 on the train. The alternative
is not going at all or moving there.
9
Rather than fly international once a year, take one sabbatical once every ten years, visiting ten countries. You'll travel 1/5 as many air miles while seeing as many places. Staycation the rest of the time! The air travel dominates the carbon footprint of a vacation. Consider that a $2000 plane ticket is probably $800 of gasoline equivalent, or filling up your Prius 26 times.
1
Articles like this just make me laugh. The notion that stuff like this will make a material difference is nonsense. Don't mistake me, I'm not for wasting anything. But this stuff, even if practiced by EVERYONE, is meaningless in the scheme of things.
68
I'm going to assume that 90% of the kvetching about this article is by people who don't travel. I'm in Chicago several times a year, on business that takes me to the heart of Chicago tourism, Michigan Ave. north of the river. From Labor Day to Memorial Day you don't see a lot of water bottles in the trash, and except at Christmas many people put their purchases in one bag.
In summer, however, the trash cans overflow with empty water bottles, and there seems to be a competition among people showing off the shopping bags of the expensive stores they've been to. My conclusion is that the natives are a whole lot greener than the tourists.
And yes, there is a cost to all those water bottles. The oil to make them, the energy to deliver them to the store, the energy to pick up the empties, the landfill space ... Take the reusable bottle you use at home and refill it - free - during the day. And take your reusable Chico shopping bag.
In summer, however, the trash cans overflow with empty water bottles, and there seems to be a competition among people showing off the shopping bags of the expensive stores they've been to. My conclusion is that the natives are a whole lot greener than the tourists.
And yes, there is a cost to all those water bottles. The oil to make them, the energy to deliver them to the store, the energy to pick up the empties, the landfill space ... Take the reusable bottle you use at home and refill it - free - during the day. And take your reusable Chico shopping bag.
14
But it helps to change the consciousness.
5
Indeed, it helps to make people feel like they are doing something when they are not.
Carbon offsets are a joke--they are not just "problematic." And if the author of this article had read the NY Times piece she links to, she'd realize a sentence like "still, they are better than doing nothing" is just silly. In fact, buying in to things like carbon offsets is perhaps worse than doing nothing. I'm reminded of a friend who defiantly insisted that bio-diesel was a great thing, even though it has been shown to be terrible for emissions. He said "But at least I'm doing something!"
The best thing we can do is ask the airlines to cram even more people onto flights so that the overall footprint of each flight/passenger becomes smaller. Eventually it will be so miserable to fly that no one will fly and we'll cut emissions drastically.
Carbon offsets are a joke--they are not just "problematic." And if the author of this article had read the NY Times piece she links to, she'd realize a sentence like "still, they are better than doing nothing" is just silly. In fact, buying in to things like carbon offsets is perhaps worse than doing nothing. I'm reminded of a friend who defiantly insisted that bio-diesel was a great thing, even though it has been shown to be terrible for emissions. He said "But at least I'm doing something!"
The best thing we can do is ask the airlines to cram even more people onto flights so that the overall footprint of each flight/passenger becomes smaller. Eventually it will be so miserable to fly that no one will fly and we'll cut emissions drastically.
12
Don't engage in gratuitous travel by flying to exotic locations to get another notch on your "Look where I've vacationed" belt.
There is no such thing as a green way to travel, if it involves flying.
There is no such thing as a green way to travel, if it involves flying.
52
The green hotel notion is almost never practiced. I travel the world over and in most hotels the maids disregard the hung towels or the folded shower mats and replace them with new ones on a daily basis. Same thing happens with sheets even if I place the hotel's own card on the bed to avoid having them changed daily.
As for the water conservation, when you see rain showers installed more and more as a sign of "luxury" or upgraded status, the implication is that the customers should enjoy the waterfall associated with these types of shower heads, which are not found in the majority of households.
Recycling is not practiced religiously or even rudimentarily: sometimes it's because a country does not have a robust recycling program. But few hotels provide separate cans for your trash vs recycled items and a lot of the hotel staff throw your plastics away not realizing that they sit separately to be recycled.
There is, arguably, much more to be gained by holding the hotels accountable for their practices than by reminding the travelers to do their part.
As for the water conservation, when you see rain showers installed more and more as a sign of "luxury" or upgraded status, the implication is that the customers should enjoy the waterfall associated with these types of shower heads, which are not found in the majority of households.
Recycling is not practiced religiously or even rudimentarily: sometimes it's because a country does not have a robust recycling program. But few hotels provide separate cans for your trash vs recycled items and a lot of the hotel staff throw your plastics away not realizing that they sit separately to be recycled.
There is, arguably, much more to be gained by holding the hotels accountable for their practices than by reminding the travelers to do their part.
29
Good tips for virtue signaling.
OH: "I would have left a bigger tip for the woman supporting her family by cleaning my hotel room, but those carbon offsets really put a crimp in my budget this year."
OH: "I would have left a bigger tip for the woman supporting her family by cleaning my hotel room, but those carbon offsets really put a crimp in my budget this year."
17
love that "virtue signalling"
10
I admit I've flown to vacation spots and will do so again, so I'm not pointing fingers at others. I recognize there are trade-offs. But putting your laptop to sleep and bringing a resuable water bottle to avoid buying 6 or 7 plastic ones while you're gone have no impact on the scale of the carbon emissions of the flight. These are rounding errors compared to the footprint of the flight. I would suggest that 'don't fly so far, don't fly so often' would be better advice, for others and for myself. I'll continue using my water bottle, without pretending it offsets the environmental costs of a flight.
10
Yes, taking your water bottle, travel cup, and reusable bag - just as you would do at home - isn't much of an offset.
2
Agree with Jason. Just because it is slow does not make it environmentally friendly. Did the author even consider the environmental costs of moving 200 people across the country in 100 SUV's or one airplane? What about the hotels, fast food, gas stations those 200 cross country travelers would have to use?
1
I have a better solution, STAY HOME. New York City brags that it has increased tourism by 4 fold, nearly 50 million people will descend on Manhattan this year. The city thinks this is so great. Here's what it really does: Denigrates quality of life for residents, drives commercial real estate through the roof, creating a false market that leaves residents without basic shops, for get about eating out if you live here, tourists everywhere, baby strollers, families, Tour Busses clogging streets, leaving their engines running, blocking out views of entire neighborhoods. Look out your window to see a field of busses. Street Venbdors with their unsafe, dirty air and land polluting little contraptions, grease staining sidewalks. Trash, overwhelming. It's not that tourists are particularly litter bugs, it's simply too many people, too much trash and facilities that can't handle it all, so it goes on the ground, and attracts rats. The city tells us how great and how lucky we are for this. Really? Who benefits? I'll tell you who, a handful of vendors who don't even live here at the expense of the many who work had and pay a lot to live here. If that isn't pollution, I don't know what is.
13
Yes we are in deep trouble. On the one hand city authorities and business advocates encourage tourism for the 'money and jobs'. Yet every airplane trip releases huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere and puts our future further into jeopardy. What kind of collective madness is that? And what about business trips? Can they not also be reduced?
Look at us in Australia. We have failed miserably to control our emissions. We have failed to build a fast train system down the East Coast and we are losing one of our greatest tourist attractions - The Great Barrier Reef to coral bleaching. Warmer temperatures and ocean acidification are thought to be the culprits. But our politicians still don't get it.
Look at us in Australia. We have failed miserably to control our emissions. We have failed to build a fast train system down the East Coast and we are losing one of our greatest tourist attractions - The Great Barrier Reef to coral bleaching. Warmer temperatures and ocean acidification are thought to be the culprits. But our politicians still don't get it.
5
Seriously?
14
As long as there remains the widespread desire to climb Kilimanjaro, walk the Great Wall, snorkel the Barrier Reef, and 'experience' all the rest - including now the prospect of space tourism; then there is no particular hope here.
Will we ever be able to walk out our door, and be fulfilled by the marvels that exist in our immediate environment. Will we ever be satisfied just knowing that other marvels exist; without needing to have 'been there, done that'.
Will we ever be able to walk out our door, and be fulfilled by the marvels that exist in our immediate environment. Will we ever be satisfied just knowing that other marvels exist; without needing to have 'been there, done that'.
14
Ha! Even by the standards of listicles, these suggestions are puerile and obvious. I live in Vancouver and want to go to Europe. When's the next sailing? What's the best way to get to an East Coast port to catch a sailing ship? What ports offer regular trans-Atlantic sailings? Are there plans for airships any time soon? Come one. Do your research.
36
Sure, but some people arrive in Amsterdam, hop another flight to Berlin, then fly to Vienna. The additional flights are avoidable, and often taken out of a failure to research and recognize that train travel may be easier and faster. Some people fly to Europe every year, because they like it. I don't begrudge them. But if airlines were forced to cover the environmental costs of flights, my suspicion is that some of the Euro-flight hoppers would find that there were interesting places to go in Mexico, on a flight of less than half the distance. I don't begrudge individual choices. But those choices are often guided by economics that don't account for the externalities.
7
Never mind traveling, many of these tips are just common sense for everyday life.
#2 - that advice goes whether traveling or not. I grew up 500m from my library, but my parents always drove there! WTF? Unless you're infirm or disabled, anything within a mile should be walked, within 3 miles biked.
#3 - applies just as well to your home. You don't need to run the washer every day. Socks and underwear get washed after one wear, but my jeans get washed about once/month. Ditto my shower towel. (As my mother taught me, you take a shower, you're clean. You dry your clean body with that clean towel - the towel isn't dirty!) Thermostat and lights? Of course!
#4, #7 and #8 - should be part of your daily lifestyle, not only when traveling. Especially #4. If your tap water is clean, safe, delicious and nearly free, why do you buy bottled water?
#6 - your credit card, bank statements, etc., everything should be paperless - not only to reduce waste, but to reduce clutter!
#2 - that advice goes whether traveling or not. I grew up 500m from my library, but my parents always drove there! WTF? Unless you're infirm or disabled, anything within a mile should be walked, within 3 miles biked.
#3 - applies just as well to your home. You don't need to run the washer every day. Socks and underwear get washed after one wear, but my jeans get washed about once/month. Ditto my shower towel. (As my mother taught me, you take a shower, you're clean. You dry your clean body with that clean towel - the towel isn't dirty!) Thermostat and lights? Of course!
#4, #7 and #8 - should be part of your daily lifestyle, not only when traveling. Especially #4. If your tap water is clean, safe, delicious and nearly free, why do you buy bottled water?
#6 - your credit card, bank statements, etc., everything should be paperless - not only to reduce waste, but to reduce clutter!
38
Wash jeans only once a month?
You do not sweat, fart, or drop food on your lap, ever?
You do not sweat, fart, or drop food on your lap, ever?
5
Grog has thirty pairs of jeans. Clean one every day, wash all at end of month.
There are many tour companies that offer carbon offset programs as part of your booking. For example, Intrepid Travel lets you offset carbon emissions through a third party program and other operators frequent locally owned restaurants that source ingredients locally, so you know your food didn't travel thousands of miles to your plate. Cycling tours are a good option too, but usually there's a vehicle that accompanies riders, so not completely carbon neutral. Check out www.stridetravel.com to compare different tour operators and read reviews so you know what you're getting ahead of time.
Going to a local market in a foreign country is another great way of 'buying green & local' and is usually an amazing cultural experience as well.
True that just by the mere fact of traveling we automatically create a larger carbon footprint than staying idle at home, but there are ways to travel with the environment in mind.
Going to a local market in a foreign country is another great way of 'buying green & local' and is usually an amazing cultural experience as well.
True that just by the mere fact of traveling we automatically create a larger carbon footprint than staying idle at home, but there are ways to travel with the environment in mind.
1
Intrepid Travel lets you offset carbon emissions? Dear Jared, Intrepid Travel, bless its heart, would not prevent your doing so. Paragraph One shows one not using I.T. how.
Last summer I completed a Nordic/Baltic/St. Petersburg vacation by finally traveling to Amsterdam and coming home to Cleveland, OH on a Polish freighter. We departed from IJmuiden, The Netherlands, and arrived in Cleveland 14 days later at a cost of about $104. a day. As I was the sole passenger, I enjoyed the owner's cabin. The ship transported 20K metric tons of automobile steel. Had I flown, I'd have missed turning left at Scotland, passing the Orkneys to the north, citing small icebergs, and entering the beauty of the St. Lawrence and its locks, then later the amazing Welland canal. If one has the time, it's a fascinating and environmentally friendly way to travel. I booked through [email protected] in London.
10
This list of recommendations threatens to obscure a far more important point. Once you have purchased your plane ticket, there's nothing you can do to mitigate the environmental impact of that decision.
Consider this: about one-third of an airline's operating budget covers the cost of fuel. Therefore, when you purchase a $600 airline ticket, you are in fact, buying about $200 worth of jet fuel. Depending on the cost of the fuel, that's about 100 to 200 gallons of jet fuel, the burning of which will produce 2,000 to 4,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. (Pause to think about how much carbon dioxide weighs. It's very light. That's a lot of gas!) This stoichiometry goes for you and for each of your fellow passengers on the flight.
The only reason that $600 ticket is so affordable is that the true cost of burning jet fuel (the extinction of species, property damage from storms, displacement of coastal populations, etc.) have been externalized. In other words, we've decided as a society to pass these costs on to future generations. If each of us had to pay for these environmental and societal costs with every ticket purchase, air travel would become a luxury available to very few.
Flying is among the most environmentally damaging - and easily avoidable - choices we make as consumers. By all means, carry a reusable coffee cup, shut down your laptop at night, and purchase locally made souvenirs, but don't think you're "going green."
Consider this: about one-third of an airline's operating budget covers the cost of fuel. Therefore, when you purchase a $600 airline ticket, you are in fact, buying about $200 worth of jet fuel. Depending on the cost of the fuel, that's about 100 to 200 gallons of jet fuel, the burning of which will produce 2,000 to 4,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. (Pause to think about how much carbon dioxide weighs. It's very light. That's a lot of gas!) This stoichiometry goes for you and for each of your fellow passengers on the flight.
The only reason that $600 ticket is so affordable is that the true cost of burning jet fuel (the extinction of species, property damage from storms, displacement of coastal populations, etc.) have been externalized. In other words, we've decided as a society to pass these costs on to future generations. If each of us had to pay for these environmental and societal costs with every ticket purchase, air travel would become a luxury available to very few.
Flying is among the most environmentally damaging - and easily avoidable - choices we make as consumers. By all means, carry a reusable coffee cup, shut down your laptop at night, and purchase locally made souvenirs, but don't think you're "going green."
122
Ivan,
How much fuel do you think you are using by driving from NYC to Florida? Flying is more efficient than driving, and saves time.
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/data/10311
How much fuel do you think you are using by driving from NYC to Florida? Flying is more efficient than driving, and saves time.
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/data/10311
1
Nice to read a comment by someone who has some sense of proportions and of the actual numbers involved. An average hour of commercial flight involves burning some 10 gallons of oil per passenger/hour (that's coach), corresponding to some 200lbs of C02 per hour. It's by far the most carbon-intensive common activity we (i.e. people wealthy enough to fly) engage in routinely.
A truly informative "green travel" column should be subtitled something like this: "How many decades will it take to reach the dreaded 450 PPM Co2 level if every one in this world started flying as much as I do?" My quick guesstimate: If you are a travel writer or any kind of frequent flyer; probably less than one decade.
A truly informative "green travel" column should be subtitled something like this: "How many decades will it take to reach the dreaded 450 PPM Co2 level if every one in this world started flying as much as I do?" My quick guesstimate: If you are a travel writer or any kind of frequent flyer; probably less than one decade.
13
4 people in a prius: 3x as fuel-efficient as flying. 1 person in an F-150, 4x less fuel-efficient.
3
Seems these are things we should be doing all the time, more or less, even when home, no?
23
This is willfully ignorant.
The environmental impact of a disposable water bottle is completely insignificant compared to a flight to Hawaii.
Traveling by plane means that in addition to yourself and your luggage, more than half a ton of airplane, fuel, crew, etc. needs to be lifted into the stratosphere and pushed to your destination -- you'll do more for the environment if you skip one vacation in Florida and go to a local state park instead, than if you leave your cellphone at home for every single flight of your life.
Meat has a huge impact on your carbon footprint; printing a boarding pass does not.
Saving the world is important, and it's vital that we prioritize the things that will make a difference. This article confuses rather than enlightens. It may make readers feel good and self-righteous, but it does not help the planet.
The environmental impact of a disposable water bottle is completely insignificant compared to a flight to Hawaii.
Traveling by plane means that in addition to yourself and your luggage, more than half a ton of airplane, fuel, crew, etc. needs to be lifted into the stratosphere and pushed to your destination -- you'll do more for the environment if you skip one vacation in Florida and go to a local state park instead, than if you leave your cellphone at home for every single flight of your life.
Meat has a huge impact on your carbon footprint; printing a boarding pass does not.
Saving the world is important, and it's vital that we prioritize the things that will make a difference. This article confuses rather than enlightens. It may make readers feel good and self-righteous, but it does not help the planet.
120
You forgot the most important way: fly economy. If a 1st-class passenger occupies 5 times the space of a guy in economy, he accounts for nearly 5 times the fuel and emissions. Weight is not so important because the passengers account for only a small part of the total weight of the plane.
8
Absolutely right. The rack rate of the ticket is probably the best predictor of emissions.
4
This is so obvious and simplistic, I can't believe it's an actual article. Do people really not know to use reuseable water bottles and walk instead of driving if they want to be "greener" while traveling?
52
Planning on emitting a couple of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere on your can't-miss trip to some exotic locale? Feeling a bit guilty about it? If you've been as inspired by this article as I have, than you might want to read a few more suggestions that occurred to me as I perused this enlightening article:
1) Travel naked.
Your shoes and clothes most likely add up to at least a couple of pounds. I estimate that you could reduce your CO2e by at least 0.001% if you leave your clothes at home. Estimated CO2 reduction: .04 lbs
2) Don't eat for a week before you leave
Even if you are vegetarian (and you really should be), agricultural production is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. What better way to show that you care then to not eat for a week before you leave! Not only will you help the earth by reducing agricultural pollution, you'll also be a few pounds lighter. A double win! And if are really concerned, don't eat for a month. Estimated CO2 savings: 23.2 pennyweights.
3) Don't return home
Do you really want to return from your trip to a tropical paradise to your boring, stressful job and your overbearing boss? Of course not! So just stay in paradise. You'll reduce your CO2 contribution by 50%, and be happier as well. And you won't have to bore your friends with your tedious travel stories. Concerned about income? Just get a job with the NY Times writing travel articles like this one. It can't be that hard. Estimated CO2 savings: 140,000,000 mites.
1) Travel naked.
Your shoes and clothes most likely add up to at least a couple of pounds. I estimate that you could reduce your CO2e by at least 0.001% if you leave your clothes at home. Estimated CO2 reduction: .04 lbs
2) Don't eat for a week before you leave
Even if you are vegetarian (and you really should be), agricultural production is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. What better way to show that you care then to not eat for a week before you leave! Not only will you help the earth by reducing agricultural pollution, you'll also be a few pounds lighter. A double win! And if are really concerned, don't eat for a month. Estimated CO2 savings: 23.2 pennyweights.
3) Don't return home
Do you really want to return from your trip to a tropical paradise to your boring, stressful job and your overbearing boss? Of course not! So just stay in paradise. You'll reduce your CO2 contribution by 50%, and be happier as well. And you won't have to bore your friends with your tedious travel stories. Concerned about income? Just get a job with the NY Times writing travel articles like this one. It can't be that hard. Estimated CO2 savings: 140,000,000 mites.
156
Brilliant, thank you! I will do my best to follow your advice.
5
I laughed so hard-thank you!!!
12
Please, get a job writing commentary. I'd read every word.
Especially liked the understated no. 3, and the underlying logic. Not returning home irrefutably saves half the fuel. Genius.
Especially liked the understated no. 3, and the underlying logic. Not returning home irrefutably saves half the fuel. Genius.
If I don't eat meat, can I claim an automatic carbon offset?
6
Of course. Life is all about carbon offsets. We should all use contraception (I suggest locally sourced condoms) and prevent future consumption. We could all choose to shorten our lives as well.
I suggest living somewhere like Vancouver. Then you don't need to go anywhere (unless of course you'd like to see some decent culture).
I suggest living somewhere like Vancouver. Then you don't need to go anywhere (unless of course you'd like to see some decent culture).
3
This is bogus. Things like putting your laptop to sleep are (1) not just for travel time and (2) completely dwarfed by the carbon emissions from the plane flight.
The way to travel green is to travel locally, not buying local produce while off on another continent.
Buying offsets isn't even an adequate answer when the original emissions were discretionary. What you want is for the offset action to be done anyhow, without the additional emissions from the flight.
Take a stay-cation. Use the money saved by not traveling to buy lots of "offsets" even for the carbon you didn't emit.
The way to travel green is to travel locally, not buying local produce while off on another continent.
Buying offsets isn't even an adequate answer when the original emissions were discretionary. What you want is for the offset action to be done anyhow, without the additional emissions from the flight.
Take a stay-cation. Use the money saved by not traveling to buy lots of "offsets" even for the carbon you didn't emit.
11
You guys have got to be kidding me.
I read the New York Times about 10 times a day because it's one of the last places on earth that pay journalists do to real, honest to God reporting. And I have a sense of humor, and of my place in the universe, I do. I am just as likely to read a piece on the latest episode of Downton as I am a messy and unforgiving article on foreign policy. And I just took a plane to California to visit my brother. I am not a sustainability nun.
But as the editor of a monthly urban sustainability and culture magazine in Philadelphia who is used to meeting readers where they are and trying not to judge, this is complete and utter tripe. Go on all the trips you'd like, but use an e-ticket instead of paper and everything is forgiven, especially if you tell you friends?
Please don't, even as you pander to your richer readers, encourage them to drink their water out their own water bottle with no context that it will be on the deck of the Titanic, no matter their destination, if we don't stop pretending that we have to seriously change our behavior, including our travel habits.
Heather Blakeslee,
Managing Editor, Grid
I read the New York Times about 10 times a day because it's one of the last places on earth that pay journalists do to real, honest to God reporting. And I have a sense of humor, and of my place in the universe, I do. I am just as likely to read a piece on the latest episode of Downton as I am a messy and unforgiving article on foreign policy. And I just took a plane to California to visit my brother. I am not a sustainability nun.
But as the editor of a monthly urban sustainability and culture magazine in Philadelphia who is used to meeting readers where they are and trying not to judge, this is complete and utter tripe. Go on all the trips you'd like, but use an e-ticket instead of paper and everything is forgiven, especially if you tell you friends?
Please don't, even as you pander to your richer readers, encourage them to drink their water out their own water bottle with no context that it will be on the deck of the Titanic, no matter their destination, if we don't stop pretending that we have to seriously change our behavior, including our travel habits.
Heather Blakeslee,
Managing Editor, Grid
147
Dear Stephanie, thank you for your article. Please let me to add a
comment. My concern is about the helicopters and planes operating
tours at Grand Canyon. That is the biggest operation of this kind in
the world. Unfortunately sections of the canyon close to Las Vegas are
noise and air pollution contaminated by those operations. Millions of
advertising dollars and commissions paid to booking agents are making
helicopters so popular. Not every visitor is realizing that that
option is strictly limited when comes to visiting certain sections of
the Grand Canyon and that is extremely short visit to allow multiple
flights by the same helicopter/ plane.
Best views of the Canyon are from the ground and spectacular locations
when that can be enjoyed are at Grand Canyon National Park where noise
pollution laws are regulating air tours not allowing helicopters to
fly below the rim or even close to it.
Our customers which are using our ground tours and which visited the
Grand Canyon on helicopters prior to visiting with us are usually
saying "we didn't see any of that" meaning spectacular Canyon views.
Thank you. Tom Dziadek, Red Rock Canyon Tours
comment. My concern is about the helicopters and planes operating
tours at Grand Canyon. That is the biggest operation of this kind in
the world. Unfortunately sections of the canyon close to Las Vegas are
noise and air pollution contaminated by those operations. Millions of
advertising dollars and commissions paid to booking agents are making
helicopters so popular. Not every visitor is realizing that that
option is strictly limited when comes to visiting certain sections of
the Grand Canyon and that is extremely short visit to allow multiple
flights by the same helicopter/ plane.
Best views of the Canyon are from the ground and spectacular locations
when that can be enjoyed are at Grand Canyon National Park where noise
pollution laws are regulating air tours not allowing helicopters to
fly below the rim or even close to it.
Our customers which are using our ground tours and which visited the
Grand Canyon on helicopters prior to visiting with us are usually
saying "we didn't see any of that" meaning spectacular Canyon views.
Thank you. Tom Dziadek, Red Rock Canyon Tours
15
I'm appalled that the NYT decided to run this piece. Essentially, this is a laundry list of tips for frequent flyers about how to feel better about themselves while persisting with their anti-social behavior, aiding and abetting their denial.
There are clean ways of travelling the world - paying passenger on a freighter, going by sailing boat, long distance train and bus travel - but anything involving an airplane is by definition NOT environmentally friendly.
I wonder how you're going to explain the feelgood factor of flying to Hawaii with a reusable water bottle in your luggage to your kids. I doubt they'll be impressed.
There are clean ways of travelling the world - paying passenger on a freighter, going by sailing boat, long distance train and bus travel - but anything involving an airplane is by definition NOT environmentally friendly.
I wonder how you're going to explain the feelgood factor of flying to Hawaii with a reusable water bottle in your luggage to your kids. I doubt they'll be impressed.
81
I always take the option not to have the hotel replace my sheets and towels daily--but 90% of the time, they do anyway. So they look good, but don't follow through.
15
I also notice that the AC is often turned back on, when I have turned it off. And hotels can save themselves money as well as doing less environmental harm by keeping rooms at more moderate temperatures between guests. Almost every room I check into is set to very high AC settings.
8
And why can't we open windows in hotels? Do they think we'll all jump? It's either AC noise or suffocation. I don't have have AC at home and would like to have regular air in hotels too.
6
Good tips for travellers. I feel that carbon offsets are a small, but reasonable contribution to climate change solutions. Before donating to 'carbonfund.org' or any other nonprofit I suggest that you go to a charity monitoring site such as Charity Navigator or GuideStar and look at IRS Form 990 which will give information on total spending and how much is spent in total and on programs, salaries, fund raising, and other expenses. Contributing to nonprofits is a good thing but to do it well requires a little background work.
4
No, these are embarrassingly stupid tips for travelers, as many commenters say. If you want to be environmentally friendly, don't fly. If you want to brag about something meaningless to your friends, follow these "tips."
19
Decent options ... altho' as mentioned travel is carbon-intensive, especially by air.
Amazed @ #8. To combat 'phantom' energy usage, one should turn -off- devices that aren't being used, not merely 'sleep'. Better for battery-life, better for carbon-usage, and an additional step for security. Someone has to turn device on, wait for boot-up (not really that long, but enough to deter some), then enter security code ... you do have a security code don't you? And also helps keep devices healthy - reboot helps clean out caches, etc.
Amazed @ #8. To combat 'phantom' energy usage, one should turn -off- devices that aren't being used, not merely 'sleep'. Better for battery-life, better for carbon-usage, and an additional step for security. Someone has to turn device on, wait for boot-up (not really that long, but enough to deter some), then enter security code ... you do have a security code don't you? And also helps keep devices healthy - reboot helps clean out caches, etc.
1
In 2002 I went to Thailand and stayed in some swank hotels. Every one of them required you to stick your hotel key in the wall to activate all electricity within the room which had an added advantage of always knowing where your key was further minimizing plastic manufacturing. I hoped that this would sweep across the world's hotel industry and would save a lot of money and carbon burning. But no -- that is basically the only place I've experienced that smart idea since. So now the first place I look for stays is AirBNB.
9
It's quite common in hotels in Japan, especially the so-called "business hotels."
1
Most hotels in Europe have that feature, ditto Istanbul. In the USA we cater to pampering + waste. Maybe the room would take 5 min to cool down when I arrive - OMG!
6
One round trip international airplane flight emits about the same amount of greenhouse gases as a suburban middle class family of four. Those gases will stay in the atmosphere for up to 100 years. The "greenest" solution is to fly as little as possible.
If you have to fly , rent a smaller, more fuel efficient car--it will do less harm to the environment than a bigger vehicle.
If you have to fly , rent a smaller, more fuel efficient car--it will do less harm to the environment than a bigger vehicle.
14
This is right. We can't fall for feel-good measures suggested by airline companies.
2
The "greenest" solution is to not have children.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com//2009/08/07/having-children-brings-high-c...
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com//2009/08/07/having-children-brings-high-c...
30
Is this how the wealthy would travel?
6
#1 Become greener person by being a virtual traveler. Educate yourself about exotic places of interest via alternatives to notching your belt and buying bragging rights on having been there, like summiting Everest, finding happiness in Bhutan, or exclusive lunch in Paris.
Read, look, listen, defer tripping for virtual reality, take a class, or join a special interest group.
Read, look, listen, defer tripping for virtual reality, take a class, or join a special interest group.
12
Be a good citizen ... of the world:
- Take mass transit to/from the airport
- Use a refillable coffee cup and avoid plastic/pollution
- Reduce hotel towels/products use and housekeeping coming to change everything out (unless absolutely needed)
- Leave a clean room and a healthy tip for housekeeping
- Bring things needed by the country you're visiting and donate them when you leave
- Take recyclable items home and recycle them
- Take mass transit to/from the airport
- Use a refillable coffee cup and avoid plastic/pollution
- Reduce hotel towels/products use and housekeeping coming to change everything out (unless absolutely needed)
- Leave a clean room and a healthy tip for housekeeping
- Bring things needed by the country you're visiting and donate them when you leave
- Take recyclable items home and recycle them
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