The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental nonprofit Resilient Palisades to deliver a weekly “green tip” to our readers. This week’s tip was written by Sheda Morshed.
Most of us buck the idea of treading lightly on Mother Earth when we’re in vacay mode. Luckily, there are many easy ways you and your family can reduce your impact while keeping the fun at 100%. Here are just five travel-related tips:
Carbon offset: Research shows that when done correctly, carbon offsets are effective at reducing your carbon footprint. Before your trip, refer to Treehugger.com’s “The 6 Best Carbon Offset Programs of 2021.”
Turn down, unplug: Before leaving town, turn down your water heater(s) to “vacation mode,” turn off your HVAC thermostat(s), pause your newspaper delivery, unplug all unnecessary electronic chargers and if you haven’t done so already, reduce your sprinklers to a winter watering schedule (non-native lawns should continue to thrive if deep-watered twice per week for eight minutes each day. If your lawn is on a slope, tell your gardener to break the eight minutes into three 2.5-minute cycles).
Reduce, reuse, then recycle: Most travelers overlook the cumulative effect of using single-use items. Fossil fuels and raw materials go into making all products, no matter how small. Everything from paper napkins, plastic cutlery, coffee lids, straws and shopping bags require energy and materials to make, and all end up in a shrinking landfill after only seconds or minutes of consumer use. And as global demand for recycled materials continues to decline, recycling should always be seen as the third and final “R.” From gas stations to airports and retailers, avoid single-use items unless you absolutely need them. Consider a reusable cutlery set and a (collapsible) hot drink mug and water bottle for everyone in your family, purchased before or at your destination.
Hotels & Airbnbs: Choose a “Green Seal” hotel when available. If you’re staying overnight, opt out of the wasteful habit of daily new towels and decline new soaps and lotions that replace partially used ones (or better yet, take your own bar soap, bar shampoo and bar conditioner from home). In cities with water restrictions, use shorter showers, the dishwasher when available and turn off the faucet while washing your hands, etc. Always turn off lights when you leave the room. In the U.S., compost your food and coffee grinds using the municipal green bin or, find a drop-off location with ShareWaste.com.
Enjoy local and sustainable: The fewer miles food travels from production to your plate, the fewer fossil fuels in each bite. And some foods are always best avoided, so look for local and sustainable options (and of course, organic when available). If you’re eating meat or seafood, choose the more sustainable option, e.g., bison over beef and follow the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Guide from SeafoodWatch.org.
We all deserve a break this holiday season, including our planet. Eat, laugh and be merry with her in mind: Never be shy about declining stuff you don’t need and curb your actions where possible. Be sure to visit local ecotourism attractions and of course, be respective of local customs and traditions. Safe travels, Palisadians!
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