• E-mail to a Friend
  • Print Print
  • RSS RSS
  • AddThis

Six Ways to Make a Difference

Return to main article

1. Offset your carbon output to theoretically cancel out the CO2 you are responsible for. You can buy offsets not just for air travel but also for your car. And keep your eyes peeled for the debut of the Bright Card (www.brightpla.net)—a credit card that instead of offering frequent-flier miles or other rewards invests your money in alternative-energy projects.

2. Support green hotels and sustainable tourism companies. Visit national parks, and seek out hotels that have been certified by an independent third party for their environmental friendliness. Many places, and even some countries, rely on tourist dollars to preserve delicate ecosystems and indigenous communities. Visit www.sustainabletravel.com for more information.

3. Choose public transportation whenever possible to cut down on auto emissions—according to a Department of Energy report in 2003, motor gasoline "has been responsible for about 60 percent of U.S. carbon emissions over the last twenty years." If you rent a car, look for companies, such as EV Rental Cars, that specialize in hybrid electric vehicles.

4. Leave the hardcover books at home. The wide variety of airplane types makes it impossible to quantify the impact of a passenger's luggage weight, but planes use more fuel, and thus produce more emissions, when they carry heavier loads.

5. Reduce your CO2 output at home so traveling will have less impact on your total CO2 load. Carpool to work if you can't take public transportation, order products online to cut down on trips to the mall, drive a hybrid car, and use fluorescent lightbulbs and energy-efficient refrigerators and washers. You can calculate your full carbon footprint on such Web sites as www.carbonneutral.com.

6. Eat, drink, and buy locally—the goods you consume won't have been flown or trucked in, so you're saving significant emissions.

—Aaron Clark

Copyright © 2008, American Express Publishing. All rights reserved.