A greener way to travel...

Air travel is now the fastest-growing contributor to global warming. If you absolutely have to take the plane, carbon offsetting is now a possible option on certain companies when booking flights. Offsets allow you to compensate for taking high CO2 emitters such as planes by giving financial support to projects that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the short or long-term. These are normally minimal compared to how much you spend on tickets. The most common project type you contribute to is renewable energy, such as wind farms, solar energy, or hydroelectric dams. In 2008, about $705 million of carbon offsets were purchased, representing about 123.4 million metric tons of CO₂e reductions. This does go some way to helping lessen the impact on the environment but also helps support the renewable energy companies which are all seeing their budgets severely cut following the recession.

Now that you’ve landed and you’re about to have your dream holiday, what else can you do ?

There are very simple actions you can take, which can become part of your daily holiday routine.

•  Put your garbage in bins : Even if you are in a country where everybody throws their garbage on the ground or through the windows of the bus, doesn’t mean you have to follow suit ! 
• Buy local produce : This is the best way you can help support the local economy and make sure your money doesn’t go to multinationals. If you go to a supermarket, check where the items come from, if it comes from far away, don’t buy it, buy the local version instead and try and go to small markets as much as possible. Example : Evian water (French) on sale in Ecuador…  You can also find out what the local speciality is in every country and try it ! 
• Buy as close to the source of the product as possible : If buying souvenirs, make sure you buy as directly as you can from the local artist or creator. 
• Talk to people : Don’t bury your head in your guide book, ask for their recommendations !
• Avoid tourist traps/big tour operators : Where you are sure to be taken advantage of and can’t guarantee the money goes back to the local people. Recently, while in Peru, we learnt that the train that takes tourists to the closest point to the Macchu Picchu was in fact owned by an ex-president of Peru and that all the profits went straight to his pocket and nothing to his country. Whether this is true or not, there are alternate ways to get there, using local transport. 
• Don't waste water – some countries suffer from water shortages, and saving water can also help avoid damage to natural habitats.

If you still feel like you should be doing more, then one way is to actively give something back to local communities by volunteering. There are a few websites which can help you find organisations/individuals who need help. Some require you to stay a minimum amount of time but most are happy for you to come and help out for a week.

Not only are you giving something to the country you are visiting, but it is also a great way to get off the beaten path of the usual tourist and really get to know a local community or local area much better than if you were simply passing through. Eco-tourism is getting more and more fashionable and we are starting to see big tour operators offering a working day or two in the local community as part of a deal. Although this sounds good, I would question where the money actually goes. I feel it is much better to get in contact with the communities/organisations directly through these websites.

www.workaway.info – Various volunteering opportunities from working on a farm, construction, working with animals or in schools, most are free, just your time in exchange for food and accommodation, some charge a minimal fee.

www.wwoof.org  - World wide opportunities on organic farms, learning about sustainability and organic farming – No exchange of money, you give your time and work five days a week and in exchange they give you food and accommodation.
www.helpx.net - Various volunteering opportunities again. most are free, others charge a small fee

And if you can, explore the country by bicycle, surely the greenest way ! ;-)