Green travel ideas from two environmentally conscious travelers

Key West, Florida is a green town - literally. There are ten green properties, including the LEED certified Weather Forecast Office. Four of these properties have complete something known as the iStayGreen audit. According to this audit, the Doubletree Grand Key Resort in Key West is well on its way to LEED certification - it qualified for the 3 Green Leaf Eco Rating (out of 5 leaves).

In order to qualify for this rating, the resort had to prove that it complied with over 70 eco-initiatives, and the more of these initiatives are met, the more “leaves” the hotel is awarded.

Here’s a short list of some of the efforts this hotel is making to make the property more environmentally friendly:

- Guest rooms air conditioning units automatically turn off when doors are open

-  Shower heads conform to most updated low-flow guidelines

-  Fluorescent lighting is used throughout the property

-  Pool furniture is made out of recyclable materials

- Complimentary shuttle service to multiple locations reduces the number of cars which are used on the island

And more!

Photo: Milan.boer

Does it surprise you to know that Chicago has the largest number of green roofs? More than more than all other US cities combined. Or that the Windy City boasts of the nation’s first USDA certified organic bakery?

It is an indication that Chicagoans are quite aware of their environmental responsibilities, and doing their bit. Here’s what you - as a visitor, can do to keep your travel in Chicago sustainable and clean.

Green Hotels:- We maintain an updated list of all the LEED certified green hotels in Illinois here. At present, the list includes the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza in Chicago and the Hotel Arista in Naperville - which falls within the Chicago metropolitan area.  

If, for some reason, the above two hotels are not for you - then Chicago has 14 Green Seal certified hotels.

Transportation:-Use the Chicago Metra - Convinient, has a wide reach and least harmful to the environment. The Metra allows you to carry along bikes, so if you want to take a bike tour of Chicago and hop in and out of the Metra in-between, it’s not so strenous.

For transport from Chicago’s Western suburbs - if say you’re staying at the Hotel Arista in Naperville - then you might want to check out the Grasshopper Shuttle.

Hybrid cabs make up a very small percentage (about 1%) of Chicago’s cabs, so unless you call and specifically ask for a hybrid cab, you should avoid hailing cabs. If you must have private transport, then hire a green limo from Diva.

Dining & Restaurants:- Plenty of options in Chicago, if you’re looking for an organic restaurant. This list includes the famed Crust - Chicago’s first experiment with organic cuisine. If you end up at Crust, don’t miss their wild herb & cheese, with a heady organic beer to wash it down.   

Other notable organic foodie hot-spots in Chicago include Bistro Campagne, Uncommon Ground, and the Bleeding Heart Bakery - the first organic bakery in the US.

Another exciting option is Drew’s Eatery, which offers delicious organic ice cream, hot dogs and sausages.

If you happen to be in the right place at the right time, you might also enjoy the Shedd Aquarium’s Right Bite dinners and/or a visit to the Chicago Green City Market.

Attractions & Things to Do:- In addition to aforementioned Shedd Aquarium, eco-friendly attractions in Chicago include the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, which has a gigantic 17,000 sq ft green roof, and will be hosting aforementioned Green City Market later this year. The Museum café sells local and organic foods.

If you’re interested in green tech, then a visit to the Chicago Center for Green Technology might prove interesting. The Center also has a nice green roof-top.

Want to visit Chicago’s other famed green roof-tops?  Check out the rooftops at Millenium Park in the Loop, Pepsico Rooftop Garden (555 W. Monroe St., 2nd floor), and Soldier Field in the Museum Campus.

Other visitable eco-attractions include the two observatories in Garfield Park and Lincoln Park, the Field Museum and the Lincoln Park Zoo. If you visit the zoo, don’t miss the endangered species carousel, and if you need a break, head for the Café at Wild Things - an organic café located at the top of the Wild Things gift shop at the zoo. 

But the Chicago experience remains unfulfilled unless you poke around North Michigan Ave and do some Magnificent Mile shopping at Burton Snowboards, Chiaroscuro, and Old Plank Antiques on Huron.

Inspite of all this, and since you’re only human, it is to be expected that you’ll end up with a nice fat carbon footprint for your Chicago trip. If you wish to purchase carbon offsets, here’s the City of Chicago’s carbon-offset guide.

Green roof photo by swanksalot; Bleeding Heart Bakery photo by rkbcupcakes; Carousel photo by YimHafiz

Is it possible to enjoy the Vegas experience without gambling away the environment? We’ll find out soon enough. The thing about Vegas is that everything is bigger, with more style and excess than anywhere else. And so it is with sustainable travel in Las Vegas.

Hotels - The Palazzo is the biggest LEED certified green building in the world.

MGM’s City Center project? Mind-bogglingly massive at 18 million sq ft - all of it wrapped in a sustainable cocoon about to become the biggest LEED certified project in the world. It has already recieved 3 LEED Gold certifications for 2 hotels (Aria & Vdara) and a convention center. Additionally, another of City Center’s hotels -the Harmon Hotel, is pursuing LEED Gold certification. 

A more down-to-earth option is the element las vegas summerlin.

Transportation - Forget the limos, helicopters and sleek casino shuttles. The best way to get around on the Vegas Strip is to use the Las Vegas Monorail or The deuce - Sin City’s Doubledecker bus service.

If you must hail a cab, then call one from the Lucky Cab Co. - a third of their fleet is made up of hybrid vehicles. Book a hybrid cab from them in advance for the ride from McCarran Airport to your hotel. 

If you need to rent a car, then rent from Fox Rent a Car - they’re offering 5% off on all hybrid rentals, and they have hybrids in their Las Vegas fleet.

Food & Drinks - There’s no shortage of organic restaurants and Vegan food in Las Vegas. But this being Vegas, it’s not just about the food - the food should be a part of a unique experience.

The Canyon Ranch Grille at the Palazzo serves organic, biodynamic and sustainable spirits, beer and wines. The Go Raw Cafe offers living cuisine and a juice bar, and shopping too. Also not to be missed are the Vegan donuts from Ronald’s.

If organic shopping is on your to-do list, check out the Rainbow’s End Natural Foods where you can shop and hang out at the cafe.

Attractions & Things to Do - You could go visit Springs Preserve, which is all about how to maintain a sustainable lifestyle in the desert. The Preserve’s Desert Living Center aced the LEED charts with a platinum certification. Pencil in a day of hiking at Red Rock or the Valley of Fire.

Eco-friendly shopping outlets include Buffalo Exchange (vintage threads), Natural Mystic (tattos, tobacco and hemp clothing) and the Attic (vintage & used clothing).

But here’s the thing - the heart and soul of Vegas is the Strip - the casinos & clubs, and attractions like the Bellagio Fountains and Fremont Experience. 

No tourist will want to miss Fabulous Las Vegas, and neither should you. In fact, Harrah’s Entertainment has setup a green program called CodeGreen - so if you want to check out Caesars Palace, go right ahead. 

Also, Harrah’s has partnered with NativeEnergy to offer guests to it’s hotels, resorts, casinos and other properties the chance to purchase carbon credits to offset their stay.

You could, of course, also do your bit - like for instance, play cards instead of the slot machines.

Photo credits:- Palazzo photo by Alex E. Proimos; City Center photo courtesy MGM Mirage, Monorail photo by James Cridland; Deuce photo by essygie; Ronald’s Donuts photo by Andy McLeod; Caesars Palace photo by Kaloozer         

In 1535, Tomás de Berlanga, the Bishop of Panama, accidently discovered the Galápagos Islands. 300 years later, in 1835, 26-year old Charles Darwin landed up in Galápagos, and that led to the ’Origin of the Species.’

But evolution took a deadly turn somewhere in between 1835 and 2009, and now - we’re talking about the last tourists who will bear witness to the extinction of the species in Darwin’s Lab. Tourists visiting Galapagos want to ’see it before it disappears.’

Nothing wrong with wanting to to see prehistoric marine iguanas and monster turtles before they go extinct. But there’s no reason why you should be an accessory to the crime. To achieve this delicate balance, extensive travel planning is required.

1. Acquaint yourself with the Galapagos National Park rules - this includes keeping out all manner of foreign insects, seeds, soil and anything which could take root and create havoc in the fragile ecosytem.

2. Condition yourself to make do without the usual travel luxuries. The more help you need locally - things like transport, food & drinks, bug repellent, sunblock, etc. - that much more the danger to, and degradation of, the environment.

3. Find a green travel company for your travel and tour needs. Here’s a few options - NatHab, Responsible Travel, Ecoventura (cruise).

Another option is a voluntourism project with the Galapagos Foundation - you work alongside local fishermen who are hired to assist with environmental conservation.

4. For additional carbon credits to compensate for your flight, cruise, local transport, etc., opt for a local Ecuadorian company like CanopyCo Carbon Offsets, which plants native trees to absorb carbon dioxide emissions associated with tourist travel to Ecuador.

Inspite of all this, your trip will still have many carbon holes and pitfalls. Go over the trip step-by-step with your travel agent, and make sure the logistics are planned in a way so as to minimize consumption and avoid possible harm.

And lastly, remember that a trip to the Galápagos Islands isn’t just another vacation. You’re going there to see it before it disappears, but when you come back, it should be with more knowledge about this primeval evolutionary struggle, and a conviction that it doesn’t have to disappear.

Photo credits - maveric2003, James Preston

Recommended Reading:-
Galapagos Conservancy
Darwin Foundation
UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Galapagos Park
Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? - by Martha Honey

New York City is usually always one step ahead, when it comes to being trendy and fashionable. And being green is all the rage nowadays.

Sustainable travel in New York City is easier than in most other cities due to the large number of eco-friendly businesses and tourism service providers – from hybrid limos to organic cuisine and all-natural health spas.

Listed below are some of these facilities, activities and providers to help you enjoy guilt-free green trips to New York City.

Local Transport:- The best – most convenient to you and least harmful to the environment – way to get around NYC is by using the Subway (MTA). If you don’t feel like shoving elbows in the Subway, or you can’t find one of these green taxis you see above, then hire OZOcar - a hybrid limousine service.

For absolute freedom and a zero-carbon day out in New York City, rent a bike. If you’re up to it, there’s plenty of free and guided daily bike tours which will help you see all the attractions. Some of them – like the Downtown Alliance - will even provide the bike for free. All you have to do is show up and start pedaling.

Hotels:- These are the top three green hotels in New York:-
1. 70 Park Avenue Hotel
2. The Muse Hotel
3. New York Marriott Downtown

Two new LEED certified hotels will soon be added at the top of this list - element New York Times Square West, and 1 Hotel & Residences.

Another option is the Hamilton Park Hotel in New Jersey. The hotel takes it’s environmental responsibilities pretty seriously, and is located 22 minutes from Newark Liberty International Airport, and 45 minutes from New York City – if you can handle the commute.

Organic Restaurants:- Here’s the thing – I could list 923 great organic restaurants in New York, but how many people are actually going to abandon their sightseeing itineraries or business schedules and go out of their way to find an organic restaurant? Not many people do, and that’s perfectly understandable.

A more realistic alternative is to do some travel research and planning in advance. For example, let’s say you’re planning to stay at the 70 Park Avenue Hotel. A quick search on Google Maps for nearby organic restaurants shows up the Green Room Cafe - located just a short stroll from your hotel. That’s in addition to the Silverleaf Tavern inside the hotel, which lives up to Kimpton’s Earthcare restaurant standards.

Plan out your complete itinerary and make sure you know all the good organic restaurants along your route. It’s as simple as that.

Eco-friendly Things to Do:- There are hundreds of eco-friendly activities, places and attractions in New York – like Central Park, the LEED certified Brooklyn Children’s Museum, and walking and bike tours of specific neighborhoods in the City.

If you’re fond of brewed beer, don’t forget to take a tour of some green beer producers like the Brooklyn Brewery.

Want some eco-chic clothing and accessories put together by a New York fashionista ? Check out Kaight.

Need a spa? The Green Spa & Wellness Center awaits you with its organic garden, Sangrias and Caribbean hot seashell massage.

Curious about New York’s famed nightlife? Check out these green nightclubs.

Photo credits: Taxi by Yodel Anecdotal; Green tea smoothies by Wootang01; Brooklyn Children’s Museum photo by Diane Bondareff via flickr

Before you start planning a trip, you need to decide where you’re going, and since your choice of destination (and corresponding travel to/from) is a huge determining factor in the environmental impact of your trip, keep the following factors in mind.

Consider Local Alternatives: Every mile you travel in a plane or car emits carbon dioxide into the air, which is just another factor you should consider when evaluating the cost of the trip. Think of your carbon emissions just like you would a high-priced airline ticket. An expensive ticket might not keep you from taking a trip you really want to take, but it will make you think twice about how much you really want to go. When traveling long distances where your carbon footprint is going to be significant, think about how important the long trip really is to you and your family, and if you think the trip is dispensable or it might be easier to stay local, then look into a destination closer to home that might be a good alternative. If you decide to reevaluate your destination, the resources at www.Kango.com can guide you to a nearby destination that meets the criteria for activities, lodging and anything else that you’re looking for.

Travel Longer and Reduce Your Carbon “Jet Lag”: Another way to look at the carbon emissions you’ll produce on your vacation is like jet lag. You probably wouldn’t want to travel all the way to New Zealand for a four-day vacation, because you’d spend most of your time in the plane and you would suffer from jet lag the rest of the trip. Well, carbon emissions follow a similar rule. When you’re traveling a long way for a short visit, you’re contributing a huge amount of carbon to the atmosphere for a relatively small benefit. So you should save that international trip for sometime when you and your family can get a longer time off from work and school. For short vacation windows of a week or less, think about less ambitious trips. Slowtrav.com is a good resource if you’re interested in this philosophy, which they call “slow travel.”

Reward Environmentally Forward Destinations: All destinations are not created equal. Some countries and regions have shown a lot more sustainable and environmental foresight than others. Why not make your choice of vacation destinations on that basis? For example, in the U.S., California is showing leadership on renewable energy and is increasing its renewable energy portfolio standards. Internationally, Costa Rica currently produces 96% of its electricity from renewable sources and aims to be carbon-neutral through reforestation programs by 2030. Iceland has set a goal of transitioning to a 100% hydrogen-based zero-carbon economy by 2050, powered by geothermal and hydroelectric sources. If you switch on a light bulb today in either Costa Rica or Iceland, you cause less environmental harm than if you were to do so at home in the United States, and you can take comfort that you are spending tourist dollars in a place that deserves to be rewarded for its environmental policies. Check out the results of the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index to see how your dream destination country measures up on a range of environmental metrics. Finland is #1 out of 146 countries, and the U.S. ranks 45^th between Armenia and Myanmar. You can see the ranked list on Wikipedia or you can view the whole report at the official ESI site. National Geographic also rated 115 world destinations on their sustainability and stewardship and published the results in 2004. Another inspiring list of eco-friendly destinations can be found at the Independent Traveler website.

Make the Most of Your Trip: So you’ve decided on a destination. Your next step is to have fun. After you’ve bought your plane ticket and decided on offsets for your emissions, leave your guilt behind and enjoy your trip. Make the most environmentally-friendly decisions you can along the way (and you can see other sections of this guide for details), but don’t let anything get in the way of enjoying your vacation. After all, the two commandments of any environmentally conscious traveler should be to…

1) Reduce your environmental footprint as much as possible

2) Have the most enjoyable trip possible

And if I could sneak in a third commandment, it would be: gracefully share what you have learned with your friends so they can do more with less too!