Green Your Summer Vacation

By Jodi Helmer, author of The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference.

Jodi Helmer

Planning a trip to Europe? A week at the beach? An overnight camping in the mountains? No matter where your summer travel plans take you, be sure to keep the environment in mind. Follow these simple steps for greening your summer vacation:

Reserve a room at a “green” hotel: The Green Hotels Association (www.greenhotels.com) has a list of hotels in every state that have implemented programs to conserve resources and reduce waste. During check-in, request that sheets and towels be changed only if they’re left on the floor and leave a note for the housekeeping staff asking that the air conditioning be turned off when you’re not in the room.

Rent a hybrid vehicle: Driving to amusement parks, museums, beaches and ice cream shops takes its toll on the environment. Companies like Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Hertz have fleets of hybrid vehicles across the country. You’ll improve your vacation fuel efficiency by up to 45 percent – which leaves extra money for the entire family to rent bicycles or canoes for an afternoon of eco-friendly exploring.

Pack light: Excess weight in the trunk of the car (or in the cargo hold on the plane) will decrease your gas mileage. In the car, every 100 pounds of cargo decreases fuel efficiency by 2 percent. It might not sound like much but it adds up on a round-trip to the beach, so only pack the essentials. Remember to take the beach chairs and the cooler out of the trunk after your vacation so you’re not wasting extra fuel on the way to work.

Slather on biodegradable sunscreen: Sunscreen is essential for summer vacation but the same ingredients that help protect against UV exposure might be harming marine life. Scientists have found a link between dying coral reefs and the estimated 6,000 tons of sunscreen that wash off of swimmers every year. Biodegradable sunscreens are made with ingredients that break down in seawater and won’t harm marine life.

Capture memories on a digital camera: We develop 686 million rolls of film per year – and it takes a lot of resources to manufacture the film and chemicals used to process the pictures. Snap pictures of the kids at the zoo and the annual trip to grandma’s on a digital camera instead. Make your memories even more eco-friendly by using a rechargeable battery.

Jodi Helmer is the author of The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her favorite handyman and their dogs, Molly, Milo, and Roxie. Visit her online at www.green-year.com.