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Does Your Conscience Travel with You?

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Julia Rosien | 10/29/2007 - 09:00 | Add new comment

It's easy than you think to lighten your carbon load while traveling

Reducing how much you take on vacation also helps cut down aircraft carbon emissions, says a report by the International Institute for Environment and Development in association with the International Center for Environmental Tourism.

Whew, talk about collective intelligence. Slim Your SuitcaseSlim Your Suitcase

By taking just a couple of pounds out of your checked luggage, you can lighten the plane's carbon load. And it may eventually be enforced (and charged for) if we don't start complying on our own.

  • Call ahead and ask if you'll need your hairdryer, flattening iron, curling iron, etc. If not, leave it at home.
  • Do you really need 3 pairs of shoes? I'm a ruthless packer and can usually make do with 2 pairs - regardless of where I'm headed.
  • If you're an avid reader, leave the books you finish behind for someone else to enjoy. At Bookcrossing you can even trace your book as it travels from reader to reader.
  • Wash what you wear. I pack for a maximum of 3 days, even when I'm traveling for weeks. Washing single items in the hotel sink eliminates the need for massive amounts of luggage.
  • Use public transportation to and from the airport and at your destination. Hopping on a bus anywhere will give you an inside view of local culture - and may even point you toward the best local food hangouts.
  • Eat locally grown produce to you eliminate the transportation costs (of the food). You get tastier meals to boot.

My love of travel is never going to change, but putting my carbon responsibility first allows me to enjoy my passion without guilt.

Do you consider your eco-conscience when you're travelling? How do you lighten your load?

Talk Back, Girlfriend and rate this post!

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