- The weather outside is frightful… Jan 19
- Green getaways Jan 17
- Eating well all winter… Jan 15
- Warm on the inside Dec 09
- Give the Gift of Green Gadgets Nov 14
- See all posts
Travel
Travel by train or bus
Amtrak Acela Express Train (Northeast)
Traveling at speeds up to 150 mph, the Acela Express is Amtrak’s first high-speed train service. It serves Boston, New York, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia. Hourly service is offered during peak morning and afternoon rush hours between New York, Washington, DC, and other intermediate cities.Greyhound North America
Greyhound serves more than 3,100 cities with 16,000 daily departures across North America. One Greyhound bus replaces an average of 20 cars and achieves 162 passenger miles per gallon of fuel. Greyhound partners with other bus lines as well as Amtrak train service to help passengers get to their destination.Lux Bus America (Southern California)
Lux Bus America serves passengers traveling between Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and Las Vegas. The company also offers The Las Vegas Liner, providing daily service to and from Las Vegas.Megabus.com (Midwest and Northeast)
Megabus.com bills itself as a low-cost bus service. A round-trip ticket from Chicago to Detroit runs just $45.50 and takes less than 7 hours. The return trip is less than 5 hours. Purchase tickets to various cities in the Midwest and Northeast online.VIA Rail Canada
VIA Rail Canada transports 4.1 million passengers a year across Canada, serving about 450 communities. The company has an Environmental Policy that states, in part, that the rail line will serve only fair trade coffee, use recycled paper products, and recycle cans, newspapers, and plastic bottles.
Use teleconferencing services
AIM.com 6.8
AIM.com is available free to Mac, Linux, and Windows users alike, and allows participants to talk, instant message, share pictures, and video conference.Cisco TelePresence
This intelligent system allows you to set up interactive meetings easily and reliably. No IT support required.Conference Solutions
This company has teleconferencing and video conferencing services with flat rate and pay-as-you go plans.FreeConference
FreeConference has some free and low cost conferencing services. Optional features include scheduled or reservation-less calls, toll-free dial-in numbers, and more.FreedomVoice Systems
FreedomVoice provides toll-free teleconferencing services for a small price. Reservations not required.InstantConference
Features include toll-free numbers that never expire, Outlook scheduling, call recording, and web conferencing. Basic services are free.Skype video and phone
Skype offers low international rates, unlimited calls to any phone in the US and Canada for less than $3 per month, in addition to a free service for talking over the Internet.VESTA Networks
Teleconference and web conference services are free with features like corporate branding, lecture mode, and moreWebex WebOffice
This company has an innovative online office system that includes document management, databases, calendars, conferencing tools, task managers, and more.
Choose a green hotel
Arenas del Mar Beach and Nature Resort (Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)
Besides using a solar water-heating system and natural bedding, this Costa Rican eco-resort allows only quiet electric cars on the grounds, which just happens to be 70 percent protected rainforest.Asheville Green Cottage (Asheville, NC)
The Asheville Green Cottage offers locally grown organic fruit, Fair Trade coffees and teas, natural latex mattresses, organic cotton sheets and towels, and nontoxic cleaning products.Aurum Lodge (Alberta, Canada)
This lodge near Alberta's Banff and Jasper National Parks offers passive solar design, recessed low-E windows, composting toilets, and a graywater treatment system.Banff Park Lodge Resort Hotel & Conference Centre (Alberta, Canada)
Set in Banff National Park amid snow-covered peaks, it's the first hotel in Canada to receive the EcoLogo certification, one of the oldest eco-labeling initiatives in North America.Doubletree Hotel and Executive Meeting Center (Portland, OR)
This Green Seal-certified Doubletree Hotel in Portland, Oregon, uses energy- and water-saving equipment, provides in-room recycling containers, donates uneaten food to a local shelter and composts the rest.El Monte Sagrado (Taos, NM)
This luxury hotel in Taos collects rainwater, reuses all wastewater, and is constructed from “gunash” (recycled power plant ash that looks like adobe).Habitat Suites (Austin, TX)
Austin's Habitat Suites uses ladybugs for natural pest control and relies on shade trees to cool the building. Landscape plants are indigenous, requiring little water.Hotel Basico (Playa del Carmen, Mexico)
Planning to flee south of the border? Check in and chill out at Playa Del Carmen's Hotel Basico. The property takes eco-chic to a sexy, sustainable new level with rooftop pools made of old oil tanks and cabanas crafted from old trucks.Hotel Triton (San Francisco, CA)
All paper products—from toilet paper to room bills—at San Francisco's Hotel Triton are made with recycled content. Rooms also come equipped with water-saving devices and air purifiers.Inn By The Sea (Cape Elizabeth, ME)
The grounds of this Maine retreat are planted with native varieties that require less water and fewer pesticides. Rooms use CLF bulbs and some proceeds are donated to the Rainforest Action Network.Journey Inn (Maiden Rock, WI)
This Wisconsin B&B for weary green feet features floors heated via a solar-powered water system, organic wool and cotton bedding, low-toxicity furniture, and native-plant landscaping.Kandalama Hotel (Dambulla, Sri Lanka)
Besides using a passive solar energy system, native plants to landscape, and locally grown foods, this Sri Lankan hotel has also built an Eco-Park, an environmental education area for employees, guests, and school children.Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort (Australia)
Not only does this luxury outfit employ a number of measures to protect the surrounding Great Barrier Reef, but it also uses low-emission clean burning diesel generators to power its facilities.Los Manos Bed & Breakfast (Buena Vista, CO)
Surrounded by pinon forest and mountain views, this Colorado B&B offers strawbale construction for super insulation, passive solar heating, solar- and wind-generated electricity, and line-fresh towels and sheets.Orchard Garden Hotel (San Francisco, CA)
The Orchard Garden Hotel sports low-emission wallpaper and carpet, plus wood from sustainably harvested forests. Room lights and appliances only work when a keycard is in a wall slot—so they don’t stay on when guests step out.Proximity Hotel (Greensboro, NC)
The Proximity is aiming for LEED Gold certification. It consumes nearly 40 percent less energy and 30 percent less water and sports solar roof panels, low-flush toilets, recycled-content building materials, and plans to install a green roof.Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge (Homer, AK)
This lux outpost in Homer, Alaska, generates 100 percent of its own electricity via wind and hydro power. Lodges are hand-built from scavenged driftwood.The Fairmont (Washington, DC)
.thumbnail.png)
Washington's Fairmont hotel offers free parking for hybrid cars, contributes part of it’s electric bill to wind power, and has installed a hydrocarbon-powered dry cleaning machine.The Orchid (Mumbai, India)
This hotel in exotic Mumbai relies on drip irrigation to cut water use, provides room stationery made of jute (a rapidly renewable substitute for tree-made paper), and plans to become a “zero garbage” facility.
Take a sustainable vacation
Adventure Collection
This group of adventure travel companies adheres to the organization’s five principles of responsible travel. Low-impact trips span the globe and include everything from hiking and horseback riding to river kayaking and llama-trekking.Earthfoot
Customize your own low-impact eco-tours and cultural vacations with naturalists, guides, historians, and community activists around the world who offer specialized, non-packaged tours. Search by region and by activity.GAP Adventures
This Canadian company offers small group adventures off the beaten track that help local economies while minimizing the impacts of tourism on natural areas and native cultures.Peregrine Adventures
This Aussie travel outfit promotes small group tours that are ecologically responsible and culturally sensitive.Raven Adventures
Whether it's an African safari or a kayaking trip in Baja, Mexico, a portion of your trip fee goes to conservation and other ecologically oriented projects in the areas where you visit.ResponsibleTravel.com
This UK travel agency offers 1,000s of adventure holidays and eco-tours with green tour companies and hotels around the globe.Wildland Adventures
Selected for Conde Nast Traveler magazine's prestigious "Green List," this travel company is known for its commitment to preserving natural areas and contributing to local cultures worldwide.
Drive a green rental car
Avis (nationwide)
.thumbnail.gif)
Avis offers the Toyota Prius hybrid to renters in various locations.Bio-Beetle (Los Angeles, CA; Maui, HI)
Bio-Beetle offers biodiesel-compatible cars including Volkswagen Beetles, Golfs, and Jettas to rental customers in Maui and Los Angeles.Budget (nationwide)
.thumbnail.gif)
Budget guarantees the availability of the Toyota Prius and Nissan Altima hybrids along with other fuel-efficient vehicles.Electric Time Car Rentals (San Francisco, CA)
.thumbnail.jpg)
Enjoy the sights and sounds of San Francisco in an eye-catching, non-polluting electric car; GPS-based audio tour is optional.Enterprise Rent-A-Car (nationwide)
.thumbnail.jpg)
Enterprise Rent-A-Car offers renters hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles at various locations.EV Rental Cars (Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Ana, San Jose, CA; Phoenix, AZ)
Car rental agency with locations in Southern California, the Bay Area, and Phoenix exclusively offers hybrid vehicles.Hertz (nationwide)
The Hertz Green Collection offers five fuel-efficient vehicles that receive 28 or more miles per gallon at over 50 domestic airport locations.Sunshine Rentals (Key West, FL)
.thumbnail.jpg)
Key West rental agency offers electric car rentals alongside bikes and scooters.
Buy carbon offsets
3Degrees
In addition to their carbon offset offering, 3Degrees is a leading national supplier of Green-e Certified RECs sourced from a variety of renewable energy technologies, including wind, biomass, geothermal, solar, low-impact hydro, landfill gas, and biogas. Use the footprint calculator to get started on your green energy path.Carbonfund.org
Carbonfund.org lets you offset emissions from air and car travel, energy use, and even special events.Climate Care
Shrink the size of your carbon footprint at home, while you drive, fly, or bask on some faraway beach.Climate Friendly
Tally emissions from driving, air travel, and home energy. Offset only what you choose. Or pick from one of Climate Friendly's custom packages (including driving, flying, etc.) that let you go carbon neutral just in that area for a year.GreenLife
GreenLife lets you offset your carbon emissions from home energy use, air travel, and driving. Offset your entire yearly emissions or a portion via one of the company's pre-priced packages or use the online calculator for a more precise tally.LivClean Carbon Offset Solutions
LivClean is a Canadian organization offering carbon offset products and solutions to both individuals and businesses around the world. Services include carbon footprint assessment, the procurement and sale of carbon offsets, sustainable business solutions, including sustainable positioning strategies, marketing, and communications, and more.My Climate
Neutralize emissions from flying, driving, and powering your home or business.Native Energy
Help fund community-based clean renewable energy projects, including methane reduction ventures and wind power initiatives.Sustainable Travel International
Calculate your entire carbon footprint from air and car travel, energy use, and hotel stays with STI's easy-to-use carbon calculator.The CarbonNeutral Company
Whether you're a student or business owner, the CarbonNeutral Company lets you tally emissions from flying, driving, running your home, or powering your truck fleet.
Latest Comments Across the Site