Ah, Summer is almost upon us, and that means most American families are plotting madly to get out of town for a week.
Never mind that the economy is in the tank, or that you’ll use just under half of your vacation days at once– it’s time to go to the beach! But wait… before you slam the kids in that minivan and speed off: there’s a greener way.
5. Don’t Travel As Far
In one of those special instances where environmentalism saves you a ton of money, the simplest piece of advice is one that most Americans aren’t likely to follow, even in this hour of $4.00 gasoline: stay close to home. Heck, even stay home: if you live in a major city, there are probably loads of museums, parks, baseball games, and restaurants that you haven’t been to. But if you MUST travel– try to stay within 100-150 miles of home. Your wallet, and the planet, will thank you.
4. Find A Green Hotel
This may seem like a monstrous task, but it’s not– check this registry of environmentally friendly hotels. They’re standing ready to assist in your eco-escape, conserving waste, and committed to reducing their toll on the planet.
3. Take the Train
Rail travel isn’t quite dead in the U.S., which is good, because it features some of the lowest carbon emissions per-traveler of any form of transport. In order of most polluting, it goes: airplanes, cars, trains, and coach buses–but I don’t know many people who think of Greyhound as a good way to get around anymore. “Boost that failing government-subsidized rail system, America!”
2. Buy Local Souveneirs
This is hard, seeing as how we’re nationally addicted to airbrushed t-shirts and plastic toys, but buy local goods when you travel. Supporting a local artist doesn’t just do more for the economy of the place that you’re visiting, it cuts the cost of transporting all of those mass-produced tourist trap souvenirs. And besides, taking home art, or cooking ingredients from a place you can’t get at home, is far more interesting.
1. Minimize Waste
I know, that seems like a gimme– but it’s not. Turn off your thermostat when you’re not home. Take the pets to a sitter, or board them, rather than leaving them in the house with some neighbor stopping in to check on them. Pack a couple of water bottles so you don’t have to buy bottles of water everywhere you go. Common sense still applies on vacation, as odd as that seems.
译文:
环保旅行的5个小贴士
哈，夏天又要来了，意味着大多数美国家庭都要疯狂策划出行一周。不要担心囊中羞涩，或者—次连一半的假期都用不完。是时候去海滩了！但是等等……在你把孩子关在小卡车然后冲向海滩之前。还有一种更环保的方式呢。
5. 不要到很远的地方旅行
在环保能帮你省下一大笔钱的许多方法之中，最简单的恰恰是大多数美国人不会去做的，甚至不惜以消耗每小时4美元的汽油为代价。这种方法就是不要离家很远，甚至，就待在家里。如果你住在大城市的话，很可能城市中有许多你没去过的博物馆、公园、棒球场、和饭店。但是如果你必须要出游的话—尽量去一个离家100至150英里远的地方。你的钱包和我们生活的这座星球，都会感谢你的。
4. 找一家环保旅馆
这看起来似乎是一项艰巨的任务，但事实上不是，请点击“环保旅馆登记处”。它们随时准备着协助你节省金钱、保存垃圾，并致力于减少他们给这座星球带来的破坏。
3. 坐火车
坐火车旅行这一有益的方式在美国并非无人问津，因为它是人均排放二氧化碳量最小的交通工具之一。按污染程度从大到小排序，依次是：飞机，汽车，火车和长途巴士，但是我不知道为什么许多人会认为长途巴士是一种出门旅游的好选择。“支持那个失败的政府补贴的铁路系统吧！美国人！”
2. 买当地的旅游纪念品
这很难，看看我们是如何全民对喷绘的T恤衫和塑料玩具上瘾的吧，但我们就是不买当地的东西。支持一个当地艺术家不只是支持你所游玩的当地的经济，而且减少那些大批量生产的旅游纪念品运输的成本。不只是这样，把当地艺术带回家，或者烹调你在家时所买不到的材料，都是非常有乐趣的。
1. 尽可能减少废物产生
我知道，这似乎有点贪得无厌，但事实上不是。当你不在家的时候关掉恒温器。把宠物交给临时照看人或者给他们提供好食物，不要把它们留在屋子里让你的邻居不时地去照看它们。随身带两瓶水这样你就不必到处买瓶装水了。常识在假期也管用，虽然感觉怪怪的。