I was impressed to read recently that Steelcase has bought the rights to all of the carbon offsets that will be output from a wind farm that is currently being built. To me, this is genius and will soon be copied widely. There are a few good reasons why. First, offsetting one’s carbon footprint is basically table stakes today for any company that considers itself eco-conscious. So deciding to invest in 5 years worth of renewable energy credits probably does not have much downside…especially considering that the amount of wind energy they’ve bought is far less than they utilize in their annual operations. Second, it’s very likely that the price/cost of offsets/credits will go up over the coming years, so this 5 year commitment acts as a hedge against increased prices. Related to this second point is the genius in Steelcase’s move: it’s almost certain that the offset market will become regulated and formal within the next few years (read: cap and trade), meaning that each ton of offset/credit will not only have a higher value but will also be a liquid commodity that can be readily traded. So as a pure financial investment, this move has huge upside. And of course, there most obvious value that this transaction brings: excellent PR and instant credibility as a trendsetter in this new green world.

Americans have awakened to the environmental crisis that has been building for decades, and the impact will be felt in all aspects of our lives. Certainly, travel and vacations are no different. There are eco-tourism destinations sprouting up by the day, but they tend to be expensive and not exactly appealing to the “average family on vacation”, at least not yet. But the “average” family will feel the effects of global warming, water scarcity, and all of the other environmental ills that will plague us if we don’t change our ways immediately.

So the question is: what can the Smiths, Johnsons, Changs, and Shahs do to make a difference during their travels? The answer: a lot. There are significant steps that the traveling family can take in every dimension of their trip - from transportation and lodging to dining and entertainment.

Getting there:

Flying - if going far, flying may be the only realistic option. Try to avoid short-haul flights which are the most damaging to the environment. Whatever the distance, be sure to offset your flight with a few extra bucks.

Driving - studies show that when your tire pressure is 3% below the optimal level your car emits 3% more CO2 per mile. Be sure to check your tire pressure before your trip. Also, extra weight increases emissions, so leave the non-essentials at home.

Alternatives - consider whether a train can get you there…fun for the kids, but make sure they have a bar car!

Once there:

Rental car - it’s easy to find hybrids for rent. If you’ve never tried them, you’re in for a treat - it will add a fun dimension to your trip and help educate the whole family about how technology and innovation play a role in the emerging green economy. Despite common misperceptions, hybrids tend to have good safety ratings and plenty of power.

Public transportation - availability definitely depends on the location of your trip, but be sure to check out your options. It’s fun to ride the L in Chicago, the trollies in SF, and the subways of NY.

Eco-tourism at a local level – see the sights and do the activities that focus on the outdoors. A lot of great cities are best enjoyed on foot. Plan your days with “walking tours” in mind. Not only will you be able to better savor the sights, you will be able to work off some of the extra calories that we all have a tendency to put on during vacation.

Hotel:

Look for “green” hotels that provide benefits to green travelers. The hospitality industry is an “early adopter” of green techniques and products - from non-toxic cleaning products to providing travelers the option to re-use their towels on multi-night stays.

Towels and sheets - make sure you and your kids choose to re-use your towels and bed linens on multi-night stays. After all, how often do you launder these items at home?

Dining:

“Organic” restaurants - as long as you’re going out somewhere new, look for restaurants specializing in locally grown ingredients and organic foods. By using no chemicals or pesticides and minimizing transportation, these foods both taste great and are good for the environment.

Eat on premises - an easy way to lower your footprint is to eat where you sleep even while on the road. Of course you wouldn’t want to do this every night, but staying out of the rental car for even 1 meal will make a difference to the environment.

Throughout your vacation:

There are many other easy and eco-friendly actions you can take during your travels that are also good habits to follow when you’re not on vacation.

Refillable water bottle - not only will you save lots of plastic waste, the bottle will be a constant reminder that you need to stay hydrated on the plane and throughout your travels.

Backpack - we always need to carry items around while site seeing, and we often buy knick-knacks along the way - save the paper and plastic bags by putting them in your backpack.

Hopefully these tips will make your next trip more eco-friendly. If you have other ideas for how we can all go easier on the environment while we’re on vacation, let us know!

In case you missed it, Matt Feldman at Carbon Neutral Digest ran a quick interview about EcoUnit on his blog. It’s great to see more folks getting exposed to the EcoUnit program, and more and more people are signing up to participate! Check out Carbon Neutral Digest and stay up to date on carbon emissions issues, the largest single barrier that we face on the road to a sustainable future.

I spent some time on Huddler’s site today and really like what I see. They have created a very intuitive, interactive environment for learning about green products that you might consider buying as well as giving you the opportunity totell others about your experience with products that you’ve already bought. Sign up, build a profile, and share info with like-minded people who have similar product interests. It’s sort of social network meets green shopping - very cool. Check out www.huddler.com

Kent

I attended a speach given by Yale’s President Levin recently and was intrigued by the future that he painted. In collaboration with many great minds at Yale and around the country, he has been trying to understand how the carbon cap/trade/tax market will develop, the extent to which emissions will need to be limited, and how significant these changes will be on our economy. His basic conclusion is that we will need to spend roughly 1-2% of GDP in order to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to a level that will be manageable from a global warming perspective (e.g. roughly to the levels outlined in the Kyoto Treaty). But the path to that future was striking.

It’s easy to imagine a future in which essentially all companies face limitations to the amount of CO2 that they can emit. But when you think about the fact that the majority of emissions are controlled by individuals (think: how many miles you drive, at what temperature you set your thermostat, how often you fly), it becomes clear that we will likely need to place limitations on the amount that individuals can emit! This will come with huge challenges in multiple realms: invasion of privacy, political considerations, massive measurement issues - just to name a few. The more I think about it, the more I realize how hugely disruptive to “life as we know it” this climate crisis will be.