Green Daily

Travel, apart from being noisy, inconvenient, and occasionally life-threatening (damn you, Burmese customs officials!) is also a pretty dirty business, planet-wise. Still, we love it anyway, and with summer coming, consider these greener travel tips:

• Pee before you fly. Apparently each airplane flush uses enough fuel to drive a car for six miles. Plus if you hit turbulence while you're going, it can get pretty ugly.
• Choose your hotel wisely. Look around for eco-friendly lodging that has efficient power and water systems, alternative fuel vehicles, and that recycles. It'll be worth it.
• Greenify your luggage. You don't need all those potentially cancerous, oil-based plastic bags, when you could have handsome, durable luggage made of hemp or other eco-friendly materials. It'll also be easier to recognize on the carousel.
• Rent the right car. Ask for a hydrid, or if they don't have one, something that at least gets good gas mileage - with the price of gas skyrocketing, it's not only earth-friendlier but it'll help keep a little more folding money in your fanny-pack too.
• Bottle your own water. When touristing around in the hot sun, you can easily go through several bottles of water. Bring your own refillable container instead of buying plastic bottles that are going straight to the landfill when you're finished.

For more tips and ideas, check out out Divine Caroline.