“Eco-friendly” is the New Frontier of Travelling

Aug 29, 2012 12:07 - holly | 2,173 views

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In the last few years, thousands of marketing campaigns have adopted “eco-friendly” as part of their slogan. But, what does eco-friendly really mean and how can you apply it to travelling?

Eco-friendly refers to every good, policy, product etc. claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment. However, have you noticed how much more expensive it is, for example the eco-friendly dishwasher in comparison with the usual non-bio one? When it comes to travelling there must be a way to do our bit for the environment without having empty pockets!

Sharing Transportation

In the past, people may have used hitchhiking as a form of car share, however the 21^st century has invented some much better, and safer, schemes in order to minimize the amount of cars on the road. There are numerous websites that match car drivers with passengers, and allows them to be in contact with each other before travelling. This is a great way to test each other’s compatibility, as well as checking references left by others.

Why should you be bothered to share a car with someone you don’t know?

Well, first of all it’s eco-friendly because it reduces the omission of harmful gasses into the o-zone layer, and furthermore it allows you to split the expensive cost of petrol. Your wallet will thank you and so will the environment.

Sharing Homes: Couch Surfing

The concept of car sharing for daily commuting purposes has expanded, and now couch surfing has been introduced and is popular amongst backpackers on a shoestring budget as they can ‘book’ a place on another participating candidate’s couch. This is also a really great way of learning about other people’s culture, and maybe if they’re really nice, getting a personal, native guide!

Couchsurfing.org is the most common website used to sign up to this experience, and allows people to connect on the Internet before meeting in real life. You would be right to question the safety of going to a complete stranger’s house in another country, possibly on your own, however when signing on to the website, hosts have to pass through three different verification stages. If they pass these successfully they can then create a profile with pictures and files that describe both them and the sort of person they are looking for, as well as the type of accommodation they own. In this way travelers can feel a bit safer about their choice, however you should always air on the side of caution.

Minimizing Your Carbon Foot Print in the Air and at Sea

Many cruise and airplane companies have taken a beating for their excessive damage to the environment, however now you can rest a little easier thanks to new government regulations, who are also doing their bit to go green. Large cruising companies are now spending millions of dollars on cleaner burning fuels and solar panels to generate power, as well as implementing shorter routes. Airplanes are also burning better fuel and creating newer and more efficient fleets of air crafts.

Hopefully these measures are not only going to save us all money, but save our beautiful planet for generations to come.

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