The following is a guest post by Kelly Kilpatrick
With the holiday season in full swing, many people will be hitting the road in droves over the coming weeks in order to visit friends and relatives. With the recent drop in gas prices, travel is once again affordable, as far as fuel is concerned. For many out there who are trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle, travel can be seen as a wasteful, yet necessary component of the holiday season.
Certainly, travel means more use of fossil fuels and pollutants being put into the atmosphere, but there are some things you can do along the way and once you arrive to make sure you are being as green as possible. Take a look at the following green travel tips for the holiday season.
Take Your Own Food Along
Chances are you are not going to be able to find a decent restaurant on the road that will have the organic foods you have grown accustomed to. Take along snacks and drinks to ensure that you maintain the healthy nutritional intake your body is used to.
Additionally, your hosts may not have some of the things you and your family require, so taking the things your family is used to is an essential part of keeping it green and organic on the road.
Use Premium Fuel
The kind of gasoline you purchase has a direct correlation with the kind of environmental impact your vehicle makes, especially on longer trips. Higher octane fuels burn cleaner, and help your car get more miles per gallon. You may spend a few cents more per gallon, but it’s well worth spending the extra money when you weigh the advantages and disadvantages.
Clean Up During Pit Stops
Helping save the planet is a full-time job and holidays are no exception. Many rest stops and picnic areas are littered with garbage. Do your part and help clean up these roadside refuges for other travelers, as well as Mother Earth. This is a great family activity that may get other travelers to join in the effort as well.
Carpool
Traveling light or alone? If you are, perhaps posting an ad on craigslist.org can help you find a travel companion. You will be able to save money on gas expenses, have some company on the trip, and help to minimize the number of cars on the road, ultimately doing your part to reduce pollution. You may even make a new friend in the process.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Great advice. We're taking a road trip from San Francisco to Portland to look at homes. Its only a 12 hour drive and there is plenty of good, healthy food once we hit Ashland and Eugene. I wish we didnt have to drive but flying is more of a hassle even though its shorter.
December 12th, 2008 at 1:35 am
Excellent post by Kelly. Comes at a good time when everyone'll be lost in the holiday season and forget the small debts we owe to our mother earth. It's not enough to talk about carbon credits etc. We need indulge in things like reduced fossil fuel consumption, cleaning the roadside etc.
December 12th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
I like your tips, however I would highly recommend that you check your owner's manual before using higher octane fuel. Many cars built in the last 10 or so years have been designed to run optimally on regular fuel. The higher octane fuel may not have as large of an effect as it once did, at least on newer cars.
December 14th, 2008 at 7:32 am
Well, Stefy. I always prepared my own foods and utensil during the holiday travel and never left up any rubbishs after the picnic at the park...
You're right, as help saving the Mother Earth is a life long job!
December 15th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Carla, 12 hours is still a pretty long drive! Our trip home for the holidays is about 19 hours, including rest stop breaks, gas stops, and sleeping. We just can't make it straight through anymore...
Copywriter, many people DO forget to take it easy on the earth during the holiday season... and it's probably one of the most important times to try everything you can.
Andrew, good point. I think car manuals will tell you what is most efficient for your car. I'd imagine they wouldn't lie because it would make the company look bad (unless they're in cahoots with the oil companies... *shift eyes*)
Wilson, doesn't it make you sick to see people littering at parks? I know it does for me... It's nice to see people pick up after themselves and after others, as well. I especially love the parks / rest stops that have recycling bins... I've been seeing those more and more.
December 18th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I agree with Andrew, but I don't think the higher octane gases will have a negative affect on your car. I was under the impression that they premium gas doesn't help with better gas mileage or burner cleaner.
December 22nd, 2008 at 11:51 am
[...] Green Holiday Travel Tips {Focus Organic} [...]
January 16th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Excellent post!!! Mother Earth deserves some consideration from us. We need to compliment nature to get the maximum benefits to enjoy a peaceful life. There is nothing that we can do for nature.but we can certainly preserve its blessings in the form wonderful nature it has offered us.
February 20th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Cool ! Thanks for the advice. I will follow the tips that you have mentioned here.
May 21st, 2009 at 6:47 am
Excellent ideas to help the environment when travelling. Will have to check out the higher octane fuel idea though to make sure it can be put in any car, also with the higher price for this fuel it might be worth working out if its actually costing more per mile, just a thought. Anyway the best tip must be car pooling, as well as cutting down on costs etc. it is much more fun to travel with a companion than alone!