Written by: Josie Villa-Singleton , aka Travelista***

Let’s face it; travel and tourism have a big impact on the environment. As responsible travelers we have to acknowledge the toll that traveling exerts on the environment and look for ways to offset this impact.

Flying
The main offender to the environment when we travel is our flight to Europe. For example, my flight from DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport) to CDG (Charles De Gaul Airport in Paris) will release 1.79 tons of carbon dioxide into the air over a distance of 9,930 miles according to CarbonFund.org. Once you take into account radiative forcing the effect increases to a release of 4.83 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that can contribute to global warming. Almost makes me not want to step on a plane again…almost, but I’m not willing to give up traveling if there are other ways to alleviate the environmental impact.

One simple tactic is to always fly direct. This is the most efficient way to travel and you won’t contribute to any excess emissions and you personally will not have to deal with another round of deplaning and boarding.

Airlines are becoming increasingly aware of this impact and are also looking for ways to lessen their effect on the environment. When booking your trip to Europe research the social responsibility of the airline you plan to use and support those airlines that have put environmentally positive initiatives into place.

British Airways, Continental Airlines, Lufthansa, and Virgin Atlantic are a few of the airlines that are increasing aircraft efficiency (thus reducing emissions), participating in carbon trading, as well as introducing in-flight recycling and opportunities to purchase carbon offsets.

The Open Skies agreement between the European Union and the United States will also affect the environmental policies of airlines flying to Europe. The Open Skies agreement has deregulated many of the flights between Europe and the US, resulting in more flights to Europe.

However, in the second phase of this agreement the EU is requiring US based airlines flying to Europe to participate in the same emissions trading scheme that European based carriers pay. So US based carriers flying to Europe may also soon have to purchase “carbon credits” to offset the impact of the flight.

Purchase Carbon Offsets
Until carbon credits are standard policy for airlines it is possible for individuals to purchase carbon offsets on their own to remedy some of our impact when flying. There are various sites where you can use a carbon calculator to calculate the “carbon cost” of a flight and purchase an offset to that cost.

If I purchased an offset for my proposed flight to Europe that I mentioned earlier it would be $26.54 and this would help contribute to causes and projects that support carbon reduction (such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation projects).

Walk or Use Public Transportation
Fortunately, once you get to Europe there is infrastructure in place in many European cities that make it easy to lessen the impact we have as travelers.

For starters, most European cities are built around a pedestrian culture so walking everywhere is easy and the best way to take in the sites and smells of a city.

When waking isn’t possible, public transportation in the form of buses, trams, and metros can help you easily navigate a city without relying on taxis. Renting a bike in some cities, such as Amsterdam and Paris (Velib) is also another option. If a taxi/shuttle has to be used, some companies can offer a Prius as an option.

Trains instead of Planes
With the advent of bargain basement airfares within Europe with such carriers as EasyJet and Ryanair it is tempting to take advantage but most of those trips can easily be taken by train as well. The European Rail system is efficient and comfortable for covering longer distances.

The Eurostar High Speed train that runs from London to Paris is completely carbon neutral, so no guilt about “crossing the pond”. It releases 10 times less carbon dioxide than flying to the same destination.

New technology is constantly being developed as well. France also has one of the first “hybrid” trains and has ordered 144 more.

Stay Put
Concentrating your travels efforts to one region is another simple option. This cuts down on long distance train rides altogether and allows you to fully explore and get to know a region.

Eat Local
Most European cuisine makes brilliant use of local ingredients and produce and serving what is in season. Take advantage of this whenever possible and choose restaurants that have a reputation for fresh, local food. By taking advantage of produce available locally these establishments minimize their effect on the environment by having to rely less on ingredients that have been delivered great distances.

I hate to have to even mention it but if I must, at all costs avoid “fast food chains” and chains in general as they will most likely not be using fresh, local ingredients.

Many cities have markets where it is easy to assemble a fine meal with locally/regionally produced items. Cheese, some sort of cured meat, fruit, a crusty loaf of bread, and wine is an easy meal to pull together using local ingredients.

***Content taken fron Travelista.com

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