Most people wll likely consider this eccentric, but millions of tons of CO2 are dumped from the skies every year into the oceans, causing (along with other sources) acidification that carries long-term risks. Same for cars, and other forms of transport. Some of us feel uncomfortable about this when indulging our desire for travel.
Can you recommend useful sites that offer environmentally responsible travel?
when I booked my last few airplane trips there was an option during checkout to purchase some carbon offset credits, or plant some trees. Probably the best option.
Travel has many benefits and I guess you must weigh the trade-offs. You can find studies showing that Europe's fastest trains emit much less CO2 than other forms of motor transport, but of course those fast trains won't get you to Europe. When checking European train schedules through DB, you can click their link for Environmental Mobility Check to see a comparison.
WHAT IS DB?
DB is short for Deutsche Bahn --- the German national railway.
You can look for the buses in Germany displaying this sentence in large letters indicating that company's concern for the environment: "Ich fahre mit Erdgas" (natural gas) instead of gasoline even if it's unleaded.
Click on the embedded link in Laura's response to learn about Deutsche Bahn and your concerns.
I will and thanks.
If you are looking for an eco-friendly airline, here is a good source of information. www.seatmaestro.com/the-most-eco-friendly-airlines-in-the-u-s-and-europe/
For more good help with environmentally responsible travel, visit:
http://blog.travelanswerman.com/?p=232
www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/none/green-travel-resources
You can also go on bike tours and walking tours rather than hop-on, hop-off bus tours. The ones they have in Frankfurt are stinking hulks, and on slow days, they drive around with just a couple of people on them. What a huge waste of energy.
Here is the link to DB's "Umwelt-Plus" green power option when you buy tickets. I believe it adds a couple of euro to the ticket price. http://www.bahn.de/hilfe/view/pk/en/popup_faq/umweltplus.shtml
There is a bus in Bristol that uses totally recycled sustainable fuel,click here for details.
Trains, especially electric ones powered from non-fossil energy sources are very environmentally friendly. Eurostar trumpets its environmental advantages (details here). Swiss trains are all electric, and most of the electrical supply is hydro-electric plants; meltwater from the winter snows powers the trains, you can't get better than that.
