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Green travel

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Understand
Prepare
Get around
See
Do
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Flora and fauna
Buy
Back home

This article is a travel topic.

[edit] Understand

Protecting this planet we live on is everybody's responsibility. Future travellers should be able to enjoy it as much as today's travellers.

[edit] Prepare

Turn off furnaces and water heaters. (If there is a risk of pipes freezing, turn the water heater to it's lowest setting rather than off)
Turn off the mains water supply. This will ensure no no flooding in the event of a water pipe failure while no one is home
Switch off all lights
Unplug TVs, video recorders and other devices that continue to draw power in their standby mode.

[edit] Get around

Walk, use public transport, or ridesharing schemes where possible rather than renting a car. Use air transport only for long distance travel where there is no rail transport available.

[edit][add listing] See

Don't use disposable camera's, they are wasteful and generally of low quality. Read Travel photography for some tips on selecting a camera that will fit your needs.

[edit][add listing] Do

Leave all areas you visit clean. If no bins are provided, take your litter with you and dispose of it responsibly. This includes cigarette butts.

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

On leaving a hotel room, switch all lights off
Find hotels and resorts that encourage eco friendly practices [1]

[edit] Flora and fauna

Did you know?

In the Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa dung beetles have right of way. If you see one crossing the road in front of you, you are required to stop and wait for them to pass.

Don't kill anything that is not a common pest. Note that not all insects are pests, some insect species are even protected and you may face is stiff fine if you kill them.
Clean you hiking boots before moving from on area to another. Seeds often get stuck to the soles of boots or attached themselves to the upper portions or laces. These seeds can easily become transported to an area where they do not naturally occur and become an invasive species there. Rinsing the soles of your boots also reduces the risk of spreading disease.
Fire poses a serious risk to many areas around the world. Though fires do occur naturally and are even required in some ecosystems, human activities can increase the rate at which they occur and cause substantial ecological damage. When making a campfire, ensure that it is in an area clear of vegetation and do not leave it unattended while burning.

[edit][add listing] Buy

Many species are under thread because they are killed specifically for the tourist trade. Starfish in coastal regions is one such specie. Do not buy any animal products where the animal have been killed simply to serve as a tourist memento.