Putting the ‘eco’ in tourism

At home, you drive a hybrid, recycle as much as you can and compost. But what about when you are traveling? Here are some sources to help you go green on the road. -- Vani Rangachar

Program: MyClimate, Sustainable Travel International

Washington, D.C.

www.sustainabletravelinternational.org

The means to green: Go to “Our Programs,” then “Carbon Offsets” to calculate the CO2 effects of your flights, car travel and hotel stays. Then you can buy “offsets” to mitigate your carbon output, which are invested in energy-efficient and renewable-energy projects through a Swiss charity.

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Program: TerraPass, Menlo Park, Calif.

www.terrapass.com

The means to green: Calculate your carbon footprint for flights and car travel. Purchase a pass, and the money will be invested in clean-energy projects.

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Program: California Green Lodging Program, Integrated Waste Management Board, Sacramento

www.ciwmb.ca.gov/epp/greenlodging

The means to green: Offers a directory of eco-conscious hotels that practice waste reduction or use energy-efficient methods.

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Program: EV Rental Cars, Los Angeles

www.evrental.com

The means to green: Rents hybrids and electric vehicles in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Phoenix and Las Vegas.

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Program: Climate Calculator, Conservation International

Washington, D.C.

www.conservation.org/carboncalculator

The means to green: The nonprofit is in partnership with rock group Pearl Jam. Add your information to the “personal CO2 calculator” to figure out what you need to donate to offset your carbon output. Funds help reforestation projects in Ecuador and Madagascar.