Each time you take a flight or drive a car, CO2 is released into the atmosphere. You can help neutralize this danger to our planet through "carbon offsetting" -- paying someone to reduce your CO2 emissions by the same amount you've added. Carbon offsets can be purchased in the U.S. from companies such as Carbonfund.org (www.carbonfund.org) and TerraPass (www.terrapass.org), and from Climate Care (www.climatecare.org) in the U.K.
Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) is a great source of sustainable travel ideas run by a spokesperson for responsible tourism in the travel industry. Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) promotes responsible tourism and issues a Green Gear & Gift Guide.
You can find eco-friendly travel tips, statistics, and touring companies and associations -- listed by destination under "Travel Choice" -- at the TIES website, www.ecotourism.org. Also check out Conservation International (www.conservation.org), who, along with National Geographic Traveler, annually presents the World Legacy Awards to those travel tour operators, businesses, organizations, and places that have made a significant contribution to sustainable tourism. Ecotravel.com is part online magazine and part eco-directory that lets you search for touring companies in several categories (water-based, land-based, spiritually oriented, and so on).
In the U.K., Tourism Concern (www.tourismconcern.org.uk) works to reduce social and environmental problems connected to tourism and find ways of improving tourism practices so that local benefits are increased.
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA; www.abtamembers.org) acts as a focal point for the U.K. travel industry and is one of the leading groups spearheading responsible tourism.
The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO; www.aito.co.uk) is a group of interesting specialist operators leading the field in making holidays sustainable.
For information about the ethics of swimming with dolphins and other outdoor activities, visit the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (www.wdcs.org) and Tread Lightly (www.treadlightly.org). If you choose to participate (and it's hard to resist the urge), take care to select only tour operators that demonstrate a concern for the animals and their protection as individuals and as a species. Some easy things to look out for are whether the animals are kept in enclosures sufficiently large for their needs, whether they look active and healthy, and whether signs, printouts, or well-trained guides provide information on the ecology, conservation status, and behavior of the species in question. If you suspect they are not doing a good job, let them know and take your business elsewhere.
