Our Challenge for July

With summer here and all of us itching to travel, we must not throw all that we've learned away, but rather put our environmentally friendly knowledge to good use. Lets face it, it's easy to forget the small but important things when we travel, but we must not let our greed and materialistic ways impede on our ability to reduce our footprints while we're away.

Listed below are some tips to think about while travelling this summer.

1. When you start thinking about where you want to go this summer, consider taking the train if it's possible. In North America it can be very pricey, but if you already know that you're going to Europe, don't fly from country to country. Take to train and enjoy the view.

2. If you're not one to pitch a tent while travelling, here are some things to think about while you're staying in hotels.
- Turn down the A/C when you're in the room and turn it off when you're gone
- Reuse your towels
- Unplug TVs and appliances when you go out
- Turn off lights when you leave a room
- Take showers instead of baths

3. If you're going to renting a car during your travels, look around an choose a car company that rents eco-friendly and low-emission vehicles like Toyotas, Renault and Skoda. If you're daring enough, rent a scooter instead of a car to really reduce your footprint. Also look for taxi companies that use hybrids... go ahead and request it!

4. When eating out, think authentic. Try to eat foods that are local. Why would you go travel to Greece and order lobster from Atlantic Canada??

5. When we travel, we always want to buy souvenirs. Look to see where the souvenirs are made before you impulsively buy them. Giving someone a gift that was made locally will be much more adored than one that was made in China (well unless you go to China this summer). Also consider fair-trade when you visit certain countries.

Bon Voyage!