Save the Planet - At Play and On Vacation

Pick one weekend day and designate it Fuel Free Family Day.  Spend the time with each other, not in the car. 

Tired of playing chauffeur?  Limit scheduled activities and keep more of your kids activities close to home.  Less time in the car, more time having fun!

Make time for unstructured play in nature.  This type of play builds creative inquisitive minds and kids who have childhood experiences playing in nature are more likely to be future environmental stewards themselves.  

In charge of snacks for the next soccer game?  Bring reusables (like cups, washable cloth napkins) next time.  Waste rotting in landfills emits greenhouse gases.  

Fly less.  Explore closer to home and use your time relaxing, not stuck in transit.

Consider a vacation that uses more muscles and less fuel.  Hike, canoe, sail or kayak for the trip of a lifetime.

Staying in a hotel?  It takes a lot of energy to heat water.  Use the same towels and linens throughout your stay. 

Near water?  Take part in the ultimate green recreation - sailing!

Stay mindful while traveling:  keep showers short, ask about recycling, and turn off lights, tv and air conditioning when you aren't using it.

Ask how your hotel contributes to the local community.

When traveling, research non-car transportation alternatives:  stroll around, look for bike rentals or take the local mass transit.   

Reduce waste while travelling:  bring reusable water bottles to refill and avoid purchases that require lots of packaging.

Sometimes flying is the only way to get there.  Since you can't make the jet more fuel efficient, you can consider offsetting with a reliable company, like NativeEnergy, that uses funds to develop clean energy projects.