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Traveling Mother Earth

I once hoped to be miraculously transformed into an eco-traveler on a trip to the Galapagos Islands or another exotic "eco" destination. But that proved financially impractical, so I began taking these baby steps toward "greenness" on my own.

And with countless barrels of oil now clouding the Gulf of Mexico, it´s a good time to act on the concept if you haven´t already.

What to consider:

Most any trip beyond hiking, biking, sailing or paddling generates greenhouse gases and creates a carbon footprint. When choosing an airline, train, cruise or car-rental company, check its Web site for an environmental report (listed under corporate responsibility). Greenopia.com, a site that promotes cleaner environmental living, just published its second annual list of the 10 greenest domestic commercial airlines.

Never underestimate the influence of your dollars. Voice your complaints to airlines, airports and hotels that don´t recycle.

Carry a reusable water bottle, and avoid buying water in plastic bottles. When traveling to countries with questionable water quality, carry a water-purification filter or other water purifier. Or buy water in glass bottles.

Reduce your fuel consumption by renting a hybrid or a compact car. Avis, Hertz, National, Alamo and Enterprise all offer hybrids in some locations.

Help conserve water and energy use by staying in hotels or vacation rentals where you can opt out of having bed or bath linens changed daily, thus saving water and energy.

Seek out eco-friendly adventures at your destination. On a recent trip to Boston and Philadelphia, paddling a kayak on the Charles (paddleboston.com/main) and the Schuylkill rivers (schuylkillbanks.org) was a great way to see some of the sites of Boston and Philadelphia and an opportunity to pick up an occasional plastic bottle floating in the river. In New York City, bike rides and walking tours offer tourists a great eco-friendly way to see Manhattan.

Become a custodian of the planet. When you explore the outdoors, pick up litter you see along the way. After trekking past 11 switchbacks to the top of Multnomah Falls, near Troutdale, Ore., my nieces and I picked up an abandoned plastic water bottle and took it down to a recycling can. In countries that emphasize environmental responsibility, such as Norway and Denmark, you can hike for miles and not see so much as a gum wrapper.

Use public transit or walk rather than renting a car in cities such as Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington.

Seek eco-friendly adventures near home, avoiding a flight altogether.

Greenopia.com compared airlines by using environmental criteria such as fleet age, fuel-consumption practices, carbon offsets, green building design, recycling programs, and organic, local and sustainable food items available onboard. Here´s how they rate:

1. Virgin America

2. Alaska

3. Continental

4. Delta

5. Jet Blue

6. Southwest

7. American

8. Northwest

9. United

10. US Airways

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