Green Travel Tips for that Last Minute Summer Vacation

Wow! Are you looking forward to relaxing on that last minute summer vacation in a cabin near a mountain stream or at a cottage on the beach? It is possible to protect the environment while on vacation with these green travel tips.

Water is a natural resource that is scarce is certain parts of the world. There are often water shortages during the summer months in areas that are normally plentiful due to drought conditions. Remember to take precautions not to waste this precious natural resource.

Conserve electricity while on vacation by turning off lights when leaving the room and setting the thermostat at a reasonable temperature. While you may not be charged for electricity overages in a vacation rental, please remember to be thrifty with electricity consumption.

Coral reefs are beautiful and it is tempting to snap a vacation photo standing on a coral reef. However, many people may not be aware that coral reefs grow very slowly. If a six-inch piece of coral breaks under your weight, it may take years, decades or even more to replace. Although, research has not revealed exact measurements, I have read reports that depending on the environmental conditions, reefs grow from one to three cm (0.39 to 1.2 in) per year.

Do not disturb wild animals in their natural habitat. Animals will react as nature intended and it may not be pleasant. Animals are often destroyed due to human error.

Vacationers do not have the right to litter. It takes only a few extra steps to place garbage in a proper container. It does not matter that people are hired to clean the beach, please do your part.

Okay, so I did not mean to get on your case too badly! These are just a few helpful reminders to continue living green even on vacation. Oh, please feel free to tell me about that last minute vacation in the comment section below. Thanks again, for protecting the environment!

Royalty free photo courtesy of masterfile.com.

More about green, travel, water, electricity, coral, reef, animals, wild, natural, habitat, Carolyn

Carolyn
August 16, 2012, 7:51 pm
I would love to hear where you are going on that last minute summer vacation! Thanks in advance for your vote!
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pftsusan
August 16, 2012, 8:05 pm
#1. Wow, I may not want to go on vacation after reading this. However I would rather have places to go on vacation to. Serving the environment is the best way to go on that. So true that we get on the space of the wild life and in turn destroy the species. That wasting electricity produces more gasses that are harmful to the environment and harmful to all life here on earth. And yes, save the water. One of our natural resources.
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1. Carolyn
  August 17, 2012, 2:18 pm
  Thanks for the vote and comment Susan!
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Roopam
August 16, 2012, 8:47 pm
we probably might be going on a last minute vacation but still not decided...will let you know...and good tips...voted!
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1. Carolyn
  August 17, 2012, 2:22 pm
  Thanks Roopam for the vote and comment! Schools start in south Alabama on Monday, August 20th. My youngest daughter's college has already started this week.
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Sheila Ray
August 16, 2012, 10:16 pm
voted :) No vacations for me...
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1. Carolyn
  August 17, 2012, 2:28 pm
  No vacation this whole summer for me either! Thanks for the vote and comment! You are welcome to visit me!
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dianabart
August 17, 2012, 12:58 am
great post.. voted. NO vacations for me this year. :-(
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1. Carolyn
  August 17, 2012, 2:29 pm
  Diana, I think the economy has kept a lot of us in the U.S. from vacationing this summer.
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Charlotte
August 17, 2012, 1:29 am
Voted #6. I am leaving in the morning so will be out of pocket until next week. We are hoping to come see you on the way back home. :)
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1. Carolyn
  August 17, 2012, 2:30 pm
  Thanks for the vote! Hope to see you then!
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Veganara
August 17, 2012, 10:20 am
Voted. Very good advice. I try to always conserve all the Earth's resources as much as I can. On the subject of not wasting water, that is one of the reasons to be vegan: a plant -based diet uses a lot less water, than the amount used in rearing livestock for food. Sadly I am not having a vacation this year either, but I will bear all this in mind next time I travel.
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1. Carolyn
  August 17, 2012, 2:31 pm
  Thanks for the vote and comment Veganara! I just thought it would be nice to see an article posted in a different category. I usually post recipes or nutritional articles.
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BuddhasDelight
August 17, 2012, 5:22 pm
great article carolyn, i looove nature, water animals oh my! voted! this one will be top posts in no time! check out my three latest posts, pizza cookies and party water oh my! vote if you like em. merci madame. i am going on a trip to mt. shasta later in the year and your tips are great!
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SnakeWitch
August 18, 2012, 2:35 pm
Although I'm not on a 'last minute' vacation because I'm travelling abroad, I'm in Cartagena, Colombia! And it is gorgeous here! As for tips, I think another one for electricity conservation for people who use air-conditioning during the summer months and need to heat their homes during the winter is a programmable thermostat. This little beauty allows you not only to save electricity while you're not at home, you can even program it to start the cooling or heating just slightly before you get home so you're in a perfect room temperature when you get there. Although I disagree with air-conditioning, especially at the temperature many people use it at, I would much rather see someone use this thermostat then leave the AC running the whole two-weeks of their vacation just because they want their homes to be cool when they come back (which, unfortunately, happens much more than we think). Another item I would like to add to the advice tips is to never leave with a plant to take back home as a 'souvenir'. Too many people do that on trip and some locations actually found themselves running out of certain species in the wildlife. It's beautiful because it's home, so leave it there. And, if people plant them when they arrive home, that plant often does not belong in their new area and it may disrupt the wildlife there - they may create something that could be poisonous to certain insects, for example, or overtake another plant species altogether. But, of course, don't think that you can't take that vacation! Just be careful, be safe, and always look for information on how you can keep the earth safe and beautiful.
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