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How to Go Green: Spring Break
What began as a spring training trip in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for college athletes, has turned into a huge, money-making, right of passage for students and families across the United States. If you're among these ranks, after slogging through a long dreary winter, dreaming of sunshine, t-shirts, bathing suits, and flip-flops. You may want to just get away, forget about your troubles (like how you bombed your last midterm), and be completely self indulgent for a week. Or maybe you're looking for that solo road trip—experiencing the freedom of the road, just you, your car, maybe a booze cruise down to Cancun. Worrying about the state of the planet or your carbon footprint might be the last thing on your mind at this point; maybe it seems like these two ideas couldn't be further polar opposites. Even Lewis Black recently debated (with tongue fully in cheek) the two ideas on his Comedy Central show "Root of All Evil". But having a green spring break isn't as hard as you think.
Spring Break: Think Green Before You Travel
Just because you're avoiding the party scene doesn't mean you're off the hook. Even taking a trip to an eco-locale can itself harm the area, particularly as sensitive areas are overrun with tourists. Not to discount the value of tourism—as many developing nations depend on these dollars‐there can be benefits to foreign travel, if done right. Travel can also encourage and ignite climate stewardship as exposure makes the "other" suddenly real and gives it value. The goal instead is to make sure that your dollars match your goals.
Actually having a good time on vacation doesn't have to mean leaving your ideals at the door. A little planning never hurt to ensure you go green from the start. Even if you've already got the plane tickets in your hand, there are ways to green the trip like choosing green beach products and using carbon offsets to account for the plane trip. Before you jet set to far off lands and leave responsibility behind, we have a few tips to help you have a good time, unwind, and still stay green.
Spring Break: All in the Family
Spring break isn't just for college kids. If you're trying to think of something to do with the family this week but don't want to spend a lot of money, consider making your own green break using local resources. Or take your family for an experience they won't soon forget, either volunteering in the wilds somewhere, or try one of our Green City Guides to choose from the best that civilization has to offer.
Will these opposing ideals of gluttony and responsibility ever merge? Of course they can. This guide is here to show you how to do just that.
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