Sometimes it feels like I can barely move without increasing my carbon footprint. And, in a way, I can't—unless I'm walking or biking, I'm increasing emissions. And when I travel, it's even worse. Car and plane—my preferred methods of travel, in that order—aren't exactly Earth-friendly. I eat out when I travel; on the road, it's usually fast-food places. I love souvenirs and have the dust collectors to prove it.

So should I just stop traveling altogether? Of course not; travel actually can increase your awareness of the planet and the importance of protecting it (for example, I didn't much care about ocean conservation until I became a certified SCUBA diver.) But there are ways to make my family's travels a little greener.

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