Three tips to green your travel

There's no question that climate change and global warming are changing many of the places we love to visit. Here are some steps to minimize your contribution to the trend.

Don't fly. Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, says the travel ritual most harmful to the environment is airplane travel. Her advice? Minimize flights as best as possible. "Airplane travel is a big CO2 producer," she said. "The best thing people can do in terms of reducing the impact of travel is to stay closer to home."

Bask in privacy. Bret Love, co-founder of Green Travel Media, a consulting firm, said leaving the "Do Not Disturb" sign on your hotel door saves valuable resources. "If the housekeeping staff isn't coming in every day, they don't waste water, don't waste detergent and electricity washing linens and towels every day and don't waste chemicals and electricity vacuuming and cleaning."

Hail wetlands. Especially as sea levels rise, wetlands are important resources to absorb some of the extra water. Louis Blumberg, director of the California Climate Change Program at The Nature Conservancy, said understanding and appreciating this resource is critical. "More than ever, we need to be mindful of our lifestyles and respect this type of land," he said.