I have, for several years, talked about green ways to celebrate the holidays and gift-giving season in the most Earth-friendly manner. Since I recently planned a short holiday vacation, what is on my mind this year is the most green way to do holiday travel.

Our travel appetites grow over the holidays as we take the chance to get away for a break from the rain, or to see friends and family in other parts of the country. Unfortunately, travel can also make a significant negative impact on the health of Earth. Here are a few ideas that come to mind for gifting Earth with your green travel plans.

Minimize your impact as you prepare to be gone. I know these are things we often forget to do, leaving the house as if we were going to be gone only for the afternoon:

Pack light. The more weight planes, trains and automobiles have to carry, the more fuel they use.

Pack a reusable water bottle and cloth shopping bags, whether traveling by car or public transport. Using both items will help cut down on wasteful packaging during travel.

Turn off and unplug your home lights and electronics. Turning off electronics cuts down on energy usage. To make an even bigger dent, unplug all electronics, since they can “leach” power even when they’re not turned on. I have to confess, I do feel the need to leave on one or two lights for safety, and for the cat to be able to see, but she doesn’t need to watch TV or use the computer, now does she?

Turn down the thermostat significantly on your heat and water heater, if you can. Same reasoning as above — an empty room doesn’t need to be heated, and keeping it warm unnecessarily uses up energy.

Suspend newspaper delivery. A quick call to the newspaper can save trees for the time that you’re away.

Selecting your travel method(s) seems the most obvious way to be green. Air travel is well known to be very consumptive of fossil fuels, but this is sometimes the only way to get to distant places. The choices are more difficult for shorter trips, and sometimes we quickly jump to the assumption the car is the only way to go. Please take a moment to think of other ideas.

Here are some enlightening tidbits I found in my research.

In terms of amount of carbon dioxide created per mile (the carbon footprint), buses, trains, hybrid cars, and coach seats on narrow jets weigh in with the smallest carbon footprints at less than half a pound of CO2 per mile.

Whenever possible, take the train or bus instead of flying. Doing so emits three to seven times less gas than air travel. For us in Kingston, the bus and train are located just on the other side of the ferries, and it’s pretty easy to walk on.

Buses tend to be the best option all around, if they are an option for you. Two people taking the bus will automatically cut their carbon emissions nearly in half — even when compared to a hybrid. And compared to flying, that same bus-riding couple will cut their emissions from 55 to 75 percent (this is based on the assumption the bus is full or nearly full; otherwise, the benefits aren’t so clear-cut).

If you need to fly, a nonstop coach flight almost always beats car travel, for trips longer than 500 miles (but a full bus or train is still the best option). Also, take the most direct route possible; takeoffs and landings use the most fuel. And use public transport to get to the airport, too.

If renting a car, choose the smallest vehicle possible and rent a hybrid if one’s available.

I also found some ideas to consider while you are staying elsewhere, even if visiting relatives.

If you stay in a hotel/motel choose a green hotel if you can. There are some accrediting bodies for green hotels, but you can also ask a few questions: Is the hotel locally owned and operated and staffed by local employees? What kind of recycling programs are in place? How does the hotel work to reduce its energy consumption?

At the hotel, minimize your energy use with short showers, and shut off the water while brushing your teeth. Turn off the TV, lights, and heat or air-conditioning whenever you leave the room. If staying for multiple nights, reuse sheets and towels.

And no matter where you sleep, use public transportation wherever and whenever you can, or just walk. You see a lot more when you are on foot, and meet wonderful people on public transport.

When shopping and sightseeing, patronize local places, to promote sustainability and to experience local culture. You can shop at Safeway and Pier 1 here at home; have some fun and expand your horizons!

Eating green is the same as at home — look for local and organic food, natural foods, and healthy foods. You may not want to antagonize your Aunt Gertrude by criticizing her green bean casserole, but maybe you can offer a healthy, local salad to go with it?

Have a lovely, Earth-friendly holiday season.

— Contact Naomi Maasberg at  naomi@stillwatersenvironmentalcenter.org.