Santa Barbara's air pollution district has a little challenge for you: Leave the car at home.
The district, in cooperation with the city's tourism office, is trying to make it easier to travel green. Hop on an Amtrak train and you could qualify for cheap hotel rates. And, once you're in town, there are ferries, a 25-cent electric shuttle and bike rentals.
"On a vacation, if you drive somewhere, you're not just going to be driving there, you're going to be driving all around when you get there," said Mary Byrd, manager of the Santa Barbara Car Free program. "You can get here without a car and you'll be fine."
Wherever you're going, taking mass transit, such as a bus or a train, is the best transportation choice if you want to minimize harm to the environment (and it's almost always cheaper than driving or flying). If flying is a necessity, take a direct flight -- preferably within the U.S. The closer you stay to home, the fewer pollutants and greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide) you generate in transit.
Santa Barbara isn't the only place in California that's easy to explore with local transit, hotel shuttles, by bike and on foot -- think San Francisco, San Diego and Berkeley, for starters. If you've arrived by train or bus, experts say you shouldn't feel bad about catching the occasional taxi.
Sure, that locomotive produces carbon emissions and so does the bus chugging down the freeway. But as Byrd pointed out, when considering transportation choices, ask yourself: "Is my trip going to increase their emissions?" If the train was scheduled to run anyway, it beats taking your car.
If you're going to drive
Of course, there are many destinations that almost require a car to get to. In that case, the Sierra Club has this tip: Slow down.
Reducing your speed can dramatically reduce fuel consumption: According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, slowing to 60 mph from 70 mph improves fuel efficiency by 17.2%. Easing off the gas pedal and doing 55 mph instead of 75 mph improves fuel efficiency by 30.6%. It might take a little longer to get places, but it'll be easier on the wallet and the environment.
If you have a gas-guzzling sport utility vehicle, consider renting a more fuel-efficient car. Some green travel experts recommend Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which boasts the largest fuel-efficient car fleet with more than 440,000 vehicles that average 28 mpg and more than 237,000 cars that average 32 mph. Enterprise also owns car rental firms National and Alamo, and many other companies are now offering Priuses and other hybrid vehicles.
