We cherish the gift of travel to our lives, but we must also recognize its impact on the environment. Air travel is sadly a major contributor to global warming, as even the airline industry's own web site on the environment attests.

So what can the environmentally conscious traveler do?

STRIVE TO BECOME CARBON NEUTRAL. First calculate the carbon produced by your flight, then offset the emissions of your trip by planting trees. For more information on greening your daily life and reducing your overall carbon footprint, Terrapass is an excellent resource.

GREEN UP. Green Hotels^® have published an extensive guide to honoring the environment while traveling. Whenever possible, practice the 3 R’s: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

RESPECT. We should always respect, not just admire, the natural habitat of wherever we visit. Coral reefs are the rainforests of the sea: diverse, vibrant, beautiful, and desperately endangered. And while it’s a joy to snorkel and scuba around coral, swimmers should never touch or step on reef.

But cheer up: the benefits of travel still overwhelmingly outweigh the environmental costs. Tourism is an essential conservation tool, providing the motivation for communities to entice visitors to their beautiful, healthy locales. It also provides jobs and revenue for surrounding communities. So pack up and escape, but remember while you’re finding your bliss, mother Earth still needs to find hers too.