Isramart : Travelocity Offers Free Carbon Offsets for the Holidays

Isramart news:
Planning on travelling this holiday season? Travelocity, the online travel agency, is serious about sustainable travel that will benefit both traveler and Mother Earth, one mile at a time.

In an effort to “embrace travel as an agent of positive change,” the online travel company offers several ways for travelers to travel more responsibly.

Travelocity’s Travel for Good is a program that encourages green travel and voluntourism. Since its inception in 2006, thousands of trees have been planted and public land has been cleared. The program has provided clothing and books to school children in the Dominican Republic and has taken a hands-on approach in helping to rebuild a hurricane-ravaged neighborhood in New Orleans.

Travelocity was one of the first online travel agencies to offer carbon offsets to eco-conscious travelers. When booking a trip, customers can take part in Conservation Fund’s Go Zero program. By participating in the program, travelers are able to offset the carbon emissions created during their trip by donating carbon offsets during the check-out process. The donations help pay for the planting of native trees that will help regenerate forests and wetlands, fight climate change, help restore habitat for wildlife and improve water quality. Donations may also be used to acquire land on behalf of national and state parks. To date, over 20,000 trees have been planted by Travelocity customers.

And in the spirit of the season, Travelocity will help offset your holiday travel at no cost to you. The company is donating at least $10,000 to the non-profit Conservation Fund organization, for the planting of up to 1,000 native trees, trapping an estimated 1,000 metric tons of CO2 over the life of the forest. Participating is simple – just become a Travelocity Roaming Gnome fan on Facebook. For each new fan who signs up, the company will make a donation to the Conservation Fund.

While offsetting may be controversial, it does help raise awareness on ways travelers can reduce emissions and their carbon impact. If you are curious about your personal CO2 footprint, visit the Conservation Fund’s Go Zero Carbon Calculator to calculate your estimated annual CO2 footprint