Overview of Environmentally Friendly Car Rentals and Airlines

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Airlines and even car companies are now seeking ways to neutralize the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. Book your next trip with any of the following agencies or airlines, and you'll be traveling greener.

CAR RENTALS: THE ROAD AHEAD
Late to the ecotravel game, car rental companies have now begun to offer customers green options.

EV Rental Cars (rentals from $25/day; 877/38-736825; evrental.com), operating out of airports in California, Arizona, and Nevada, offers hybrid vehicles exclusively.

Hertz (800/654-3131; hertz.com) introduced a Green Collection last fall with four models boasting an EPA rating of at least 28 miles/gallon. Available at 50 U.S. airports.

Avis Portugal (rentals from $75/day; avis.com.pt)is the first rental agency in Europe to offer hybrid vehicles. Available at three of the country's airports.

Ozocar(rentals from $50/hr; 800/696-5966; ozocar.com) This New York limo company bills itself as an eco-luxury private car service. Instead of town cars, it uses Toyota Priuses and small hybrid SUVs.

AIRLINES: FRIENDLIER SKIES
Carbon offsets are donations to environmental programs that "cancel out" the carbon dioxide emitted during a flight. Many travel organizations now offer the option of buying offsets through a third party, which calculates the dollar value of the offset and uses the money to plant trees, build wind-farms, or otherwise reduce or counteract carbon emissions.

Travelocity (travelocity.com/gozero) works with The Conservation Fund, providing offsets via a flat donation ($25 for a flight, 4-night hotel stay, and car rental) or by calculating the exact emissions of a trip. Funds go to plant seedlings and regenerate wetlands in the Mississippi River Valley.

Expedia (expedia.com/terrapass) works with TerraPass, a company that uses offset money to fund clean-energy projects across the country. Offsets run from $5.99 for a short flight (1,000 pounds of CO2 or 2,200 air-miles) to $29.99 for an international flight (up to 13,000 miles).

British Airways (britishairways.com/offsetyouremissions) has partnered with Climate Care to neutralize emissions, investing in renewable energy projects in India and South Africa. Travelers can calculate their offsets on the site (round-trip New York to London: 1.26 tons of CO2 or a $17.05 offset).

Silverjet (flysilverjet.com) is the first 100 percent carbon-neutral airline. Each ticket includes a mandatory carbon offset contribution to the Carbon Neutral Company. Passengers can choose precisely where their dollars will be used, whether in small-scale initiatives like wind power plants in India or through a portfolio of projects.

ACTION PLAN
To learn more about ecolodges, sustainable travel options, and carbon offsets, check out the following websites: www.ecotourism.org; www.carbonoffsets.org; carbonneutral.com; and www.responsibletravel.com.