Green air travel is not actually a possible activity to participate in. Flying itself is considered one of the most environmentally-taxing methods of transportation in the world. 10% of all greenhouse gases are thought to come from air travel, with about 130 million tons of fuel burned annually.
The good news is that there are some things you can do to make your travel a bit more eco-friendly. Here are a few tips:
Bring your own stuff. Instead of using the disposable items on a flight that will simply contribute to waste, pack your own travel gear–including reusable water bottles, utensils and other necessities.
Fly direct. This lessons your environmental impact with less fuel burn-off.
Buy carbon offsets for the miles you travel. For a donation of about $67, a carbon offset counters the two tons of carbon generated per air traveler by investing in environmental projects such as wind farms or reforestation. You can do this through organizations such as Clean Air-Cool Planet. Booking agencies such as Travelocity and Expedia also have carbon offset options.
Use a new plane. If you can, opt for an airline using newer plane models. They are likely to be more fuel efficient than older models.
Fly jetBlue if you can. They have a number of green programs they use to create a gentler impact on the planet.
Developments for more eco-friendly traveling are also in the works. U.S. flights have been testing algae fuel, Pipistrel is working on electric-powered aircrafts, and laminar flow control is being developed to create more efficient fuel use.