This summer, will you be traveling green?

Now is the time to take a look at you travel habit as part of marking Earth Day.

Eco-friendly or green travel is travel that acknowledges the importance of protecting the natural and cultural aspects of the places you visit. If you want to become a more eco-friendly traveler, here are three simple steps you can take:

– Use alternative modes of transortation to simply renting a car

– Stay at green hotels

– Use local resources wisely.

Automobiles and airplanes are responsible for up to 10 percent of the carbon emissions in the atmosphere today. Whenever possible, use alternative modes of transportation such as trains, public transportation, or walk. Locally, Denver History Tours offers walking excursions of the Santa Fe art district and a history tour of Capitol Hill, both at around $20 (www.denverhistorytours.com).

When flying to your destination, try to book nonstop flights since airplanes burn the most fuel during lift-off and landing. Chose companies that are green-conscious. Southwest Airlines recycles all cabin waste and was one of the first airlines to offer electronic tickets, eliminating waste from paper tickets (www.southwest.com).

Car companies are also responding to the green trend. Enterprise, National and Alamo offer hybrid cars in most markets.

Enterprise has the largest fleet of fuel-efficient cars in the industry, and has also donated $25 million to the development of renewable fuel (www.enterprise.com). Car sharing is another option (www.carsharing.net). You can use a car for an hour or a week, and there are organizations in Boulder and Aspen that have cars available with membership fees as low as $10 a month and additional charges for hours used and miles driven.

Meanwhile, “green” hotels are environmentally friendly properties that make an effort to conserve water, energy and local culture. The Green Hotel Association (www.greenhotels.com) has listings of green hotels in almost every city.

In Denver, Hotel Monaco on 17th and Champa is recognized as a leading green hotel, offering in-room recycling bins and donating all unused amenity bottles to local charities. Rates start around $150 a night (www.monaco-denver.com).

Even if you are not staying in a recognized green hotel, there are steps you can take to reduce the impact of your stay. Always turn lights, air conditioning or heat off when you are not in the room to save electricity. Tell housekeeping that you do not need your linens and towels laundered every day to help conserve water. Also, many hotels offer electronic check out on the TV in your room. You can review and approve your bill without wasting paper. But perhaps the best thing you can do if you’re staying at a non-green hotel is to talk to management or leave a comment card expressing your desire for more eco-friendly practices.

When you arrive at your destination, use local resources wisely and respect local cultural sites. A big part of eco-friendly travel is adjusting your personal travel style. In 2020, there will be an estimated 1.56 billion tourists worldwide and if everyone takes even the smallest step toward eco-friendly travel it would make a huge difference.

Always use rechargeable batteries in your digital camera and electronic devices. Only take brochures and maps you really need from displays and return them after use. Map Quest gives users the option to have directions sent to their cell phones, eliminating the need to print paper maps. Travel-sized packages seem convenient, but really it means more packaging and therefore, more waste. Pack your things in reusable containers that can be used not only on your trip but also for years afterward.

There are also dozens of online sites that help tourists make eco-friendly choices: Sustainabletravel.org, Ecotourism.org or Ecotour.org are some examples. Rezhub.com is the Expedia of the green travel world.

It not only helps you find and book eco-friendly vacations (flights, hotels, and cars), but it also donates a portion of its profits to an earth-friendly organization.

Overall, the most important thing you can do to be an eco-friendly tourist is to be informed and aware when you travel.