Alison Presley manages Travelocity’s Travel for Good program, an employee-founded program aimed at decreasing environmental travel concerns since 2006. Travel for Good’s mission statement, “Make the world a better place, one trip at a time,” truly encompasses the growing need for greener travel options. The Travel for Good program provides an extensive, worldwide list of certified green hotels, carbon offset programs and hybrid rental locations. The site even features a grant-funded “voluntourism” package, where winners take trips aimed at volunteering and inspiring. “There are a lot of little ways that you can go green on vacation,” Presley explains. “Many of these will actually save you money. For instance, get your home into ‘vacation mode’ before you leave. Pack a reusable water bottle. Skip the car rental. Eat local. Recycle when you can.”

Wanda Urbanska is a well-known greenie who hosts her own TV show, Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska, and has authored many eco-flavored books, including her latest, The Heart of Simple Living: 7 Paths to a Better Life. Urbanska specializes in living simply and efficiently. She has been a self-touted “simple living” guru for more than 20 years, and offers effective solutions for others to live with a lower economic base, which in turn lessens consumption and saves money. Urbanska suggests that people need to start their path to simplistic living by focusing on financing and financial independence. “I suggest that people live frugally, pay their bills immediately and get a real road map of where you stand financially.” Podcast: Play in new window | Download (45.4MB)