How to Have a More Eco-friendly Solo Road Trip

It’s never been easier to be a solo road tripper. Sure, the truckers have had CB radios since, like, forever, but the advent of Sirius radio and MP3 players made long hours spent of the road less tedious. Nothing like a fine selection of our favorite tunes to pass the time! I especially love the iPod Shuffle, because – when the highway stretches interminably in front of us, with nothing of particular interest on either side, wondering what song will pop up next can actually pass for a reasonable amount of excitement.

When travel writers have a press trip somewhat near home base, it’s a given that we’ll drive. Many other travel lovers choose long distance solo trips for either finances or convenience. Some of us may even opt for long drives alone for peace of mind; it can, after all, get a little meditative out there, alone. But let’s face it – gas is expensive, fossil fuels are in decreasing supply, and it’s probably a good idea to work towards leaving a lighter carbon footprint. I carpool when I can, which helps, but I don’t drive a hybrid (call me when they make station wagons electric and affordable). What else can the solo road trip lover do to help reduce greenhouse gases, without too dramatic a lifestyle change?

Here’s what I suggest: Switch from AAA to Better World Club. The Better World Club offers everything that triple-A does, without any of your membership fees going to the highway lobby (as with AAA). The Better World Club offers discounts on hybrid rental cars, discounts on eco-travel, and helps fight global warming by offering it members free carbon offsets (when purchasing airline tickets through BWT). Better World Club donates 1% of its revenue to environmental cleanup, and even offers roadside assistance for bicycles. Triple-A, on the other hand, uses some if its revenue to lobby against mass transit, bike paths, and the Clean Air Act. Now, this makes sense from a business standpoint – the more people in cars, the more people using AAA, right? But since Better World Club offers the same good stuff as AAA, without your money going towards things that actually increase your carbon footprint, BWC is the eco-friendly alternative.

It’s painless to switch to Better World Club. If you’re like me (somewhat environmentally aware, have garbage can set aside for recycling but won’t go so far as to actually do composting), then being a member of BWC is an easy way to live a little greener while still enjoying relatively guilt-free solo car trips.