No, the environmental concerns you have at home do not go away when you travel. Depending on where you go and what you plan to do there, you could be dramatically increasing your carbon footprint and undoing much of the good works you are doing in your green home. Here are some vacation spots that minimize negative environmental effects, giving you a real reason to relax.

Belize

If you are looking for a beach vacation, consider this beautiful spot. The combination of thick forests and incredible coastline will remind you how precious our earth is. See the Belize barrier reef to appreciate the value of the ocean, dive with whale sharks or looking out for manatees.

Yucatan, Mexico

Home to the impressive Hacienda Chichen Resort, a green hotel, you can see Mexico without the partiers and booze. This regions incredible cultural history and archaeology comes from the ancient Mayans. The resort features a holistic spa inspired by the health practices of the Mayans, and they serve largely organic food. Flat-bottomed, non-invasive boats can take you on a bird watching trip to see egrets, herons, cormorants, flamingoes and ospreys.

Costa Rica

Visit this island’s incredible national parks on an eco-tourist trip. You can see some of the world’s most endangered sea turtles and volunteer on a conservation project to help ensure that they stay around.

Alaska

This site of unparalleled natural beauty is a great place to remind yourself of why it is important to conserve energy and get away from the use of fossil fuels. Visit the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where domestic oil companies hope to drill in the near future.

Switzerland

This amazing refuge in the Alps is one of the world’s most environmentally-conscious countries. Hike, bike or ski to see the landscape, and travel by the various high-speed trains to see as much of the protected natural land that makes up a third of the country.

Ecuador

Stay at one of the region’s many eco-friendly lodges to see the rapidly disappearing rainforests and their one-of-a-kind inhabitants. Check out the Napo Wildlife Center in Quito in particular!

New Zealand

Take a lengthy hike or camping trip in the New Zealand wilderness—it will be one of the most stirring experiences in your life. Hike the Great Ocean Road or the Kepler Track if you are more ambitious. If you want to see sea life on the emerald islands, do some whale watching and bird watching at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch.

All of these are great ways to reconnect with the earth by visiting some of its most beautiful locations and seeing some of its most amazing creatures. You will return home inspired to do even more to ensure that your children—and your children’s children– can experience the world in its fullest splendor.

Looking for a great place to move (or at least take a trip to) to see what the future will look like? Check out these five great, green cities— they are just the first to take the steps necessary to help our planet support us into the future. They’ve all done it, and done it well— so there is really no excuse for the rest of the world. If you can’t make it out to any of these places, just take some ideas from what they have done and bring them to your town hall, governor, or neighbor. If we clamor for change, we will bring it around!

1. Reykjavik, Iceland

This is one place that will certainly suffer if global warming has its way! They’ve done their part to ensure that energy alternatives to fossil fuels are put into practice through a fleet of hydrogen buses. The entire country’s heat and electricity comes exclusively from renewable geothermal and hydropower sources, as well—a feat unmatched anywhere else in the world. They plan to become fossil-fuel-free by 2050, and it seems that they are well on their way to reaching their goal.

2. Portland, Oregon, U.S.

This is the first U.S. city to enact a comprehensive plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, something that will be completely mandatory everywhere eventually. They have mastered green building, as the city boasts 92,000 acres of green space and more than 74 miles of hiking, running and biking trails. Additionally, their transportation system is ruled by light rail, buses and bike lines to limit the number of cars on the road.

3. Curitiba, Brazil

The lucky citizens of Curitiba have a bus system that is recognized as one of the best in the world, a flock of 30 sheep employed with trimming the grass in municipal parks, and over 580 square feet of green space per inhabitant. No wonder 99 percent of the locals are happy with their hometown.

4. Malmö, Sweden

This town is known already for its huge parks and large amount of green space, but the urban planners behind Sweden’s third-largest city are not resting on their laurels. Many neighborhoods have undergone massive, green transformations on the city’s way to becoming an “eco-city”.

5. Vancouver, Canada

The largest city is British Columbia draws 90 percent of its power from renewable resources, as it is a worldwide leader in hydroelectric power. They plan to replace the remaining ten percent with wind, solar, wave and tidal energy. What they can’t accomplish immediately is surely included in their 100-year plan for sustainability.

These green aficionados go further than recycling, solar panels, and planting a vegetable garden. These green homes will make you green with envy! From the Discovery Channel Planet Green TV show called “World’s Greenest Homes,” here are five memorable homes designed to be environmentally friendly. They don’t look weird either; these are some sweet “home sweet homes”.

1. The Dome Home:  north branch, mn. 50 acre wooded lot. Bear creek dome, based on the 1950s geodesic dome. 49 foot diameter dome. With the cupola on top for ventilation about 33 feet high. Spherical design provides strength because all the points of strength share the stress equally. Can withstand earthquakes, high winds, and several tons of snow—just gets stronger. Dome shape uses 60 percent less structural material than a traditional box home natural and chemical free as possible. Domes are self supporting so the interior has no walls, just large inner space. Heat efficient. Floors heated. Windows are triple paned, ¼” tempered glass.  Dome walls are 18 inches thick with 16 inches of insulation. Home is the same temperature at any point. Heat rises, but in a dome hot air rises and cold air drops so air flow stays natural. Central fireplace radiates heat evenly. Energy efficient. Most amount of space for the least amount of material. Check out the video on it here.
2. Solar Dream Home: Outside Lake Tahoe in Gardnerville, Nevada. On a hilsside, 3,400 superhome makes the most of the desert sun. downstairs is open plan from kitchen, dining room, living room. Light filled. Solar-heated indoor poor in master bedroom. House blends in with locale and takes advantage of the sun. wood fireplace super-efficient clean burning. Burn a fire warmth radiates for a long time afterwards. Everything is recycled and natural. Straw insulation. Non toxic and highly sustainable. Double the insulation value of square frame homes. Straw bale homes. Insulates . less expensive than wood frame. Water, cement and dirt equals mud and looks like dirt. Solar panels generate most energy needs and off set any power she pulls off the grid on cloudly days and at night. Check it out.
3. Down Under Steel House:  Aukland, New Zealand. Urban living at nature’s doorstep. 2006, modern, 2 story home. 2 bed, 2 bath. Exterior is 90% recycled steel that can withstand the salty ocean. Double paned windows. Low carbon footprint. Emphasize natural resources. Eco-efficient windows extend to the top floor saves energy and the double pains retains the passive heat. Thick concrete floor is solar passive as well. Heats in winter, cools in summer. Recycled, sustainable wool insulates the home. Plenty of it in new Zealand. Energy and water efficient appliances in kitchen. Rain water catching sustains the garden. Maintained existing vegetation and disrupted it as little as possible. Deck timber is plantation pine. See it here.
4. Tiny Apartment Transforms: Hon Kong is one of the most densly populated place in the world. Gary chang, “domestic transformer.” Demonstrates the green principal that using the most of a small space can have infinite eco-possibilities. Achitect gary chang had green philosophy. Learn how to cope with the tight space. Utilizes every inch of usuable space. Tiny tenement apartment. Unique eco friendly residence. Ultra hip. Only 330 square feet, small area means efficiency and user-friendly does not sacrifice livability. Futuristic sliding wall system. 24 different room possibilties including a guest bedroom, kitchen, linen closet, and bathroom. Three floor to ceiling tinted windows keeps house always sunny even during cloudy weather. Hardly ever has to turn on lights. Tracks on ceiling, mirros hide the tracks and illusion of space. Reflective surface utilizes the light in the apartment, eco-friendly.  Technological marvel.
5. Blacksmith Shop to Eco Home: In Toronto, Canada. A shack transforms into an eco home. Elegant. Architect kept metal panels. Reuse and recycle and build something that already exists. Black matte finish is a plywood mahogany linseed oil, dish soap mixed together to make paint. Enivornmentally friendly. Footprint makes them build up. Added four feet to building on the second floor. Courtyard on second floor. Clean lines, unstained ceder. Minimal. Let the wood do what it naturally does. To the roof terrace about 22 feet up. Green roof garden in the sky. Endless benefits to a gree roof retains storm water, cools the roof and cools enivornment around it. More green roofs, cooler city, good to look at.

See more at planetgreen.discovery.com for more eco-friendly houses, bungalows, apartments, and offices from Chicago to Hamburg to the desert. Living off the earth is possible, no matter your address.

Staying green on vacation doesn’t mean spotting a single fern in the hotel foyer or that the facilities are a long walk a way and lit by flashlights. Here are five of the best eco-resorts in the United States that are luxurious to their guests and to the planet.

1. The Gaia Napa Valley Hotel

“Gaia” means “Mother Earth” in Greek, so it’s fitting that this hotel was the world’s first building to be certified gold in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The United States Green Building Council awards LEED certification to buildings after judging them in six categories, including Gaia’s expertise: sustainability. In the 130 rooms, the tiles and carpets are made of recycled materials, and all the wood comes from managed forests. The lush, green lawns never feel fertilizer’s negative impact. Located in the heart of coastal California’s wine country, Gaia’s spa specializes in vinotherapy, a relaxing treatment made from local grape extracts. Rooms start at $89 a night.

2. Inn By the Sea

Inn By the Sea, a luxury beach destination, overlooks Crescent Beach in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. They invested in a multi-million dollar renovation in 2008, updating the 57 guest rooms and building a new bar, a glass-enclosed restaurant with ocean views, and a full-service spa–all environmentally conscious endeavors. The staff cleans each room with non-toxic solutions, the fitness room has recycled rubber floors, and solar panels heat the pool. The Sea Glass restaurant tries to only serve indigenous fare from the surrounding farms and sea, and the menu reflects their attempts, offering Maine-foraged mushroom tarts and steamed, wild Maine mussels.  Double rooms start at $189 a night.

3.  Oil Rig Platform Resort and Spa

Ingenious architects refurbished and transformed one of the 4,000 oilrigs in the Gulf of Mexico into a luxury eco-resort and spa. Using all renewable power sources, they took an iconic source of dirty energy and created an eco-haven. A giant, vertical wind turbine and solar panels power the resort. The luxury spa offers all the usual services and takes advantage of being surrounded by water and offers boating, kayaking, snorkeling, and diving adventures.  Other unique aspects include a glass lobby floor to see the ocean below, and every room’s windows boast endless views of the Gulf. In the central core of the former rig, a gigantic tube filled with water can be seen from every single room, and acts as a ballast for the entire rig. Entertainment shows, like Cirque du Soleil’s “O,” are scheduled to perform in the central core at this one-of-a-kind eco-resort.

4.  The Lodge at Sun Ranch

The Lodge is not your ordinary dude ranch. Hidden in Cameron, Montana—the River Valley—genuine cowboys man this 26,000-acre expanse of property and tend to more than 1,500 head of cattle. The lodge has six rooms and two private cabins, all with breathtaking views of the mountains.  Indulge in western adventures and ride horseback, fly-fish, and go on a hike or boat, all the while knowing that this resort goes the extra step to reduce its carbon footprint. Sun Ranch donated a ten-year lease to Trout Unlimited to guarantee the waters on the property remain free of irrigation. They also removed all barbed wire so wildlife can roam the grounds, and they used recyclable materials to renovate the main lodge. They consistently purchase their produce from local farmers for daily, fresh meals in the restaurant. Rates start at $1,400 a person for a three-night stay, including all meals and excursions.

5. Lova Lava Land

Lova Lava Land is woman-owned and ran, three-acre, 100 percent off-grid, 100 percent solar-powered eco-resort on Hawaii’s Big Island. In every way possible, they tried to use green, sustainable, and recycled materials in constructing the resort construction. Accommodations range from a complete, round Yurt, to retro, renovated VW Camper Buses, all which feature composting toilets. Visitors can enjoy creative amenities like a lava-rock shower from rocks harvested from their own land, walking tours that highlight the local flora and fauna, and play coconut Bocce Ball. Rates start at $40 per night.

Escaping from your daily life on a relaxing getaway doesn’t have to mean taking a break from the green life. Visit the website of one of these eco-resorts to truly enjoy your vacation, guilt-free.

Perhaps the best way to lower your carbon footprint is to bike to work. Of course public transportation and carpooling do help, but nothing is as good for you and the earth as relying on a bicycle to get around. Biking is a great, low-impact exercise for those of us with damaged or stiff knees, and an awesome way to incorporate exercise into your day naturally. You probably already have a bike—here are a few great accessories for it to make the switch to cycling an easy one!

• TransIt Grocery Bag Pannier, $39.99 Maybe you are still driving to the store (with reusable bags of course) to buy your groceries. Not anymore! A great grocery bag pannier allows you to load up on food and then set the bag solidly on the back of your bike. Not only does this one fit on most standard panniers, it has a reflector stripe for added safety and a strap so you can take it into the store with you. Not grocery shopping today? That’s fine, just fold it up!

• CycleAware Reflex Mirror, $17.99 Nervous about biking in the street? Don’t fear, with a rear-view mirror you will be more aware of your surroundings than ever before. After attaching the mirror to your helmet, bend the flexible wire it is on to hit right in your peripheral vision. The base adheres permanently to your helmet, but the wire and mirror can be removed by ball and socket joints.

• Garmin Edge GPS with Heart Rate and Cadence, $599.99 In addition to guiding your bike route through the built in satellite map, this nifty tool will allow you to upload workouts, courses and saved rides. You can share your data with other GPS users, and automatically measure your speed, heart rate, cadence, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb and descent.

• NiteRider Sol LED Headlight, $129.99 If you work late or like to ride at night, don’t go anywhere without a headlight. This bright light can run for four hours per charge. Just plug it in to your wall and walk away! The charger self-monitors battery levels, so no worries about over charging. It is lightweight, compact, and fits most handlebars.

Depending on how serious you are of a biker and your intentions for your bike’s use, there are endless accessories to make your ride as convenient as a car trip. Bike around, see what you need, and get shopping!

It’s pretty easy being green. At least, that’s what Portland, Ore. would say if you asked. The city at the top of our list definitely makes it look easy. If you don’t have the good fortune to live in one of these earth-friendly cities, try visiting one. Maybe you can take some of their green practices home with you. These are Popular Science’s picks for the greenest cities in America.

1. Portland, Oregon: Talk about progressive. Half of Portland’s power comes from renewable sources and a quarter of the city’s workers bike to work, carpool or use public transportation. They are probably going to work in a green building too; 35 of the city’s buildings are certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

2. San Francisco, California: This green city generates some of its power from roof space that would have otherwise been wasted. On the roof of the massive convention center lies an intricate collection of photovoltaic cells that power the center during events and 180 homes when the center is empty. Next, San Francisco will be covering many, many more surfaces with solar cells.

3. Boston, Massachusetts: Yard waste is gold in this green city. A plant is in the works to convert yard clippings and leaves into power and fertilizer. Anaerobic bacteria will feed on the grass and create methane while the leaves will be subjected to heat and agitation to speed up the composting process.

4. Oakland, California: The second California city on the list is a master at green transportation. Their public transportation system relies on a new fleet of hydrogen-powered buses that give off nothing more than water vapor.

5. Eugene, Oregon: The second Oregon city on the list has everyone beat on electricity efficiency. While much of the Pacific Northwest gets its power from hydroelectric dams, Eugene goes a few steps further by getting an additional nine percent of its energy from wind dams and buying back excess power from residents who install solar panels.

By supporting the cities that have entered the green future, we can help the country move forward as a whole. If you see anything here that you think would be possible for your city, ask your political representatives about it. Let’s get every American city on this list!