It is my pleasure to introduce Kerrin Sheldon as our newest contributor to In-Flight Insider. Kerrin is a traveler, adventurer, and photographer who has an incredible love for travel. He is currently the Content Manager at Wanderfly.com, a travel inspiration site that helps travelers discover new and interesting places to visit.

He is endlessly researching and traveling to help recommend some of the greatest places in the world, all tied to a traveler’s budgets and interests. And as you can see, being green is not popular just for Earth Day.

- by Kerrin Sheldon of Wanderfly

United States

Due to its enormous size, suburban culture, and love for motor vehicles, the United States isn’t the greenest country in the world. However, great strides have been made in some of the USA’s biggest and finest cities to reduce pollution and make the cities more livable for residents and visitors alike. Here are some of the best eco-friendly destinations:

Portland, Oregon

Portland is often at or near the top of the most eco-friendly cities lists. In tough contention with Seattle, Portland is arguably the Pacific Northwest’s finest city. Portland has a vibrant nightlife and a killer music scene, as some of the most well-known indie rock bands of the past decade have come from Portland. Happily eccentric, the city likes to be different, but has some (normal) awesome sights that can’t be missed. The city is known for its ability to preserve parks and nature, and its climate makes the town the perfect place for growing roses. If you want to escape the city and experience even more nature, then Portland is also an amazing starting point for experiencing the great outdoors of Oregon, whether in the winter or during the warmer seasons. [Read more →]

On December 1st, 2009 KLM became the first commercial airline to complete a flight with passengers on board using biofuel. The Boeing 747 circled above Holland for an hour and a half with one of its four engines powered by a 50/50 mix of biofuel and normal jet fuel.

Almost a year earlier, in February of 2008, Virgin Atlantic had already become the first commercial airline to fly on biofuel. Virgin’s 747 flew from London to Amsterdam with one of its four engines powered by a plant-based fuel. And Continental, Japan Airlines, and Air New Zealand have also completed test flights using biofuel.

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With the 40th anniversary of Earth Day – the In-Flight Insider wanted to present a quick list on how you can choose the “Greenest” hotel and give the planet a little breather.

To get you started, we wanted you to have a comprehensive list of websites that actually break down the most “Eco-Friendly” places to stay around the country. Sites should be reviewed with a keen eye; to make sure the property you choose meshes with your idea of “Earth-Friendliness.”

These sites cover most forms of lodging including hotels, b&b’s and resorts. Before you choose the hotel that will make the environmentalists green with envy, here is a quick checklist we have here to help you make the choice that’s right for you.

1)  Does the hotel sponsor a recycling program? This includes a variety of recycling initiatives including:  Newspaper, plastics and aluminum.

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Since Earth Day is approaching, I wanted to tell you about these wheeled cases made of 100% recycled plastic. Using them would be a great way to do something good for the planet without sacrificing anything in terms of style or function.

EcoCase suitcases are lightweight, durable, and come in seven cool colors including black, silver, red, dusty pink, and turquoise. They have a retractable handle, wheels that spin 360 degrees, a built-in internal divider, and they even expand. EcoCases come in three sizes: 31, 26, and 21 inches high. Or you can buy a set of three. They’re actually pretty nifty looking, and you definitely won’t have any trouble spotting your luggage as its unloaded.

The Earthwatch Institute’s stated mission is to engage “people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.”

One way they do this, is to organize expeditions led by scientists and researchers in various fields that virtually anyone can join.

There are expeditions to every continent studying a wide range of subjects including:

• climate change
• wildlife conservation
• indigenous civilizations
• sustainable development
• state of the oceans

They generally last from one to two weeks and participants range in age from 18 to 80+. There are also expeditions specifically geared towards families and for teens aged 16 to 17-years-old.

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