Hi, I'm Rick Steves. If you've noticed that Mother Nature is looking a little hager lately

and you'd like to do your part to help the environment, we've got some creative suggestions

for your next vacation. On today's travel with Rick Steeves, we'll

consider ways you can have a great trip while leaving our earth a cleaner place.

We'll explore echo tourism, using your travels to pitch in and make a difference as you learn about your

destinations ecological sensitivities. Our guest Jeff Greenwald has some

intriguing ideas on using your travels to make a difference for the planet.

And later, no matter what some politicians say. your travels to make a difference for the planet.

And later, no matter what some politicians say, experts know that global climate change

is having a profound and rapid effect on some of our world's most fragile and precious destinations. Michael Shapiro will be here to discuss

some of the vanishing places you should plan to visit before they disappear forever.

It's a dynamic earth and we're taking your calls as together we explore ways we can travel as a friend of the planet.

It's coming right up on Travel with Rick Steeves.

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Hi, I'm Rick Steeves. Today we're exploring ways to travel as a friend of the

planet. Environmentalists, not to mention more and more average people like you and me, are concerned about

using up natural resources while pollution and greenhouse gases are cranking up the global

heat. Today, we're considering constructive ways we can travel without exacerbating environmental problems.

One of the latest buzzwords in the travel industry is echo tourism.

In a moment we'll explore what that really means with Jeff Greenwald, a specialist

on ethical travel. Jeff will explain how we can be green travelers. And later this hour,

...