The summer travel season is upon us, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants you to go green while on the road.
The federal agency says when you travel you should make an effort to stay in Energy Star labeled hotels and then pay attention to your own behavior once you're there.
The hotels are independently verified to meet energy efficiency performance levels set by EPA. They perform in the top 25 percent of hotels nationwide, use at least 35 percent less energy and emit at least 35 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than their peers.
And when you get to the hotel, there are still more things you can do to save energy. Here's EPA's quick list:
+turn off the lights and TV when leaving the hotel room;
+adjust the thermostat to an energy-saving setting so it doesn't heat or cool the room while empty;
+unplug electronics such as cell phones chargers and laptops when not in use;
+open curtains to take advantage of daylight when possible;
+and re-use linens to save both water and energy.
EPA says the lodging industry spends more than $7.5 billion on energy a year. A 10 percent reduction would save $750 million and reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 6 million tons.
Baltimore Sun file photo of the Fairfield Inn on President Street, Baltimore's first green certified hotel/Jed Kirschbaum