Today’s Tip from The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference: Research Hybrid rental cars for your next vacation.
Companies like Enterprise Rent-a-Car, National Car Rental, and Hertz have a fleet of eco-friendly vehicles in select markets across the country. On average, driving a hybrid vehicle instead of a conventional automobile improves fuel economy by 45 percent. Hybrid vehicles also emit less carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide, the gass that contributes to depletion of ground-level ozone.
A growing number of car-rental agencies have also launched programs that allow you to offset your carbon emissions. The program costs $1.25 per rental and goes toward certified offset programs that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.