A few weeks back, Catherine and I traveled to Sweden to see my son perform in Hamlet, and of course visit “min barnbarn” (my grandchildren in Swedish). My goal was to travel as “eco-friendly” as possible.

Well, we started out green; walked to the Rapid with our luggage, took the train to the airport, used my (reusable) coffee mug at the Starbucks, and then again on the plane. After that, well, being green was pretty spotty. Lots of plastic/throw away stuff with meals on the plane, (should have brought some food), lots of plastic bags, cups, etc.

Of course, the biggest damage was probably done by the flight itself. Delta’s website said I could contribute $11 to offset the carbon emissions which they will send to the Conservation Fund to plant trees. This amount seems more intended to make me feel good than actually plant enough trees to offset the emissions.

We did use plenty of public transportation there; bus and train from airport to my son’s Stockholm apartment, train and lots of walking around Stockholm. Took a bus and then a ferry to the island of Gotland, but then rented a car to get around the island. We went to see my son who was living around 30 miles from the ferry.

Could I have done it without a car? Yes, we could we have done it (there was bus service available on the island) but I would have sacrificed beach outings with my grandkids, etc. As I write this, I realize it all comes down to how far I am willing to go to live more green. The ozone layer doesn’t care whether I’m driving my car for a joy ride or to spend quality time with my family. The hole gets bigger either way.

Well, I feel like I’m rambling but the bottom line is I could have traveled more lightly had I put more thought into it; brought food on the airplane (probably more healthy as well), carried cloth shopping bags around (which my son had in his apartment), made do with no car, etc.

We did eat some local food; smoked fish (right from the place that smoked them, 500 feet from the Baltic Sea) vegetables, lamb raised on the island (sorry to my vegetarian friends). We stayed at a hostel, cooked mostly there or at my son’s place, which is all more earth friendly than staying at a hotel and eating out, I think (but maybe not as friendly as camping which Catherine was up to but not me).

I noticed that recycling is commonplace in Sweden. Bins in the basement of my son’s apartment (how convenient is that?), on the ferry, in grocery stores, at the hostel we stayed at, etc.

I asked the proprietor at the hostel why people recycled to the extent that they do. His answer: No real financial incentive, Swedes love their country and the beautiful landscape and want to keep it that way.

Other ways that the Swedes are taking visible steps to reduce their carbon footprint:

• Escalators that didn’t move until you stepped on them
• Lights in the hotel room that would go out when you removed your keycard from the light slot (meaning when you leave the room, the lights, T.V. etc. go off)
• Dual flush toilets (“one button for liquid product and one button for solid product” as they say in the literature)
• Battery recycling bins in the grocery store entryway
• Real bike lanes, not an afterthought but an actual lane separated from the car lane and from the pedestrians by a concrete curb
• lots of folks had clothes washers, but no dryers
• windmill farms
• showerheads that turn off after 30 seconds (get wet, shower goes off, soap up, press button shower goes on)
• Timer in hostel kitchen—cuts power to microwave, coffee maker etc. when they’re not in use.

My favorite is City Bikes (picture here). Nice, clean, bikes self serve for rent for minimal cost. Pick them up here and drop them off there.