"USA TODAY's Green Tech series explores how green-tech innovations are changing everything from vacations to war-making

When you travel these days, you're doing so in a more environmentally friendly fashion than you did a decade ago — and you probably can't even tell.

Airlines are flying planes that have more fuel-efficient engines and are lighter in weight to save on costly jet fuel. Architects are designing hotels to be more efficient in their use of energy and water, and to reduce waste. Rental car agencies are adding more hybrid and electric cars to their fleets.

Some steps have been forced on the industry by the threat of government action, sheer economics or customer demands. But some companies say it's just good business.

Many associations, for instance, refuse to meet in hotels that don't meet environmentally friendly standards.

"We actually have customers who are asking, 'What's the carbon footprint of our meeting?'" says Paul Snyder, vice president of corporate responsibility for IHG, parent company of InterContinental Hotels, Holiday Inn and others.

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In a TripAdvisor survey of 700 U.S. travelers last year, 57% said they often make eco-friendly travel decisions.

But Adam Weissenberg, vice chairman and leader of Deloitte's U.S. Travel, Hospitality and Leisure practice, says price still drives most travel decisions.

"There's not a lot of desire yet for people to pay extra for this in general," he says. "I think there's more of a, 'This is the right thing to do.'"

Among the ways the travel industry is responding to the demand to go green:

HOTELS

Hotels have progressed far beyond giving guests the option of not having their towels and linens changed every day.

They're building green hotels or retrofitting old properties to be more sustainable. In 2008, there were 18 hotels with LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certification awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, an industry non-profit. Last year, there were 198 LEED-certified properties.

Green buildings use, on average, 26% less energy, emit 33% less carbon dioxide, use 30% less water, and produce 50% to 75% less solid waste, according to the building council.

Hotels also are adopting motion sensors, key cards that control lights, fluorescent bulbs and ceiling fans aimed at saving energy. To save water, they're installing low-flow shower heads and low-flow toilets. They're recycling more and replacing individual shampoo bottles with large dispensers.

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Budget and luxury hotels are instituting company-wide programs to become more sustainable.

More than 2,250 of IHG's hotels participate in the company's "Green Engage" program, an online tool that helps the properties measure and report their energy, water and waste. They can see how they stack up against each other and take actions to be more green. The program has helped hotels save 10% to 25% on energy costs, IHG says.

Starwood's Element Hotels, meanwhile, is seeking LEED certification, the group says. The properties use eco-friendly materials wherever possible, such as carpets with 100% recycled content and framed art mounted on a base made from recycled tires. Bath amenities are in dispensers. Glassware and metal flatware are used instead of paper cups and plastic utensils. Fitness centers have stationary bikes with pedal-powered generators to charge tablets or smartphones.lire la suite

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Even if it's just for the amount of time it takes to say those big four words: Will. You. Marry. Me.

You want it to be in someplace exotic: in a romantic setting, away from family and friends, on a vacation never to forget.

Prince William certainly wanted it that way. He trekked around Kenya carrying Princess Diana's ring in his backpack until he found just the right place to propose to Kate Middleton. In a remote log cabin with no electricity that was accessible only by air or -- bizarrely -- horseback, Wills got down on one knee and asked Kate to be the future queen of England.

It was the ultimate destination proposal, and it shows William knew exactly what was expected of a 21st-century proposal.

The proposal trip: cashing in on the trend

If there wasn't already a growing trend for guys to pop the question on vacation, then this single event made it one. It was one royal move that men everywhere could confidently copy (if not in Kenya, exactly).
 

When Phil Govey asked Rachel Amamoo to marry him in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Rachel says time stopped, just like in the movies.

"It was kind of like we were in a little bubble, because there were lots of people around, but it was like it was just us two," she says. "It was so romantic."

David Mendelsohn got it equally right when he proposed to his girlfriend, Isika, in Lake Como, Italy.

"Everything fell into place like it was prewritten," says David.

He proposed beneath a 200-year-old oak tree made famous by the James Bond film "Casino Royale."

Isika said yes, and, she added, "By the way, I'm pregnant."

Destination proposals are now de rigeur in the story of a couple's romance, according to Jonathan Krywicki, whose Melbourne, Australia-based company Pitch & Woo helps guys create unforgettable proposals for their girlfriends.

Krywicki says one in three of his clients plan to propose while away from home, often while abroad.

A consumer survey by American Express found a similar result, with 30% of consumers citing a weekend trip or vacation as the best time to pop the question.

"It's a really popular thing to propose while you're away from home because it's all about creating that fairytale fantasy," says Krywicki. "There's something about being in an unknown area that adds to the allure of the moment."

The right way to ask

The proposal doesn't have to be overly complicated, as long as the setting is right.

Just ask Naomi Tarszisz, whose husband proposed to her in Central Park. They were visiting friends in New York at the time and Phil Rushton was carrying a diamond in his pocket.
 

Walking around the city on an overcast April day, Rushton decided all his ideas -- the top of the Empire State Building had been at the head of the list -- were lame, so he guided Naomi to a green patch of lawn in Central Park. They sat down for a chat and the sun suddenly appeared.

When Naomi stood to leave, Rushton got on one knee and said, "Naomi, will you do something for me? Will you make me the happiest man in the world; will you marry me?"

Being asked was nice, says Naomi. Being on holiday in the couple's favorite city was great, but being able to look directly into her future husband's eyes made it perfect.

"He got up on one knee," says Naomi, who is a foot shorter than Rushton. "I appreciate the down-on-one-knee gesture, but it's also just the easiest way to look into my eyes.

"I hadn't imagined a proposal, but if I did it probably would have been on an escalator or something."

Knowing your partner -- and her expectations about the proposal -- are the key to proposal success, says Krywicki.

In his booklet, "The Seven Biggest Mistakes Men Make When Proposing," Krywicki says the first mistake is timing. Is she ready? Is your relationship ready?

The second is expectation. lire la suite

Most weather-related aircraft incidents are caused by atmospheric turbulence, but the effects of climate change are unknown. Model simulations show significant changes in clear-air turbulence in the transatlantic flight corridor when atmospheric carbon dioxide is doubled, leading to bumpier flights by 2050.

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"Les turbulences que traversent les avions pourraient fortement augmenter en raison du réchauffement climatique, indique une étude publiée lundi dans Nature Climate Change et centrée sur le corridor aérien au-dessus de l'Atlantique nord.

"Nos recherches suggèrent que nous verrons le signal +attachez vos ceintures+ s'allumer plus souvent dans les décennies à venir", estime l'un des deux auteurs de l'étude, le Pr Paul Williams de l'Université de Reading (Royaume-Uni).

"L'aviation est en partie responsable du changement climatique (via l'émission de fortes quantités de dioxyde de carbone, ndlr). Ironie du sort, le climat est en voie de prendre sa revanche en créant une atmosphère plus turbulente pour l'aviation", a ajouté le chercheur.

D'après leurs travaux, basés sur la simulation de modèles climatiques, les Pr Paul Williams et Manoj Joshi (Université d'East Anglia, Royaume-Uni) estiment que d'ici 2050 l'espace affecté en permanence par d'importantes turbulences pourrait doubler d'ici 2050.

Les auteurs précisent que la force moyenne de ces turbulences pourrait également augmenter de 10 à 40%.

"Les turbulences au sein du corridor transatlantique changent de manière significative lorsque la concentration en dioxyde de carbone dans l'atmosphère double", écrivent-ils.

Leurs simulations se sont concentrées sur la période hivernale, lorsque les turbulences sont les plus importantes, précisent-ils.

De nombreux vols sont chaque année touchés par de fortes turbulences, occasionnant parfois des blessures chez les passagers et les équipages et des dommages dans les avions.

Les auteurs, qui présentent leur étude comme une première, estiment que d'autres travaux pour quantifier les impacts de l'évolution du climat sur les turbulences aériennes devront être conduits, en élargissant les simulations à différents scénarios climatiques."