Check out this video expose we found on Divine Caroline. But beware: you’ll never look at hotel drinking glasses the same way again!

If you had to guess how fellow hotel guests would score on the eco-friendly o-meter, would you expect them to be happily reusing towels and craving more in-room recycling bins? Or would you write them off as water-wasting jerks more likely to embrace the Lindsay Lohan and Courtney Love code of hotel etiquette rather than deigning to place once-used towels back on the rack for follow-up use? Now this is a sad commentary on my own pessimism, folks, but I certainly would have guessed the latter.

But according to a new study from hospitality industry market research firm A Closer Look that I read about on Green Lodging News, hotel guests are actually feeling a whole lot greener than I ever realized (there were only 701 respondents, so take that into consideration. Maybe everyone they surveyed lives in San Francisco…*). Among the study’s findings:

75 percent of respondents said a hotel’s green practices are important to them.

84 percent reported reusing towels when given the option by the hotel.

While only 6 percent of the survey group reported staying at a hotel with in-room recycling bins, 69 percent said they would use in-room bins if they were made available by the hotel.

One environmentally-friendly practice hotel guests don’t like? Bulk soap, shampoo and conditioner dispensers in the bathroom. Fifty-three percent of respondents said they preferred individually packaged amenities.**

39 percent of hotel guests in the survey said it is important or somewhat important that a hotel offer organic or eco-friendly food.

* The firm is based in Atlanta, so this is highly unlikely.

** I tend to agree. I know it sucks for the environment, but I get weird paranoia that someone has done something sketchy to the contents of the bulk dispensers. You know how crazy people can get in hotel rooms. If you don’t believe me, just watch Blue Crush.

The 2007 Thanksgiving travel period is supposed to be so bad this year that even the Pres has taken notice and opened restricted military airspace for commercial airplanes traveling up and down the busy East Coast flight corridor. For its part, the TSA has promised to open up as many security lines as it can and put more screeners on duty.

As much as we like to look on the bright side (at least you’re not at work, right?), we’re not gonna lie. Getting to and from your Turkey Day destination this week might be a wee bit hectic. In fact, you might as well count on wanting to kill someone at least once during your travels. That way, you’11 be pleasantly surprised if everything goes according to plan.

We’ve put together some tried-and-true tips to help you during your travels. They’re simple. And they work:

1. Have a zen moment. Sometime before you strike out for the airport, take a moment to level with yourself and your traveling companions. Admit that the next few hours of your life are likely to be marred by too many people trying to get too many places in too little time. And know that you’re going to be in the thick of it. And someone on the plane near you is probably going to have noxious body odor or an annoying voice or an elbow that keeps creeping into your precious personal space. Ponder these realities. Then take a deep breath, exhale and just get to it. Sometimes, preparing yourself mentally for the mayhem can make all the difference. Or at least, that’s what we keep telling ourselves.

2. Go online before you leave. It may seem like a pedestrian point in this day and age, but use the power of the Internet before you head to the airport. You can check-in, check flight status, upgrade to exit row seats, check traffic reports and make off-airport parking reservations before you leave the house.

3. Get there early. Just do it. Just this once. Through Sunday, plan to arrive at the airport no later than an hour and a half before domestic flights.

4. Be your own Wolfgang Puck. Don’t rely on the airline or the airport to feed you. A week ago, I was shocked to find only one kind of nasty pre-packaged sandwich in the airport terminal in which I happened to be waiting. I was really surprised – but yeah, there was only one option. And it was beyond foul. Bringing travel-friendly snacks can be a lifesaver during the holiday travel season – especially if you have kids. Here are of my favorite snacks that travel well:

- Crackers and cheese
- Apples, grapes and nuts
- Sandwiches with the lettuce and tomato packed separately
- Cold pizza (seriously, what else tastes as good at room temperature?)

5. Know the rules. In the last few years, airlines have made lots of little changes to rules governing checked bags. Most charge fairly high fees for overweight bags and passengers checking more than two bags. Many airlines won’t check bags in after a specified cut-off time. Be sure to know the rules and restrictions that apply to you and your travel companions.

6. Pack essentials in a small carry-on. Using a small carry-on (not a large one that will be subject to mandatory checking if the airplane you’re on runs out of overhead space before you have a chance to board) to stow medicine, phone chargers, computer power cords, a toothbrush and other essentials is one of the smartest things you can do. Running out of battery power while you’re stranded in the airport or arriving at your destination only to find your luggage hasn’t made it can put a major wrench in your plans.

7. Distract thyself. Whether you’re driving three hours to grandma’s house or flying cross-country, never underestimate the power of an enticing distraction. Stop by the bookstore for a new book you’ve been dying to read, create a new iPod playlist (or 12), bring a stack of note cards and start your holiday greetings, knit up a storm. We don’t care. Just figure out something to keep your mind occupied during long periods of downtime.

8. Take care of yourself. Down an Airborne tablet before you go. Wash your hands like a crazy person. Drink water like a fish. Stand up and stretch. Circle your ankles. Bring a pack of tissues and some Tylenol. Do whatever you can to stay healthy and avoid the colds and sniffles that hit so many travelers after a long flight.

9. Dress the part. Wear clothing that will cut time in the security line and remain comfortable throughout your trip. Remember that belts, shoes and outerwear have to come off before you clear security. Slip-on shoes are ideal. Take a sweater or extra layer on the plane – you never know what cabin temperatures are going to be like.

10. Don’t blame the innocent. Now this one’s obviously less for travelers and more for the common good. Blaming employees when planes get delayed, flights get canceled, storms strike, hotels run out of rooms or traffic jams gum up the works really only accomplishes two things: it pisses the employees off and make them less likely to help you. Neither are beneficial to you. Being nice won’t work miracles, but masking your surly attitude can help. And it’ll save you from getting booted from the plane or out of a rebooking line.

Hybrid electric buses will soon be on the go at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, thanks to a grant from the Clean Fuel & Advanced Technology (CFAT) program sponsored by the state. The program is also awarding funds that will go towards reducing harmful emissions at other tourist destinations around the state. Emissions-free electric vehicles will soon be coming to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, which draws an estimated 2.5 million visitors each year.

Clean Fuel Advanced Technology Projects Announced

The word on the street is that Qantas, Lufthansa and Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss airlines are in the midst of adopting carbon offset programs that offer travelers the choice to offset their carbon emissions when they purchase tickets online. Read more at: Lufthansa, Swiss & Qantas Introduce Carbon Offsetting.

Not sure what to make of all this carbon offsetting business? We break the major U.S. players down for you in a traveler-friendly format in the Traveler’s Guide to Carbon Offsets.

I recently had the pleasure of staying at the Fairmont Kea Lani Mauiin the island’s Wailea area. As you’d expect from a Fairmont property, the facilities were all quite well done, the grounds beautiful, the staff intent upon accommodating guests. But one area where this hotel surpasses many of similar caliber I’ve visited is with its environmental initiatives. All the rooms have both trash and recycling receptacles - ideal for all the water bottles I was going through each day. Another cool feature I noticed: the air-conditioning in our suite would not run when the sliding glass doors to the balcony were ajar. The closet lights also shut off automatically when you close the door. And like many hotels, the bathrooms are outfitted with little signs suggesting that guests use their towels more than once.

Get the lowdown on carbon offset programs with our brand spanking new TravelPost.com Carbon Offset Guide. There’s a snapshot of it here, but you’ll have to view the whole guide to see all the information we’ve collected about the slew of carbon offsetting programs out there. We tailored our chart specifically for travelers and used the costs to offset two common travel activities (driving and flying) to compare the different nonprofits and companies available today. We hope this new TravelPost.com feature will help you navigate the complex world of carbon offsetting options.

For the fit, seeing a city on foot doesn’t have to involve a two-hour walking tour led by a dullard. Nope. You can run your little heart out and learn about your destination city at the same time with City Running Tours, as the CNN story linked below reports. You can find tours anywhere from 3.8 to 10 miles in length in New York, Chicago and Washington, DC. At $60 a person for the first six miles and $6 for each additional mile after that, you might wonder why folks don’t just tie on their shoes and head out on their own. Never fear, this isn’t just a guided run - it’s a tour led by a guide who explains the finer points of each city’s attractions and historical landmarks (and presumably is in good enough shape to do it with a clear, audible voice). The company donates 10 percent of the fee to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Participants also receive a t-shirt, souvenir photo and discounts to local running and fitness stores. Customized tours are available for groups and runners in training for upcoming races and marathons.

See New York, Chicago and Washington on the Run

Come January 1, 2008, most public places in Fort Worth will be smoke-free. That includes restaurants, but does not include hotel meeting rooms or outdoor dining areas.

Fort Worth Council Approves Smoking Ordinance