“Ecotourism isn’t just a buzzword in California, it’s a way of life,” says the California Travel and Tourism Commission. “Travelers from around the world visit California in part because of its inherent natural beauty. By educating them about ways to minimize their impact on the state’s pristine environment, we help sustain California’s rugged terrain, scenic landscapes and picturesque coasts for generations to come.”

Although many will celebrate Earth Day April 22, visitors to California can go green every day of the year.

• Santa Barbara - www.GreenSantaBarbara.com, a website that allows visitors to learn about global environmental issues while experiencing the greener side of Santa Barbara. The site features self-guided tours and information about all things green, including architecture, art, transportation, sustainable agriculture, biodynamically grown wines, recycling, nature preserves and ecotourism activities, green hotels and itineraries.
• The Pacific Wheel at Pacific Park in Santa Monica is generating more than one kind of energy. Visitors help to alleviate air and water pollution from traditional fossil fuels by riding the world’s first-ever solar-powered Ferris wheel. Unveiled in 1998, the Pacific Wheel soars 130 feet above the Pacific Ocean while generating more than 71,000 kilowatt hours of renewable photovoltaic power from the sun’s rays. 
• At COPIA: The American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts in Napa, travelers have an indirect impact on the environment at the center’s restaurant and in their food programs, simply because the center composts their waste and puts it back into their 3.5 acres of organic gardens. Visitors can learn firsthand about ecotourism while aboard a special cruise that explores the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, one of Santa Cruz’s most exquisite points of interest and an underwater world rich in biological resources. Starting this month, Pacific Life Tours will offer the ecotourism trips aboard a 70-foot yacht, where passengers will learn about Monterey Bay’s kelp forest ecosystem, adaptations for animals living in the ocean and human effects on the sea. 
• Visitors to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, two recently purchased buses now use biodiesel fuel, which is a domestic, renewable fuel derived from natural oils, such as soybean oil. The Tramway’s other diesel buses have been converted to biodiesel fuel, including back-up engines, tractors and generators.

And much more - read the full article and readers comments here

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