NEW YORK -- A couple of travel booking Web sites are trying to make it easier for consumers to be environmentally friendly.
Orbitz is featuring energy-efficient hotels at http://www.eco.orbitz.com. These properties have earned an "ENERGY STAR" label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because they use nearly 40 percent less energy than average buildings and emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide. The Web site also makes it easy to book hybrid car rentals, take a volunteer vacation or purchase carbon offsets for your travel.
Expedia has a new "Going Green" store, scheduled to launch on Earth Day (April 22). The online store at http://www.expedia.com/gogreen also allows customers to browse for environmentally friendly hotels, hybrid car rentals, and carbon offsets.