Meet Natasha Carvell of Travelocity's Travel for Good Program

How does a former U.S. Senate speechwriter and legislative assistant on women's and children's issues end up the Director of Travelocity's corporate social responsibility program, Travel for Good? The connection could seem a bit boggling at first, but Change Maker Natasha Carvell really just extended her compassion on Capitol Hill to all things related to eco-travel—which wasn't such a difficult thing to do as a self-proclaimed traveler herself.

Though San Francisco-based, Carvell considers destinations like Ireland's Aran Islands, the Czech Republic, New Orleans, Lake Tahoe and her hometown of North Dakota, her favorite places to visit. And when she's not busy heading up Travel for Good's partnerships, grant programs, carbon offsetting initiatives and marketing—you might just be able to spot her spontaneously zipping down the California coast on a road trip with her dog Chloe in tow.

How did you get into this line of work?

In a pretty roundabout way. I started working in the travel industry as a writer for a tiny start-up in 2000. We were acquired by Travelocity in 2002. A few years later, my colleagues and I urged the company to develop a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) arm, which led to the establishment of Travel For Good. I became the program director in 2007.

What was your "a-ha" moment?

There have been a lot of them, both good and bad, since I took this job, but most recently with the launch of our Green Hotel Directory. I've seen how much power we have as one of the major online travel industries to really inspire change.

Who is your green hero?

My grandma. She is 87, reuses everything, grows her own food, and she's been [/url="http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/discover-classy-composting.html"]composting[/url] since way before the term was even coined. I often wonder if she knows how green she is. Or if that sort of ethic will die off with her generation. I certainly hope not.

What is your ultimate green goal?

To help get the world to a place where every single traveler is thinking about the environment and the easy things they can do to help preserve and protect it whenever they travel—whether it is the big family vacation or a quick business trip. I'd like to see us get into the mindset where using the words "responsible" and "travel" in the same sentence will feel repetitious.

What is your motivation?

Pure, unadulterated wilderness. I spent most of my youth running wild in North Dakota where there is a lot of empty space. I also lived in Tahoe for a few years where I often went hiking or snowshoeing with my dog. The thought of those places deteriorating or disappearing because of suburban sprawl or environmental degradation moves me to take action.

What is most important to you, ecologically speaking?

The future. I don't have kids yet, but when I do, they will probably get to experience most of the things in nature that I did when I was young. I get more nervous, however, thinking about the future of their kids. If that generation doesn't have the opportunity to know what it feels like to dangle upside down from a tree branch, pick blackberries from a bush in the backyard, skim rocks on a lake at dusk—or, even worse they don't care to do those things because the electronic world has such a stranglehold on them—then we all will have failed.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Economic uncertainty. We rely on a miniscule marketing budget and partner sponsors to help us get the word out about Travel For Good. These things have dried up dramatically in today's economic climate. Our soapbox is starting to shrink.

What is the most rewarding?

Helping select our Change Ambassadors grant winners. These people are everyday heroes who don't make money but who are passionately committed to giving back to their communities and serving the global one—if only they are given the opportunity. It's a gift to be able to reward their dedication and sacrifice with something that will continue to better the world.

Of the people you have worked with, who impresses you most?

Jena Thompson and Larry Selzer of the Conservation Fund. The Conservation Fund is one of the coolest models out there: a non-profit with a focus on both economic development and environmental conservation. Larry is the Executive Director of the Fund and his ability to bring the right people to the table to talk about emerging issues is like none I've seen. Jena runs the Fund's Go Zero program, a reforestation initiative. These two can at once convince a stingy corporate board to address their company's carbon issues, and then turn around, throw a pair of waders on, and tromp out into a swamp to plant some seedlings alongside some salty old park rangers!

What green thing do you do everyday?

I walk wherever I need to go if it takes less than 30 minutes to get there.

What do you wish you could do?

Make going green more affordable and more available. I know there are a ton of eco-friendly things you can do for no extra cost and that can even lead to significant cost savings—but realistically, it can sometimes be hard to do. Most car rental places don't have very many hybrids in their fleet and then when they do, they charge more to rent them. Lots of grocery stores don't carry organic or locally-grown produce, and when they do, they charge more for it. I could go on and on with examples just like these. The bottom line is that until being green caters to the budget-conscious and ease-of-use crowd, especially in this economic environment, the necessary sea change is not going to happen.

What is your biggest eco-sin?

I hate the energy-saving light bulbs on the market right now. Why can't they make ones that actually light up a room without making it feel like a dingy hospital emergency room lobby? I am begging for that. Until then, I'm guilty of using the old energy sapping ones.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

For at least a decade, my answer to this question would have been to change the tone of the debate...about almost anything that divides people in this world. The debates are often legitimate, but the rhetoric we use and the tenor of the discussion has been outrageously polarized and completely unacceptable. And of course, progress grinds to a halt when that happens. Now I have a lot of hope around what the new administration is trying to do to get rid of that viciousness, but Obama won't be able to do it alone. From cabinet secretary to taxi driver, Wall Street executive to non-profit hack, we're all going to have to pitch in, to help civilize the debate, whatever it may be. We have a tremendous opportunity and a great responsibility to take advantage of it.

What is your best green advice?

Not everyone is going to care about the environment, and many of the loudest climate change doubters are incredibly influential, so we need to simply accept the reasons why most of us who are involved in the green movement, aren't going to resonate with those folks. We need to keep talking about the financial and quality of life benefits to local economies and the dramatic cost savings associated with going green in order to appeal to a wider range of sensibilities.