Published in AuNaturel
If you are already dreaming about a summer filled with sandy beaches and crystalline water, you might also want to think about the impact of your travel. If you don’t, 50 years from now you’ll be able to sunbathe next to a hot whirlpool without having the fuss of actually flying to Spain.
Travelling represents 8% of global emissions, 2% of which is caused by flying. The UK’s aviation only produces 9.8 million tonnes of CO2 every year. The impact of our lovely family retreats is enormous.
Naomi Leake, 54 is an artist who runs a nature reserve in South London. She is an active member of the Extinction Rebellion Group and her deep passion for nature got her arrested three times during this year’s protests: “The impact of taking the plane is absolutely massive. It’s huge. It’s tons and tons of greenhouse gasses. It’s the biggest thing you can do to contribute to emissions. We’ll have to give up on flying. One of the ways of doing that is stopping subsidising it,” she told AuNaturel.
All human emissions are measured in “tonnes of CO2”. Because carbon dioxide is a gas and you can’t really see it, it’s difficult to imagine the dimension of a tonne and its impact. So, let’s get practical.
A tonne of CO2 is as big as a cube of eight metres high, eight meters wide and eight meters deep. It’s nearly as big as a two-storey house. In terms of impact, for every cubes of CO2, three square meters of Arctic sea ice melt.
A family of four, travelling economy class on a return flight from London to the popular Porto in Algarve produces 2.16 tonnes of CO2.
While you are comfortably reading a book on a packed plane, 6,48 square meters of Antarctic ice is melting and two- and a-bit houses are being filled with noxious gas. But let’s not despair! There are many things we can do to avoid giving up travelling.
Abbie Saynan, 36 has been blogging about responsible and sustainable travelling since 2013: “Flying less if possible, if you do fly, taking a direct flight, packing light and sitting in economy are ways to be a better, eco-friendlier flyer.”
If you feel guilty about taking the plane, you can offset your flight footprint. Carbonfootprint.org is one of the handy websites where you can calculate your carbon emission and compensate it by supporting international sustainable projects.
Abbie suggests that change starts f rom the little steps: “One thing, for example, is asking to have no straw with your drinks, or remembering to bring your reusable water bottle to avoid single-use plastics.”
Staycations or going on holiday closer to home are getting more popular as a response to climate change. Elena Toscano, 30 and Ruben Azocar, 29 are two ethical explorers that share their travelling stories on their Instagram @naked_travellers: “Try to go for family stays or small local guesthouses in order to support the local economy and therefore set a statement against abusive tourism.”
If you are looking for an eco-friendly adventure, a train journey to neighbours’ country will quench your thirst.
Elena and Ruben know that alternative ways of travelling can be more difficult but also way more exciting: “Sometimes you can even get surprised on how a more sustainable decision can actually become cheaper. For example, we crossed the Brazilian-Colombian border via a long boat ride instead of taking a plane.”
If you want to turn to eco-friendly travel, your first experiences won’t be easy. “At first it may take a little more effort to find more responsible travel choices, but once you start, it becomes easier and second nature to search for things that are better for the environment and those who live in it,” Abbie said.
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