How to Plan a Vacation With a Lower Carbon Footprint
Going on vacation is dreamy and good for your brain, no matter your budget . But when literally a ton of CO2 is released into the atmosphere in a single round trip from New York to London (enough to melt three square meters of Arctic ice), it’s hard to relax and enjoy that free plane drink without thinking about it. If you’re looking to spend your 2020 vacation without a flygskam , we have tips for designing greener travel options for the year ahead.
Fly less
Big. A no-fly vacation will have an overwhelmingly positive impact on your carbon footprint (less one transatlantic flight per year than half the year as a vegan ).
In an article for Outside Magazine, Taylor Gee reveals some simple rules for reducing carbon emissions while traveling: car sharing, direct flights when possible, off-hours travel, picking carriers with better delays, and driving instead of flying. short flights, especially those of less than one hour. Combined, these small changes in your itinerary can have a significant impact on your vacation emissions.
Are you ready for more drastic changes? Ariella Granett was. Shocked to learn how environmentally hazardous airplane travel can be, after reading Vox ‘s 2018 story about the international Flight Free campaign, she took over the reins of America. ( Flight Free is a campaign launched by the Swedish organization Vi håller oss på jorden – We Stay on Earth – which captures people’s promises not to fly in 2020).
Despite her role in the campaign, she knows the decision is not the same: “Flying is something people can start thinking about downsizing without completely letting go and changing their lives. So it makes life recognizable … I have to be sensitive to these conversations and make sure people understand that I am not judging. I myself was there not so long ago. “
Get the train
Monisha Rajesh’s book Around the World on 80 Trains, which includes travels in the United States and Canada, won the National Geographic Best Book award last year. While some used train rides instead of flights, she planned entire vacations around certain train routes.
In particular, she said, she really liked Canadian Sleeper: “We were just one step above Economy, it was a small cabin with a bunk bed. During the day, they fold the beds into these large sun loungers that you can sit on by the window. There is plenty of room – you can spread the Monopoly board on the floor and sit cross-legged. There is also a private toilet. I think eight cabins have one shower, but it has hot water all the time. “
Rajesh also took on Amtrak, and while she says there are drawbacks (small cabins, infrequent trains, passes up to 12 rides), she loved the sociable atmosphere at dinner (“almost like a date”) and, of course, the panoramic car: “Bring binoculars. Traveling through the deserts, you are amazed at the wild nature that you see – eagles, various birds, hares and everyone else. “
Her next book will focus on night trains and sleeper cars, and she’s already got her eye on another trip to Canada: “There’s an amazing journey from Winnipeg to Churchill, nicknamed the Polar Express – you can see polar bears on the route and the northern lights. This is one of the most important travels in Canada. “
Admittedly, small cabins aren’t the only drawback for train travel in the US and Canada. It takes longer: for example, a flight from New York to Chicago takes about four hours; the train takes about 20. In addition, trains run much less frequently than planes (again, if you look at New York-Chicago: three rail connections versus over 300 flights).
Granett hopes that people’s choice of “green” travel will add weight to the arguments for better railways: “Our train system, especially in the United States, is still far ahead. We were waiting for the bullet train between the Bay Area and Los Angeles. This is one of the really frequent and short flights that people take and has revolutionized travel in California. ”
But for the avid ethical traveler, a greyhound is best. “There may be some exceptions, but as a rule, bus travel is almost always the greenest form of long-distance transportation,” says Abigail Wise, digital managing director of Outside magazine.
Compensate for your flights
Yes, this is faulty science, but if you are going to fly it is better to donate to support carbon capture or clean energy than to do nothing. It’s also a bargain compared to the total cost of planning a vacation – compensation for an 8-hour flight can cost you as little as $ 10. (We have a complete guide to credit, including purchase options, here .)
If you’re not convinced by the compensation payments, you can simply choose an environmental charity that you already support – Greenpeace , SolarAid , American Forest Foundation – or think back to a recent climate event like the Australian bushfires and use calculators as a guide. and instead support climate activism or disaster relief .
Yes, and bring your backpack, not the pounds of luggage. Chrissy Rowe of Responsible Travel says: “There is obviously less flying, but if you are flying, take light and economical travel with you: the heavier the load, the more polluting. A good rule of thumb is to package what you think you need and cut in half. “
Responsible Travel opposed the offset ten years ago. Rowe explains: “We cannot find a way out of the climate crisis. Shrinking is our only way out. When we fly, the impact is instantaneous, but the displacement is not. Take, for example, planting trees: seedlings that even reach maturity can take decades, and we don’t have time. The climate crisis requires industry changes, including proper taxation, and we need governments to hold aviation accountable. ”
“We’re not opposed to flying,” she adds, “but we have to fly much, much less. Regular weekend trips [weekend trips] are not sustainable. Make your holiday meaningful. Combine that with perhaps shorter, no-fly breaks close to home. “
Expand your horizons beyond the tourist traps
Rowe recommends that travelers avoid places already plagued by over-tourism and learn how to get around during off-peak hours. “Consider your motivation to visit a particular place. Some areas are overcrowded with tourists and influential people who come in droves and do little, ”she says. “Spend money locally. Make an effort to connect with the local community rather than just looking at it through a lens. ”
Aside from destinations, Rowe adds, they’ve also seen a dramatic increase in vegan vacations as well as study breaks, especially those where travelers can learn to paint, dance and cook. “US food break providers like The International Kitchen have orders for 2020, and Road Scholar has US training breaks on everything from blacksmithing and pickled balls to lap cymbals ,” she says. “AirBnB’s Experience section is a good place to find classes and workshops from independent local providers throughout the US.”
Reduce your food footprint
New research from ResponsibleTravel.com has shown that post-flight food can be the biggest carbon footprint on your vacation. The experts dived deeply into the carbon emissions from four different vacations and found that one of them had higher emissions per person from food choices than the return leg of the flight.
If you save energy, compost, and eat locally and seasonally at home, you’ll be on the right track. However, “our vacation carbon footprint can be huge – try to choose plant-based foods from local sources and eat in small local establishments to contribute to the local economy,” says Rose. “If you go on tours, make sure you have a responsible operator, or get some advice before committing. And, of course, try to choose environmentally friendly housing – more and more people are using renewable energy sources and actively promoting biodiversity. “
In the long run, greener travel means radically different (and longer!) Vacations, often longer and less frequent and longer. “If done well, tourism is a powerful force for good,” says Rowe. “We need to get back to the way we traveled: take one longer break a year – dive somewhere.”
Book with local
Magazines like Outside have carefully analyzed how Instagram-influenced routes affect sacred sites and indigenous culture. Kioni , which manages the site with a witty title “How not to travel as an ordinary bitch,” advised their readers to find truly sustainable tour operators: “A lot of people who say they are” stable “, in fact, ineffective or are stable due to local / Indigenous peoples ”.
“The most reliable way is to hire locals, hire indigenous people,” says Kiona. “When the world realizes that indigenous peoples’ lifestyles and environmental protection are one and the same, then we will have all the answers. Saving the lives of indigenous peoples means saving the planet and vice versa. Hiring indigenous tour operators also means recognizing their local knowledge of how to interact with the environment in which they live. I would be afraid of everything else. “
For example, in Payahuunade (Owens Valley and Eastern Sierra in California), a guest post on the Kyona blog recommends asking for local recommendations from tourist or cultural centers on the reservation, or simply looking for Indigenous tours on a search engine for the place you are visiting.
This year, Kiona recommends the US Southwest and Mexico: “Mexico is built for leisurely travel – from one of the best metro systems I’ve ever been in, to incredible luxury buses that take you from city to city.”
She adds. “The landscapes are amazing. It’s a deep dive into what the United States is about, and it was here before it became the United States. ”