We all love to travel, but there’s no denying that it can be pretty bad for the environment.
Indeed, one long-haul flight uses up a person’s allotted “share” of the earth’s resources for an entire year, in one go. If we’re going to ensure that there are places worthwhile visiting in the coming decades, then it’s essential that we take steps to protect this lovely earth of ours today. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to travel in a more eco-friendly, planet-boosting way, as we’ll see below.
Mix Up Your Travel
We just mentioned how bad for the planet long-haul flights were. But the truth is that all flights are pretty bad for the earth; well, they certainly don’t help. Perhaps one day in the future, they’ll figure out how to make flights carbon-neutral. For now, it’s best to only fly when there’s no other option. And the fact is, there’s nearly always another option! Especially if you’re traveling domestically. For instance, could you take the train? This isn’t just better for the planet, but it’s also just more fun — you’ll see a lot of your window on a long train ride! The downside is that it takes longer, but think of it as part of the trip. It’s an experience in itself.
Think About Where You Stay
Not all accommodations are equally earth-friendly. In fact, some of those big resorts are so damaging that they’ll almost certainly have to change how they operate in the coming years. There are plenty of outstanding eco-friendly options out there that’ll allow you to have a great experience while also improving your eco credentials. The next time you’re planning a getaway, take a look at the eco lodges operating in your chosen destination. We’re pretty confident you’ll have such a great time that you’ll decide all your trips should involve staying in this type of accommodation.
Look Off the Beaten Path
There will likely be some nature areas that are on your bucket list. The problem is that they’re also on everyone else’s bucket list, and that means that those sites often buckle under the weight of so many visitors. So rather than visiting the over-visited nature areas, look at going slightly off the beaten path. There are plenty of beautiful sites out there worth visiting, and by giving your money you’ll be helping with conservation efforts.
Do it Consciously
Finally, perhaps the best way to travel in a more eco-friendly way is to simply do it consciously. You might be drawn to travel whenever and wherever, but if you’re zipping through the world like this, then you’ll have a negative carbon footprint — and you’ll probably fail to appreciate all that you see anyway. Instead, look at taking fewer, but more meaningful trips. You’ll find that you get more value from your getaway if you’re visiting a place that you genuinely want to visit, you’ve planned the trip well, you’ve taken limits to keep your carbon footprint as low as possible, and so on.
Image from https://www.pexels.com/photo/cheerful-hikers-between-lush-green-grass-in-sunlight-6324202/
