Can We Travel Guilt Free?
Not yet - But we can improve.
Don't be ashamed to hop on that airplane this year and travel to your dream destination. Here is a simple guide to planet-conscious travel and improving your carbon emissions.
Travel is seen as a luxury. It’s not high on the “What I Need List” for most of us mere mortals with an average income. And we also know flights add onto your annual carbon emissions bill.
Now, although all global air travel equates for an estimated 2.5% in 2019, it is still less than global car emissions. So yes, that flight to a golden beach somewhere will add up to your “yearly allowance”
But what can you do about it?
To put that in perspective;
“An economy-class return flight from London to New York emits an estimated 0.67 tonnes of CO2 per passenger, according to the calculator from the UN’s civil aviation body, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
That’s equivalent to 11% of the average annual emissions for someone in the UK or about the same as those caused by someone living in Ghana over a year.”
Now, this is definitely serious.
I for one do not want to be that person to tell future generations’ kids that “I had a hand in spoiling our planet because I went on that holiday to Malawi” but there are many ways to either off-set those flyer-miles or turn the negative into a positive.
Mark Twain wrote in The Innocents Abroad, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts,”
“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things can not be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
Most people fly once a year for their holiday to a place they have always dreamt of – a big mountain in Africa, to climb a tree on Barbados, to see the Northern lights when you’re high OR to simply lie-low on an island in Mozambique, book in hand….
We want to challenge you to change up your travel plans a little
…and although we’re no scientists, we believe that one can have such a great effect on your destination and yourself, that you will, at least, improve your carbon footprint, possibly offset ALL your carbon emissions for your time on the ground and change your perception about the world we live in.
How to Travel While Treading Light in 2020:
- Save for direct flights and fly Economy Class
- Choose a Greener Airline – See our section below about Airlines that are truly trying to improve their clients’ and their own footprint.
- Stay longer in your destination and;
- Plant 5 or more trees locally and offset your entire 2/3 week holiday – although that excludes your return flights, 10 trees can make a huge difference over 8 or more years. HERE is a calculator to prove it. Even better, plant “Spekboom” which is the most carbon neutralising plant on earth and comes from South Africa.
- Give back to the community and destinations you visit without necessarily spending money. Find the right project and lend a hand with these projects.
- Volunteer in the area at the right ECO project – we often volunteer at Precious Tree Project but most countries now have tree planting organisations.
- Drive less and cycle more. Take the train. Ride a horse or donkey cart if you must.
- Group travel or rideshare to minimise travel carbon emissions – this is a big one!
- Go paperless and plastic-free – buy a reusable bottle when you land and gift it to someone after your trip. Paying it forward – Ecologically.
- Choose vegan or vegetarian meals on a plane and talk to the airline before your flight on social media
- Clean a beach before you enjoy the soft sand and rolling waves. Leave only footprints.
- Change a life and interact with the locals – share your stories, listen to their stories and engage with real people.
- LEARN about holistic life practices to use your entire life. Change minds.
Planet Conscious Airlines
Some Airlines are trying to combat their emissions. How are they making the difference? Fuel efficiency. The International Council on Clean Transportation reported a 51% difference between the most fuel efficient Trans-Atlantic company (Norwegian Air) and the least efficient (British Airways)
So which airlines are the Greenest? Virgin Atlantic is definitely one of the front runners with their environmental policy for reducing carbon emissions and re-imagining their operations entirely.
Nice Going Guys!
Here a more in depth look at eco-friendly airlines from Alternative Airlines
Travel Inspires.
Travel fills up your soul-tank and shows you how much more there is in the world. It teaches appreciation for the simpler things and leaves you in AWE of nature which has a list of healthy effect. Travel teaches you an appreciation for other people and cultures. And shows you how we are not all that different.
Be inspired.
Travel can change not only YOUR life but the people and places you visit as well. That is the goal. Some destinations, game reserves and some countries are dependant on visitors and what you spend there.
Thanks for reading
A healthy view of the world is truly what humanity needs.
This breeds more activism and better humans so we can grow into a better world with ALL humans caring for it. And do so fast!
We strive to form more connections between our travellers on road trips and between them and locals to form a two way flow by building experiences that offer value for both parties.
After Thought
You can step into very murky scientific waters and a huge debate when trying to calculate your true footprint on earth. There really is no “right and simple” way.
As a tour company with many wheels rolling weekly, what we are attempting is to strive towards the best practice we can, stay informed about new technology and emerging ways to cut our carbon emissions as much as possible and offset what we can’t by planting hundreds of trees every year.
Re-Think | Reduce | Re-Use | Re-Imagine
Planet Before Profit.
Thanks
greta Thunberg
Much respect to Greta Thunberg! You are a voice of a generation and is truly making an impact. We just feel we need more than just cutting back on carbon emissions.
We need minds and hearts changed.
Brilliant Blog
While writing this blog out of a passion for our planet we discovered this brilliant blog from Umair Irfan on the VOX platform. With excellent research and superb writing, it is well worth a read!
It definitely helped voice our thoughts
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Great content! Super high-quality! Keep it up! 🙂