Is Your Vacation Ruining The Planet?
Our species has never been as mobile as it is today. Getting from one side of the planet to the other has never been as easy or affordable. You can wake up this morning in Boston and through the magic of air transport, go to sleep in Barcelona, Botswana or Brisbane. The downside of this movement, while it brings people together, comes at a high cost to the environment. A study released by Nature Climate Change estimates that global tourism accounts for eight percent of carbon emissions worldwide; with air travel alone accounting for one-fifth of these emissions. That is a big chunk, but what can we do about it?
It is easy for people, especially people who aren't interested in travel, to say, "If you are interested in the environment, then you should stop traveling." I don't think in a world where people are becoming more fearful of "the others" that that is a good idea. Xenophobia is another malady polluting our planet. We need to be looking more people in the eyes and making more connections. Say what you will about the horrible global impact of transcontinental flying, wars are not environmentally friendly. Empathy and understanding go a long way toward making us all safer.
