Who doesn’t love the idea of traveling the world? There are so many places that you want to explore, but the problem is that you know travel isn’t the most sustainable thing you can do. Transportation is the second biggest source of greenhouse gases in the world, and you don’t want to contribute to that. Luckily, there are ways you can travel in a more climate-friendly way. Here’s how you can do it yourself.
Pick A Closer Location
The sad truth is, that you’re always going to have some impact on the planet when you’re traveling. That doesn’t mean that you can’t travel at all, though. If you are worried about your impact on the environment, then you can lessen that impact by choosing a location that’s closer to home.
By doing this, of course, you won’t be traveling for as long, and so you’ll contribute less pollution overall. Picking a location in a neighboring country, or your own country, will be much more climate-friendly and you’ll discover places that you didn’t even know existed before. It’s an exciting way to travel, and you can do it knowing you’re being kinder to the planet.
Try Local Food Options
Of course, when you’re traveling, you’ll want to try the local dishes that are on offer. It’s a great way of experiencing the culture and trying something new. If you do stick to trying new and local foods, you’re also helping to minimize your carbon footprint, too.
“When eating local foods, you’re more likely to be eating dishes that have fewer ingredients and have traveled less far to get to your plate,” says Daisy Howell, a travel writer at Academ Advisor and Writing Populist. “You can easily find foods like this at local farmer’s markets and independent restaurants.”
You can also take advantage of the fact that plant-based options are available so much more widely now too. You can try out a veggie or vegan meal rather than meat for a few nights of your trip, which will have a good impact on the planet too.
Think About Your Transportation
If you’re going to travel in a climate-friendly way, you’ll need to take your transportation into account. While no method of transport is totally climate-friendly, there are methods that are better than others.
A train, for example, is a more sustainable option as it can carry a lot of people long distances in the same vehicle. Of course, you’ll need to be traveling in an area where trains are more abundant. If you can’t get a train where you want to go, you’ll need to consider other options.
For example, you can rent an electric vehicle, which will cut emissions as they don’t need fossil fuels. However, do be aware of where charging stations are on your trip so you don’t run out of fuel. You can get hybrid cars that use both, so if you do run low on electricity and have to use gas, you’ll at least be using a lot less.
Think About What You Buy
There’s no denying that shopping is one of the great pleasures of going on vacation. You can pick up all sorts of goodies on holiday, but it’s not actually an eco-friendly thing to do. “Consumption is a large part of climate change,” says Adrian Foley, a journalist from Best Australian Writers and Write My Australia. “When you’re traveling, you’ll want to think about what you’re buying.”
When considering something, are you sure that you really want it? You don’t want to buy something just for it to end up in a landfill in a few months’ time. You can also take steps before you travel, so you don’t have to keep buying while you’re on vacation. For example, picking up a reusable water bottle means you don’t have to keep buying bottled water.
There are lots of ways that you can travel without impacting the planet. These are just a few suggestions, and there are lots of other ways you can be more kind to the environment and still get your travel fix. Try these tips the next time you plan a getaway.
Rebecca Leigh is a writer for Best essay services and Rated Writing, where she covers travel and tips for getting the most from your time away. She’s also a writer for Via Writing.