Let’s face it, travel is not sustainable. All that gallivanting around the globe, gobbling up fossil fuels is really not helping. There is a constant stream of news showing out-of-control bushfires, horrific floods, heatwaves, polar ice melting etc. It’s all a bit depressing really! Yes, I know you have a bucket list and you missed out during the pandemic and that your life is getting shorter by the day. But if you really want to keep travelling, then you are going to have to make a few changes. I promise it won’t hurt.
Let’s explore why we travel, if we really need to travel, and what to do to reduce our global impact if we are going to keep at it.
Firstly, travel is a privilege, not a right. It offers the opportunity to explore different cultures, broaden perspectives and create memories for you to take to the grave – oh, and you can’t take all your material objects, so you might as well stop buying those. Not everyone has the means or freedom to travel, you are just very lucky! Ask yourself why you travel – is it what defines you? Does it make you more interesting? Is it because all your friends are travelling? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you might want to reconsider your hobbies and find something new and closer to home to add to your life – because what if you can’t travel anymore? The rate things are going on the planet, this is a possibility.
Fomo vs Jomo, the Bucketlist vs the Fucketlist
Do you suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out) when all your friends are travelling? Maybe you need to change your focus to JOMO (joy of missing out) – the countless blessings of staying at home, that good feeling of doing your bit for the planet, the ability to be in the moment taking in the sounds, smells and feel of the change of seasons, appreciating the night sky, the chirping birds, the change in weather – enjoying the little things in life. Stopping to smell the roses, read a few books, start a new creative hobby. Experiencing JOMO means you are at peace with yourself. You don’t have a need to follow the travelling sheeple down a gangplank, to be swallowed like flies by a giant sardine can. How wonderful to be content with just being in the moment…. unlike all the others who search for outer fulfillment, you have found true contentment. Kick the bucketlist, change the B to an F.
Think outside. No box required.
Or… how can you make your travels more sustainable?
Do you really care about your impact on the planet? If you must keep travelling, then at least do it consciously. Here are a few ways to offset the damage you are doing:
–Choose eco-friendly accommodation, eg water conservation programmes, food waste programmes, energy efficient appliances and recycling.
–Use public transport, like buses, trains and taxis. Walk or bike where possible.
–Pack light – the heavier the luggage, the more fuel is needed to transport it.
–Reduce plastic usage, bring a reusable water bottle and shopping bag, and avoid plastic bags
-Support local businesses – choose locally owned restaurants, shops and tour operators.
–Respect wildlife and natural habitat – refrain from purchasing souvenirs made from animals.
–Conserve energy – turn off lights, air con and heating. Take shorter showers.
–Stop buying plastic (like useless souvenirs – buy things that are practical. Take olive oil soap and shampoo bars
–Share your sustainable practices with friends to inspire them into making eco-friendly choices.
How to offset your carbon footprint before you leave home
Not only do we need to be more conscious while we are travelling, we also need to be more conscious about our environment at home. Did you know that you probably live in a toxic environment? And we wonder why so many people are getting cancer, allergies and autoimmune diseases like never before! There are THREE things you can do to help your home and the planet: use less plastic, chemicals and poisons.
–stop spraying flyspray and air freshener into the air! They are full of dangerous chemicals and dangerous fragrances which you breathe in! You are poisoning yourself! And they kill off the insects we need to pollinate the flowers.
-open your cleaning cupboard. Is it full of chemicals for every different type of surface? Congratulations, you are poisoning yourself. Use natural cleaners like baking soda, lemon juice, white vinegar. There are so many awesome products on the market now, like NORWEX and ENJO microfibre cloths. Use these and they get surfaces squeaky clean WITHOUT having to use ANY poisonous cleaning products. I have a friend who cleans an entire 6 bedroom lodge without a single squirt of chemicals – just using NORWEX cloths.
–stop killing flies, bees and other insects – humans seem to have this “kill it” instinct. Well, so far we have done a good job of wiping out thousands of insects, birds and animals. if you poison your lawn/garden with a poison like roundup, it goes into the food chain. Bugs also get poisoned and die. Birds eat the bugs and die. Your dog eats the bird….get the picture? Just stop using poisons and chemicals. Just STOP!
-Lawns, what are they good for? Absolutely nothing! Mowing puts toxins into the air, lawns just suck water and do not have any real use, they are just an old colonial sign of wealth. Get rid of it. Donate your lawn to the birds and bees - plant your lawn with flowers or native plants so you don't need to mow it anymore, or turn it into a food forest or vege patch.
–be more conscious of buying less. Only buy what you need. You don’t need more new clothes. Buy secondhand or give some of your old clothes away. The clothing industry is also killing the planet. Did you know that in the Atacama desert there is literally a mountain of unwanted clothes? Forget fashion Wear what you want and make it last. Once it falls off your back, use your clothes to stuff cushions, put in the dog kennel, make into rags…Try to only buy natural fibres like cotton and wool, as these go back into the earth when they rot. It has been proven that polyester, goretex etc cause illnesses (don’t believe me, google it).
–Reuse, recycle, repurpose. Give secondhand gifts, or re-gift, upcycle an old book or something – start a trend! There are plenty of youtube channels with creative ideas for recycling and repurposing.
–buy local produce and support local. Know where your food comes from. Most of the food in the supermarket is not really food, but has all sorts of mind-boggling ingredients and e-numbers that are not healthy. The food you buy in the supermarket IS NOT made for your health. It is made for profit. Think about that for a minute. You need to start questioning where your food comes from – like the farmed fish that get fed antibiotics, battery hens and all those other poor, suffering animals.Get back to baking your own bread, making your meals made from fresh veges! Honestly, it is the way forward, just ditch all that processed crap. Buy from the local market!
-avoid buying plastic. Buy products that will last forever, eg metal homeware. Buy shampoo bars instead of plastic bottles, buy food that has the least or no packaging.
Prepping for the future
If you want to keep up your travels, then you need to do your bit for the planet. Otherwise, I highly recommend you start to prep for the unexpected flood, tornado, heatwave, drought, fire or a supply chain breakdown that might affect you in the future.
Good luck and happy travels!
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