Go Green: Learn About the CO2 Impact on Our Earth and How to Travel Responsibly
In the past thirty years carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have risen by 20 percent. If that doesn’t sound like much, girls, think about this: for ten thousand years they stayed exactly the same.
All it took us was an industrial revolution and an increased reliance on computers, air-conditioners and jet-planes for CO2 levels to go sky-rocketing.
An increase in CO2 levels could prove disastrous for our earth. It will raise temperatures: causing flash-flooding, droughts and heat waves that could kill thousands of people every year.
And if you think as a fun-loving, surf-chasing, peace-making explorer chick you can’t be doing any damage-think again!
The second-highest polluter in the world is transportation. Catching planes, driving cars, taking speed-boats and roaring along on motorbikes are all majorly contributing to this epidemic.
If we don’t want the climate to change, then we have to change, fast!
The low-down on carbon jargon!
There are so many carbon buzzwords floating around that we thought we should explain a few for you first…
Carbon emissions are gasses that are released into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. Every time we take a flight, drive a car or turn on the air-conditioning, we are releasing carbon emissions.
Carbon footprints are the measurements of the impact that humans leave on the earth. At the moment we are like a teenager outgrowing our childhood shoes!
Carbon neutrality, or being carbon neutral, means that a company or individual has reduced their carbon emissions to the extent that they are no longer releasing any superfluous carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Carbon offsets are ways of offsetting our carbon emissions by planting trees, funding sustainable energy sources and researching ways to reduce fuel consumption.
Cheap Travel is Great, But Affecting Our Environment!
The recent boom in cheap air-travel has meant that carbon emissions released by planes has doubled in the past twenty years, and will double again in the next twenty if we continue to snap up all those tempting travel deals.
Every time we hop on an airplane we are releasing a cocktail of gases into the sensitive upper-atmosphere, and because air-travel has become so easy and affordable we are flying now more than ever!
Transportation (including the use of cars) is now second-in-line, behind industry, as the worst carbon emitter ever.
Carbon Fees?
Most air-lines now offer passengers the option of flying carbon-neutral. For a small price passengers can pay another company to offset the emissions caused by their flight.
Alternatively, we can also invest in one of these companies all by ourselves. If you think that you are creating too many carbon emissions, you can pay someone to offset them for you!
Companies such as www.climatecare.org, www.terrapass.com and www.carbonfund.org all offer carbon offsets. They all feature a ‘carbon calculator’ on their website too, which allows you to work out just how much CO2 you are really releasing into the atmosphere each year.
I can do more than that!
Lonely Planet recently released the book ‘Code Green’, which details how you can travel responsibly.
Their suggestions will not only reduce your carbon emissions but can also enrich your travel experience, such as traveling by kayak and sleeping in tents rather than taking a speed-boat to the nearest resort. Join a local hiking group to experience your own great outdoors, rather than flying to the ends of the earth to do the same thing somewhere else!
Buy Code Green $14.98 AUD
I want to help change the world!
If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty to save the world, think about applying for a volunteer program for your next holiday.
Companies such as www.volunteertravel.com, www.i-to-i.com, www.realgap.co.uk and www.idealist.org offer unique and earth-friendly experiences. They provide the opportunity to volunteer all over the world working with wildlife, planting trees, conservation, children and construction. By giving back to the community we are helping our world-wide community and working towards a sustainable future.
Show me more!
Log onto any of these websites to find out how big your carbon footprint is, and how you can make it smaller!
www.sustainabletravelinternational.org
Find Green Travel Around the World on Travel Nine MSN / Green Travel
Animal Conservation in Africa with Real Gap Experience
(watch video)
www.ExplorerGirls.com / Gemma Considine
Posted on 9 April 2008 - 12:04pm
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