There are many ways you can reduce your global footprint, but how is it about reducing your global footprint while travelling?
Many people might say that as soon as you set you’re foot on an airplane you have already sent out enough Co2 emissions that you can not defend you’re travel at all. However if I put it this way “that airplane will be in the air at that certain time no matter if you’re on it or not, and there is nothing you can do about that”. Unless we all refuse to use airplanes as a travel method, and that is at the moment very unlikely. On the other hand the first electric airplane have already been made and hopefully in the near future we will have more eco friendly travels by travelling by airplanes, also the hyper loop is under construction, please check out that breath taking engineering by following this link.
My point is that people have been travelling through all times and it is a necessity for the understanding of how the world is as a whole to enrich our self by the understanding of other cultures and the understanding of life, and it’s a way of connecting people and to share lasting moments for the heart with our loved ones. I am on the other hand not saying that you shall uncritically use airplanes as a form for transportation, if possible choose other forms of transportation but in todays scene, airplanes is proven to be the most time efficient way of travel and it can take you places you would not have the time to travel to without. However when you have arrived at a destination it is reasonable to think that you should use trains, boats and electric cars on renewable energy to maintain a low CO2 emission, and all that you can do will help. But I have for now only discussed the main transportation and there is a whole lot of other aspects to your travel than that. Here are some ways you can reduce your Global Footprint while travelling:
Eat local food, as we call it in Norway “kortreist mat” it means “short travelled food” and the point in that is that the food is grown and made within a sensible destination from where you are. If possible I would also recommend eating ecological food to also keep in mind the welfare of the animals and the value chain as a whole. Also by switching from beef to for example eco-chicken we will reduce our Co2 emissions significantly. Also did you know that in Copenhagen they actually have a bus route travelling on bio-fuel from the food waste from the citizens? Read more about it here
Photo: Taste of Bergen, (Åse Marie Evjen/Bergen Base Camp)
Plastic and waste, plastic waste is a very critical problem in the world today, it is a very cost efficient non-degradable fabric used for packaging and plastic bags, it is often left in the nature by people not cleaning up after themselves, RECYCLE your waste and don’t throw anything in the nature, plastic is not degradable and it pollutes the nature and is deadly for the animals. Did you know that in India they have made a look a like “plastic bag” but it is made from a plant? It can actually be eaten by both people and animals and is not damaging the nature. Read more about it by following this link. Maybe that is the way to go, but do what you can and recycle and clean up after yourself, and say no to un-necessary plastic.
Awareness of the nature ‘s feelings, When nature hurt’s we need to change our mindset and take seriously into consideration the effects of global warming; the tropical storms, the rising sea-level, and the animals dying from eating plastic and other human made pollution. The eco-system is in unbalance and we need to make changes in our everyday life to maintain a better balance by thinking about the sustainability of the nature and the animals and re-gain a balanced way to use resources, we have to look away from the short term profits, and think in long terms how we can save the earth, we all need to do changes in our everyday life and we can together come up with a long term solution for the sustainability of resources, and re-gain a balanced way of living in harmony with nature.
Photo: Fishing at Sotra, Norway (Renate Skar Skulstad 2014)
Sustainability through the whole value-chain is something we at Fjord& thrives after and we will give you advices of how you can make a difference by traveling as eco-friendly as possible in harmony with nature, reducing your global footprint.
Written by: Renate Skar Skulstad 2018
A blog about nature adventures and local culture in Norway. 