After spending a year and a half at home, many of us are excited to start traveling again. However, the pandemic is not the only global crisis right now – we are also in a climate emergency.

Before the pandemic, people started shaming others for flying often and ramping up their carbon footprint. Tourism is responsible for a whopping 8% of the world’s carbon emissions, and we need to do something about it. While everyone is excited to get back to traveling, you can take precautions to make your trip more eco-friendly.

Here are a few ways you can travel to offset your carbon footprint.

Avoid flying to nearby areas

Flying is quick and efficient. It can be tempting to fly to a nearby location instead of driving. One flight produces more carbon emissions than some people do in an entire year. However, air travel is a huge part of the global economy, and we cannot eliminate it altogether. Flights should be reserved for when you are traveling for multiple hours over large distances. For example, flying from London to New York is justified, whereas a flight from London to Newcastle could be replaced by a train. Make the most out of train travel to reduce your carbon emissions while exploring different areas of the UK in style.

Book nonstop flights

Direct flights are more enjoyable and a lot faster. Catching several connecting flights to a location can be tedious, especially with multiple layovers. Find a nonstop flight instead so you can travel for less time and cover a shorter distance. You can add hundreds of miles to a journey with just one layover. For example, if you add 300 more miles will a layover, you are also adding 163 pounds of carbon dioxide to each passenger’s footprint. Scary, right?

Pack light

Lightening your luggage by just 15 pounds can alleviate 80 pounds of carbon dioxide from a ten-hour flight. When you add up all the passengers on a flight, you can save thousands of carbon emissions in total. Pack your essentials and keep the heavy items at home.

Slow it down

Slow travel is much more sustainable and kinder to the environment. Spend a few weeks in a location instead of a few days. You can rent an apartment for a month and acclimatize to the local way of life. Cook your own meals with local produce, rent a bike to get around, and enjoy all that the destination has to offer.

Use a few of these simple tips when booking your next holiday.


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Image 2: Photo by Chatree Petjan on StockSnap