Travel is no longer an extravagance in our increasingly globalized world. It has become a necessary component of daily life, especially for inquisitive college students eager to explore. But all the excitement considered, the environment often suffers if we fail to adopt well-informed, sustainable travel practices.
We should all try to minimize the detrimental effects of travel, from carbon emissions to plastic waste, to help halt the impending environmental breakdown that so many top scientists have been warning about for decades now.
Learning about sustainable travel can help students start taking small steps in the right direction to enjoy their ride while also safeguarding the environment. So what are these steps? We look at the best sustainable travel practices for college students to get you in the loop.
The Traveler’s Carbon Footprint
Every kind of transportation leaves a carbon imprint. Air travel is no exception. It is extremely polluting, accounting for around 2.5% of all CO2 emissions caused by humans worldwide. While highly efficient and convenient, planes contribute significantly to the rapid deterioration of our planet. To put things in perspective, consider that if aviation were a nation, it would be among the top 10 polluters in the whole world. What’s more, planes also produce other pollutants, such as nitrogen oxide and cirrus clouds, further amplifying the severe climatic effect of aviation.
Now, this doesn’t mean students must avoid travel altogether. But this definitely means they should adopt a more comprehensive and responsible approach. This could mean, for instance, avoiding unnecessary travel whenever possible. Say you want to get from one city to the next in Europe. You could do this both by plane and bus, but you choose the latter to help protect the environment. Or else, you could opt for rail travel, which emits a staggering 90% less CO2 than planes.
It’s surprising how many students underestimate the importance of their individual choices on our collective well-being. Isn’t the overall state of the world dependent at all times on the amalgam of our individual wills?
That said, the sooner students adopt a more inclusive and global-oriented mindset, the better. It’s not only important that you excel at college, easily impressing any professor with flawless papers after consulting write my essays one-of-a-kind AI-powered tools. It’s also important to start thinking early about how your everyday choices affect the world at large. Learning about sustainable travel can become a vital contribution to your part.
Embracing Eco-Tourism
Opting for eco-tourism means choosing to respect and safeguard the various cultures and habitats you come across while travelling rather than merely taking in the sights. Considered today’s changemakers, students are in a prime position to be at the forefront of the positive transition to sustainable tourism.
Eco-tourism prioritizes adopting ecologically beneficial travelling practices. This could mean taking the bus, biking, or walking instead of hiring a car, all of which could help cut carbon emissions. Think of low-impact activities like snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef with a tour operator who strictly adheres to the rules to prevent hurting the coral. Or else, consider hiking in the Amazon jungle with a guide who makes sure the trails are followed to limit the disruption to wildlife.
Eco-tourism could also mean carrying a reusable water bottle and staying away from single-use plastics to reduce waste significantly. It’s surprising how many people and enterprises are in the dark about, say, the detrimental effects of plastic on our planet. We see it everywhere, all the time. Make sure you do your research and adopt eco-friendly practices everywhere, not only while travelling. If you need a revamp of how you could benefit the world daily, see here what sustainable routines you could adopt without delay. Remember, the choices you make now will affect our collective tomorrow.
The Way Forward
Fully grasping the carbon impact of our travel decisions is essential as we face the myriad challenges of climate change in 2023. College students can make a real difference by choosing eco-friendly practices while travelling. They can help reduce the effects of climate change while also improving their own health and well-being. Yes, it’s possible to travel as much as you like while also making polar bears happy! If only every single student devoted enough time to learning the basics.
***
Sandra Dodrill is an environmental researcher and blogger. Concerned with our rapidly deteriorating environment, Sandra left her lucrative lawyer position to dedicate her days to extensive environmental research. Today, Sandra supplies top green companies worldwide with important information on the current state of our environment. She also routinely contributes educational blog posts with the same goal in mind.
