December 16, 2024 by Kaitano Dube, The Conversation
Collected at: https://phys.org/news/2024-12-holiday-ways-carbon-footprint.html
These holidays, planet Earth looks likely to be hotter than ever before. Research found that in 2024, global temperatures temporarily rose 1.5°C higher than the average from 1850 to 1900—a pre-industrial time when the first global temperatures were recorded.
This is a huge worry because, to avert the most damaging effects of climate change, global temperatures need to be kept below that 1.5°C increase.
Corporations and governments in the global north are the main drivers of carbon emissions and climate change. The concept of a “carbon footprint” was invented by big corporations to try to put the responsibility for lowering carbon emissions onto individuals. This isn’t something we can easily control, but our own behaviors can make important small changes.
The increase in the number of floods, droughts and heat waves caused by climate change calls for greater efforts by people to act more responsibly and reduce carbon emissions wherever they can.
I am an ecotourism specialist and human geographer who researches environmentally friendly tourism and the impact of climate change on holiday destinations. I’ve also investigated how airports can curb their carbon emissions.
Individuals can make a difference. We can all adopt a sustainable living approach and reduce our impact on the environment.
This festive season, I recommend three areas that holidaymakers should pay close attention to if they want to reduce their carbon footprint:
- accommodation
- transport
- food consumption.
By cutting down on polluting activities and food and water wastage, and by burning less petrol, individual travelers can bring about a huge reduction in the amount of greenhouse gas being released into the atmosphere.
Accommodation
This is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions, given the amount of energy (for heating and cooling) and water resources consumed by travelers.
So the first consideration for holidaymakers is to ensure that their accommodation follows sustainability practices. The ultimate prize would be to book a green hotel or an eco-lodge.
These are accommodation establishments that are designed to minimize water and energy wastage. For example, green accommodation must recycle and re-use waste products, and can serve mainly locally produced food.
Eco-lodges should preferably be linked to a public transport system such as shuttle transport. South Africa has several places to stay that fall within the green tourism category. Accommodation booking platforms such as TripAdvisor offer insights into what’s on offer.
Other booking platforms such as Booking.com and Airbnb have sustainability initiatives that are globally accredited in green tourism practice. These offer travelers an opportunity to choose green lodgings in South Africa and beyond.
Travel and transport
Transport from origin to destination is a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
The aviation industry contributes 2.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions through the condensation trail effect. These are the white trails from aircraft exhaust pipes left in the sky, which wrap around the planet, warming it up. Dealing with emissions from the transport industry is complex, but travelers do have some options if they want to reduce their carbon footprint while on holiday.
First, you can minimize the travel distance (travel locally) and use shared or public transport to reduce your environmental and carbon footprint. Check the carbon footprint of the journey on platforms such as Google Travel and choose the airline that leaves the smallest carbon footprint.
Several airlines offer an opportunity for passengers to offset their carbon emissions to achieve a carbon net-zero (no greenhouse gases emitted) for their travel. Aviation has measures to reach net-zero by 2050, a date committed to by most countries in the world.
If traveling by road, use electric vehicles wherever they are available. Where they aren’t yet, people should use the most fuel-efficient vehicle available. Vehicles should be well serviced, adhere to correct tire pressure, and drive at or below the maximum speed allowed. All these factors impact on your carbon footprint because the efficiency of a vehicle and speed determines carbon emissions burnt.
It is equally crucial that travelers carry only the baggage they really need. Traveling light reduces peoples’ carbon footprint as each kilogram of weight increases fuel usage.
Daily diet
Food is another significant contributor to our daily carbon footprint. As such, travelers should try to consume vegetables rather than meat dishes. Vegetables use less land, water and energy to grow. Tourists who cannot avoid meat dishes should aim to eat locally raised meat which has not been trucked around the country, and therefore has a lower carbon footprint.
Tackling climate change is everyone’s responsibility and we all have a critical role in reducing carbon emissions that cause climate change. In that light, it is critical to think about how our actions, small as they can be, can contribute to the bigger picture of addressing climate change.
Sustainable living calls for consciousness and intention in our daily activities to ensure that we leave a minimal environmental footprint.
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