Chances are you, or someone you love, will be travelling over the holidays, whether it’s for Thanksgiving, Christmas or both.
How can we make our travels more environmentally conscious and reduce the greenhouse gases produced? Try these easy tips to help reduce your carbon footprint.
Choose more local destinations
You don’t need to travel halfway around the globe to enjoy a feeling of adventure. With so many great local destinations available, try choosing one that’s a bit closer to home.
There are several benefits: you’ll spend less time in transit and more time actually exploring and connecting with friends and family, it will likely cost you less to stay closer to home, and you can feel good knowing your vacation and tourism dollars are supporting local economies.
Modes of travel
Did you know that taking just one flight can produce more emissions than some people produce in an entire year? At Sustainable Travel International, they recommend reserving air travel for only those destinations that are farthest away.
While the recommendation for all is to avoid flying as much as possible, if you must travel by plane, these tips can help mitigate the impact:
- Choose a direct flight with no layovers
Non-stop flights take the most direct route to a destination and because of this, they require less fuel than itineraries with multiple stops.
Planes release the most carbon during take-off and landing, so it’s better to book one longer flight than several shorter ones.
- Choose your airline thoughtfully
Airlines want to make flying more sustainable, but some are doing a better job than others. Fly with an airline that is making efforts to reduce emissions and waste. The Alternative Airlines website can help you find the greenest airlines with the most sustainable flight options.
They keep track of which airports are the most environmentally conscious and eco-friendly, so you can feel good about the choices you make. Some flight comparison websites even display which flights are lower emitting and greener. They take into account a variety of factors, including the aircraft’s age, capacity, weight, fuel efficiency and the number of stopovers.
- Purchase carbon offsets
Carbon offset programs can help reduce the impact of your time in the air. To offset the carbon produced, these programs offer a variety of methods—it can be anything from planting trees to protecting forests, buying carbon credits or building wind farms.
For guidance you can trust, consult Purchasing Carbon Offsets: A Guide for Canadian Consumers, Businesses and Organizations - David Suzuki Foundation
- Opt for economy
How would flying in economy lower your carbon footprint?
As an air passenger your carbon emissions are determined by the amount of space you take up on that plane. Business class seats are, on average, two times larger than those in economy. What this means is that a traveller in business class leaves twice as much of a carbon footprint as someone who travels in economy.
- Consider other modes of travel
If you are traveling in Europe, for example, instead of flying to a second destination, you can take an electric train or a bus. It can help to think about travel in terms of efficiency: if the overall carbon emissions load is lower and you are sharing the mode of travel with several fellow passengers, it’s a good choice.
It’s all relative: travelling by car as a solo passenger is not great for the environment, yet when that car is filled with family or friends on a road trip, it can be a reasonably efficient method of transportation.
Pack light
No matter where you’re headed, pack light. The heavier your luggage, the more fuel is needed to transport it—whether you’re travelling by train, bus, car or plane.
These tips can keep your baggage trim:
- Start with a lightweight suitcase
- Pack clothing you can wear multiple times, multiple ways, and that are easy to wash
- Remove unnecessary packaging from personal care items and travel with small amounts only
- Leave larger items at home (playpen, stroller) and rent a local version while you’re away
Meet family halfway
Share the burden of travel and opt to meet halfway. Maybe you’ll experiment and try a different type of accommodation every time, or you’ll luck out with that one perfect spot that becomes a new cherished family tradition.
With this approach, no one is saddled with the burden of hosting: everyone gets to be on vacation together.
Once you are in a city, park the vehicle and take transit, bike or walk
Get a real feel for the place you’re in by using the local transportation network. Walking as much as possible, biking and taking local transit gives you a better sense of your surroundings and gives you the flexibility to explore those jewels you’d likely miss if you were passing by in a car.
Research the transit options available to you in your destination and if you do need to rent a car, choose a hybrid, electric or smaller car.
Carpool with other travellers
If you’re travelling over the holidays, you’re certainly not the only one.
While Greater Sudbury has its Smart Commute webpage for carpooling locally, there are other online ride-sharing options where you can connect with fellow travelers for long-distance travel.
If you have a project that you would like the City to highlight, contact Jennifer Babin-Fenske at [email protected]. You can also follow EarthCare Sudbury on Facebook.