How to travel eco-responsibly?

How to travel eco-responsibly?

Eco-responsible travel The preservation of our beautiful planet does not only concern environmental movements or political leaders, it is everyone's business! When you adopt the attitudes of the ecological traveler, you in turn contribute to protecting the environment. Here are some tips to follow that will help you minimize the impact of your trip on the environment.

Transport

Every means of transport you take will emit CO2 and pollute the atmosphere, whether you are exploring green Ireland, Thailand, Brazil or the Seychelles. Despite this constraint, it is important to know that some means of transport are more polluting than others.

Avoid if possible:

The plane is the least ecological means of transport, as it releases 360 g of CO2 equivalent per person and per kilometre. If you want to travel eco-responsibly, you must reduce air travel as much as possible.

To a lesser degree, the diesel car emits 180 g of CO2 equivalent. If you have a trip to make, it is best to avoid driving your diesel car or rent one locally.

To promote on your travels:

The train is one of the most ecological means of transport. It emits 35 times less CO2 than an airplane.

Similarly, you can take buses which emit 4 times less CO2 than the plane and which, in many countries, offer you the opportunity to travel in town or to make the connection between two agglomerations. Today's coaches are very comfortable and most of the time are equipped with WiFi, which allows you to stay connected during the journey. The fare is also affordable compared to flying and the bus stations are usually located in the city center, which saves you the price of a taxi ride to get to your place of residence. In addition to being more ecological, these two means of transport offer the opportunity to get to know the local population.

Finally, with zero CO2 emissions, the bicycle is the ecological transport par excellence. It is ideal for discovering a country at your own pace and allows you to combine sport and contact with the population. This is why it is particularly popular with slow travel enthusiasts. Note that today, thanks to the Eurovélo network of cycle paths and lanes, you can travel in Europe by bike in complete safety.

Of course, using these means of transport is not always possible. However, if you have to travel by car, you can:

Opt for carpooling which is a good way to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. This concept is based on the principle that people who have to make the same journey group together to borrow a single vehicle. Ecological, carpooling is also economical because it allows the fuel expenses to be shared between travellers. The main disadvantage is that it is not yet very well known outside of Europe, North America and Australia.
Minimize the environmental impact of your car trip by not overusing the air conditioning which leads to a 15 to 20% increase in fuel consumption
adopt eco-driving, i.e. driving while being flexible. In this way, fuel savings are around 40%, which is particularly good for the planet and your wallet.
avoid motorways and on the contrary favor small national roads. Your pace will be slower and your fuel consumption will be reduced, as well as your CO2 emissions

 

 Environment

Do you plan to conquer the Brazilian beaches or do you want to go on an adventure in the Australian bush? Whatever your destination, remember that each of your actions has one or more impacts on the environment.

Eco-responsible travel - forestOn vacation, and even all year round, you should avoid leaving your rubbish on the beaches or in the forests you explore. This waste will pollute the nature and cause others to dump their trash there as well. In no time, the beautiful beach of your dreams will turn into a dump. If you can't find a trash can nearby, take your empty bottles, packaging, chewing gum, cigarette butts and other waste in a separate bag to throw them away when you arrive at your place of residence.

Camping in exotic wilderness is one of the many pleasures of traveling abroad. However, you should be aware of the danger that fire represents in the natural environment. A little negligence on your part and tens or even hundreds of hectares of forest go up in smoke. Pay extra attention if you are camping with your children and try to make them aware of the fragility of the nature that surrounds them. Indeed, the preservation of the environment also involves the education of future generations!

Diving in the Red Sea, in a lagoon in Thailand or under the turquoise sea of ​​the Maldives is truly enchanting. So that the people who come to visit these sanctuaries of nature after you experience the same pleasure, you must keep this fragile environment intact. This is why you should not touch the underwater fauna and flora of these corners of paradise. Bringing back a piece of coral or a starfish from the Caribbean is a false good idea, because if all the passing tourists do the same, what will be left of this beautiful nature? If you want to keep memories of your dive in this beautiful setting, take pictures! There are cameras and waterproof cameras on the market that allow you to film and take pictures of you and your family frolicking among dolphins and multicolored exotic fish.

Animals

If in the 19th century and even at the beginning of the 20th century, going on a safari in Kenya or India was in vogue, this is no longer the case today. Many animals are currently threatened with extinction and are protected. Do not be tempted by souvenirs made with elements from these protected specimens such as tortoiseshell, ivory, gorilla heads or others.

Even if the trip is often tinged with exoticism, this does not allow you to eat protected species, under the pretext of discovering the local gastronomy! Being an eco-friendly traveler comes with responsibilities. Find out what you are served at the table and ask what a particular dish consists of before ordering it. The easiest way is to find out before your departure about the specimens protected in your country of destination. This way, you will know immediately that you cannot be tempted by a turtle soup, a skewer of monitor lizards or a bear paw preparation which are protected species.

It is important to know that when you buy (parrot, turtle, etc.) or eat a protected animal, you encourage poaching or the hunting of these animals.

The other attraction of a trip to a foreign country is the discovery of the country's endemic animals in their natural environment. When these evolve in total freedom or in semi-freedom, avoid feeding or touching them, even if they are beautiful and cute. Indeed, feeding them foods that are unusual for them runs the risk of disrupting their eating habits. In addition, when you feed a wild animal, it may eventually become aggressive towards humans or display a dangerous attitude such as, for example, certain seagulls which steal the sandwiches and other food you are about to eat because they got used to being fed by tourists before you. As for the caress, it must be prohibited because you can be responsible for the rejection of the animal by its congeners. This is particularly the case of the elephant seals of the Galapagos who die of hunger on the beaches because their mothers no longer recognize their smell after they have been petted by tourists.

It is always interesting, especially for children, to visit a private zoo or an attraction with featured animals, but you should make sure beforehand that it is a place where the animals are well treated. You can ask your guide or the local population for information or ask the managers directly, if they have nothing to be ashamed of, they will be happy to answer you.

Finally, when you venture into nature to discover wild animals, be careful not to make noise. Stay well on the trail with your guide so as not to scare the animals. Try to observe them from a distance with binoculars or your camera so as not to stress them and avoid scaring them by the noises you make, the crackle of your flash or the outburst of your voices.

Lodging

Apart from transport costs, accommodation represents a large part of the traveler's budget. Whether in London, Quebec, Brisbane or Oslo, you always need accommodation to allow you to rest after a visit to historical monuments or a day at the beach.

Depending on your budget, you have the choice between hotels of different categories, youth hostels, lodges, bed and breakfasts or homestay accommodation. In the latter case, it is possible to offer your help for a bed and a meal, for example.

Couchsurfing is an interesting alternative to these various accommodation options, as it allows you to limit your energy consumption while sharing a few days with the locals. This concept is based on the free provision of a bed or sofa for a very short period, generally one to two days. It has the wind in its sails among those who wish to travel in a minimum of comfort and people who wish to meet the population of the country they are visiting in their familiar surroundings. This is particularly the case for young people who can in this way visit many more regions with a limited budget. Couchsurfing has taken advantage of the Internet wave to interest an increasingly large audience. The site created by Casey Fenton now has around five million members ready to host you for free in 250 countries around the world.

If the hotel remains your preferred choice, you can follow these few rules in order to respect your commitments as an ecological traveler by seeking to reduce your water and electricity consumption as much as possible. Indeed, reducing the consumption of electricity in the hotel where you are staying is already a contribution to the preservation of the planet. For it :

Prefer the shower to the bath because the latter requires between 200 and 250 liters of water depending on its size and, to heat the water, you need at least 1 liter of fuel oil per bath. You don't really lose out on the change, it is quite possible to relax in a half-filled bathtub!
Take a cold shower if the climate of your destination country allows it. Not only will you reduce energy consumption, but the cold water will also firm your skin, help you burn calories, improve your blood circulation and also allow you to fall more quickly into the arms of Morpheus.
Avoid turning on the air conditioning or use it in spurts
Don't leave the light on when you're sleeping or away
Ask the hotel staff not to change your towel daily even if you shower every day. All you have to do is leave it in the sun on the terrace so that it is dry and most bacteria are destroyed.
Along the same lines, ask the staff to only clean your room every other day. Indeed, each time the maid vacuums or mops, it is as much energy wasted. However, you normally spend most of the day outside, so your room should be relatively clean. Of course, the cleaning lady can make your bed during your absence so that you will find a tidy room when you return from your excursion.
Silver

Eco-responsible travel When you travel abroad, it is important to rub shoulders with the local population in order to discover their culture, their way of life as well as their habits and customs. It is advisable to buy locally, it is a simplified way to adapt to your country of destination and to contribute, in a sense, to fair trade. This is not always the case when you buy your gift or souvenir items from an airport shop.

For your meals:

If you want to appreciate the local gastronomy, desert the hotel restaurants and ask your guide or your receptionist for the addresses of the small restaurants that he can recommend to you. You will taste dishes that you will not always find on the menu of the big restaurants. And above all, you will meet a different population from those who frequent hotels.

Street food is an open window on local gastronomy. Of course, you have to be careful about the dishes you eat or you risk catching a tropical disease.

For your purchases, donations and tips

Refrain from giving money to beggars you meet during your trip, even if you are tempted to give it to children who are asking for it in a spirit of generosity. Your altruistic behavior may lead to a wait-and-see attitude in these children who will continue to beg as they grow up. It is rather advisable to offer them food or drink directly, possibly pens or a small gadget. If you give them money, adults or their parents will surely take back your gift willingly or unwillingly, so your good deed will not even benefit the recipient in the end.

If you want to do something for the local population, the best thing is to send your donations to associations that have a legal existence. These can take care of orphaned children, disabled or homeless people. It is relatively easy to get a list of them by doing some research on the Internet before you leave. It is also possible to offer material for schools such as notebooks, books or different didactic objects. You can even organize a small fundraiser with your friends and acquaintances to make this donation even bigger.

If you are satisfied with the services of your guide, a waiter in a restaurant, the receptionist at your hotel or the information provided by your taxi driver and you wish to thank him with a tip, it is best to find out before even your departure, on customs in the country and on the appropriate amount. In North America, for example, it is common to leave between 15 to 20% of the bill, while tipping is considered insulting in Japan. In Croatia, it is recommended only for hotels and large restaurants while it is included in the bill in Ireland. If you go shopping and discover the skyscrapers of Dubai, be aware that the tip is generally 10% of restaurant bills or taxi fare in this country.

Some attitudes to adopt

As an eco-responsible traveler, you must take care not to leave any dangerous or polluting materials behind. Try to pay special attention to sunscreen, used batteries and other objects that pose a great risk to the environment. If, in France, recycling has entered the mores, this is not necessarily the case in your country of destination. The best, as far as possible, is to bring back to France objects that are dangerous for local nature, because France has the infrastructure to process them.

If you eat on the street, avoid takeaways as much as possible. Containers for these meals like plastic cutlery and paper napkins increase litter in the city where you are staying. What you can prevent by deciding to eat your order on the spot. Likewise, pay attention to the disposable packaging of your luggage, which increases pollution and waste in your host country.

Finally, you can, if you wish, entrust the organization of your holidays to an eco-responsible tour operator. This professional will be able to set up circuits, stays and rentals that meet the requirements of those who wish to travel while being eco-responsible.

More than a concept, ecological travel is an interesting way to discover new horizons while preserving the environment. It allows you to escape while adopting simple gestures, sometimes completely free, but whose impacts on the planet are considerable if they are carried out by the millions of tourists who crisscross the world. Informing others, educating your children to adopt this ecological attitude is already a weighty act in favor of this noble cause. And, beyond your trip, the most important thing is to continue to adopt this behavior, even once you return home.