Dearest Gentle Readers,
This author has heard news of a new debutant who will be making her way over the pond from Australia determined to make her exchange, and any travel she undertakes while in the UK, as sustainable as possible.
Although her journey will be long, she is committed to offsetting the carbon through donating to Greenleaf, an organisation committed to offsetting travel carbon emissions by planting native forests on her behalf. [1] Aligning with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Climate Action!
Once on British soil, her impact does not end when the plane lands. The UK receives millions of tourists whose travels largely contribute to domestic transport emissions. Britain’s railways offer a sustainable alternative which our lady intends to make full use of, choosing trains over domestic flights, and walking or cycling short distances. She is adopting what is known as a slow travel mindset. This entails prioritising local engagement, environmental responsibility and the quality of her travels over speed and mass consumption. [2] Staying longer in fewer places means less carbon-heavy hopping between destinations.
She has also turned her mind to sustainable daily practices, per SDG 12: Sustainable Consumption and Production. Reusable bags and containers will be relied upon for shopping and eating out, helping reduce single-use plastic waste and lowering her carbon footprint. Food waste is of concern to this debutant because as organic waste decomposes, it releases methane to the atmosphere, which is worse than CO₂ at trapping heat in the atmosphere.[3] Contributing to the anthropogenic greenhouse gas effect. This is alarming as according to the UN Environmental Program the world discards 1.2 billion tons of food each year [4]. Therefore meal planning and having a strict grocery list will keep her in check. Smaller habits will be sure to follow suit: unplugging devices, cold-water washing, and resisting the urge to over-heat her room through the Yorkshire winter.
Shopping locally is likewise a priority. Her spending will help reinvest in the community and local goods typically carry a smaller footprint, being sourced and sold without long-distance packaging and transport. [5].
Perhaps closest to this author’s heart, she intends to give back to the city that hosts her. She hopes to volunteer in a local environmental group in Leeds [6]. This speaks to SDG 15: Life on Land and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. This author admires our debutant’s view on sustainable travel being more than just minimising harm, but investing in the places one visits.
Well I for one am excited to see what she will get up to and see her put these plans into action. Hopefully she can make the most of her time here and ensure her carbon footprint and impact on the environment is minimised, for sustainability, dear readers, is and always will be a global responsibility.
Yours Truly,
Lady Whistledown
References
[1] https://www.greenfleet.com.au/pages/offset
[2]https://www.nature.com/nature-index/topics/l4/slow-tourism-practices-and-sustainable-experiences
[3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11531075/
[4] https://wedocs.unep.org/items/9f033472-298d-434f-b612-e29e329c721a
[5]https://gramsustainable.com.au/blogs/blog/why-supporting-small-local-businesses-is-sustainable?srsltid=AfmBOopMpe3FBXJXK5p7Wh3lWzwsVLlokh1mPrSH08l_ZpLpxKrM_XAJ
[6]https://www.leeds.gov.uk/parks-and-countryside/your-local-park/volunteering-with-the-parks-and-countryside-service
Bibliography
https://theearthlingco.com/blogs/news/sustainable-practices-at-home?pb=0
