Long-haul travel is one of the least sustainable choices we can make as individuals. Flying from Aotearoa (New Zealand) to England, I will use around 1.30 tonnes of CO2 (Calculated using https://calculator.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx?tab=3), which is approximately equivalent to driving the length of the entire North Island of Aotearoa. As a biology student and climate activist, I certainly don’t feel good about that. And the privilege of flying across the globe to experience an entirely new country and university is not lost on me. In line with the UN’s 12th sustainable development goal, for ‘Responsible consumption and production’, I believe it’s our responsibility as travelling students to consume CO2 carefully.
While exploring the UK and Europe, I’m planning to travel by train and bus wherever possible. Planes emit, on average, nearly five times more greenhouse gases than trains (https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/cheap-pollution-means-taking-the-train-to-europe-is-four-times-the-cost-of-flying-report/). On top of this, planes disconnect us from the landscape, making our unsustainable options feel acceptable. On a train, you can watch the landscape rolling by, sometimes destroyed and sometimes beautiful. Either way, it reminds us of the importance of our ecology.
I believe it is also our responsibility to take action against unsustainable production by larger companies. A report released by InfluenceMap found that 57 producers were responsible for 80% of CO2 emissions (https://www.inet.ox.ac.uk/news/only-57-producers-are-responsible-for-80-of-all-fossil-fuel-and-cement-co2-emissions-since-2016-new-report). As the UN 17 goals outline, climate action is a key aspect of achieving sustainable development. At my home university, I’m involved in a student climate action group. Our university recently pledged to divest from fossil fuels in response to our peaceful protests and a petition with almost 1,000 signatures. On exchange, I hope to join a similar student action group to work towards sustainable production and consumption by large companies.
I have volunteered at a Marine Education Centre since I was 16. It sparked my love for marine life and is a huge part of why I went on to study Marine Biology. Some weekends, we would come in to find half of our touch pool animals had died in a marine heatwave. We would have to quietly clear them away, and explain to parents why the touch pool was so empty. I saw firsthand the impact that climate events have on our marine life. Not only did this lead me to study Marine Biology, but it showed me the importance of protecting the valuable ecosystems around us. I am committed to sustainable travel to reduce my impact on these ecosystems which are so important to human livelihood. The UN emphasises life below water and life on land, and in line with this I hope to reignite human relationships with ecosystems to build climate resilience. The recent heatwaves across the UK and Europe have served as a reminder of the immanency of climate events, which we are less than prepared for. Climate change is acting now, and we must too.
