The importance of sustainability and ecological awareness whilst traveling cannot be understated. An individual may believe that the steps and actions they take in caring or not caring for the environment is so small that it won’t have any effect at all, but that is far from the truth. In criminal justice, we are taught of Locard’s exchange principle, that explains that when two objects come into contact, there is an exchange of materials between them. Essentially meaning that, every contact leaves a trace. That principle can be used for everyday life when regarding our habits and attitudes towards being sustainable and eco friendly. A person may think littering is just a small act that leaves no impact, but they are leaving their trace behind with trash that will affect and hurt the local environment. That is why I am ensuring that the trace I leave while studying abroad is one with awareness of sustainability of the environment of Wales following the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The UN Sustainable Development Goals state that people may donate, support local farmers, recycle, use public transportation and more to help the environment. These are stances that I align with and believe should be adopted by a wider society if we want to accelerate the betterment and reparation of the environment. Statistics show that due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels for gas, deforestation, and increase in pollution has led “Earth’s temperature [to rise] by an average of 0.11°Fahrenheit (0.06° Celsius) per decade since 1850, or about 2° F in total” (Dahlman, Lindsey, 2025). It is proven that this temperature rise is caused by human activities, as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration reported that “this increase is due to human activities, because scientists can see a distinctive isotopic fingerprint in the atmosphere” (2024). Which is why it is perhaps more imperative now than ever that we, as a society, immediately draw our attention to our own personal habits and determine the steps we can take to do our part in. Steps that we can take as a society or as an individual are riding public transportation, carpooling, taking less frequent flights and using economy class instead of private jets alone. I’ve already implanted sustainable and eco-friendly habits with activities such as gardening my own vegetables, creating compost for soil from leftover food scraps, donating clothes, and carpooling. However, as I am moving to Wales, I fully plan to keep using current habits and adapting new habits for caring for the environment. Although I arrive in Wales in September, I have already implemented plans to ensure my stay is as sustainable as possible. I plan to use public transportation and walking, and I have joined a social group that plans events such as a group activity to pick up trash on the beach together. My goals align to the goals of the UN Sustainable Development Goals as I plan to make my year long stay at Wales, as sustainable as possible.
