Travel shapes me via expanding my global horizon, enabling me to witness the beauty of the world in different cultures and corners of the world, and creates my bond with people from different backgrounds. While there’s a cost, it also shapes the environment, but in a negative way. It’s impossible for us to reduce the carbon emission to zero during the trip, while by taking five footprints consciously, the trip can become more sustainable and ecologically friendly.
The first footprint is under SDG7—Clean Energy. Choosing the electric bus or modern train as transportation is the best way to reach that goal. Compared with the traditional fossil fuel, electrical vehicles emit less gas, like carbon dioxide, which will lead to the warm house effect or harm the environment directly. Compared with renting a vehicle, it will also split and reduce the average emission of gas per mile of travel.
The second footprint is about SDG12—Responsible Consumption. Only make the purchase of the essential if it’s necessary—that’s how we can finish this task. Just purchasing a reasonable amount of essentials like food and clothes during the trip can reduce the waste. Most of the goods need a long journey to reach the customer, which can cause a large carbon footprint. If we waste the goods we buy, the sunk cost of transporting the goods will even be enlarged. Also, we should turn off the electronic devices when we leave the accommodation every time. The air conditioner is turned on only when it’s necessary to do so.
The third footprint is about SDG13—Climate Action. Similar to but different from the first footprint, we can save the climate from a disaster via the change of our commuting habit. We can get to the destination on foot if there’s an acceptable distance. In this way, we can really reduce the carbon emissions to zero and slow the process of climate change.
The following footprint is about SDG14—Life Below Water. Refusing harmful marine tourism, like polluted cruises, can help the marine environment. The ecosystem is fragile and hard to recover; any harm and pollution may cause serious problems in the future. Meanwhile, protecting the river and sea by not abandoning the rubbish, especially the plastic, in the water is what can help to get rid of the white pollution.
The last footprint is about SDG15—Life on Land. Respecting the wildlife and not interrupting their lives when traveling for hiking. The rule of the natural is a fantastic balance; we shouldn’t step into any event that happens in the wild at any time. Doing nothing sometimes is the best measure to do everything!
Five steps are easy to follow, and it can bring an unexpected improvement of the sustainability of the travel!
