Traveling and experiencing the world is an amazing experience for our Globe Aware volunteers, but we understand the need to be conscious of our environmental impact as well. Here are a few ways you can help lessen the environmental impact at your volunteer vacation destination.

Swapnajit Kundu
22 Apr 2023
News9

Climate change has put the very existence of this planet under threat, and it is time for us to step up and reduce the damage that human civilisation has done to it over the years.

New Delhi: Sometimes, we tend to forget that the Earth is the only planet we have and that we have no other place to live. Let us think about another thing while keeping this point in mind: Is it good to dirty the place we live in? Do we do that with our homes? No. Like that, we should endeavour to keep this planet clean as well. Climate change and global warming have put the very existence of this planet under threat, and it is time for us to step up and reduce the damage that human civilisation has done to it over the years.

Every year, on April 22, Earth Day is celebrated to make us aware of keeping this planet clean and free from the pollution which is leading to rising natural disasters, extreme weather conditions, and increasing global temperatures. At a time, when coral reefs are dying and animals on land and in the ocean are ending up with trash in their bellies or around their body, we have to step up and undo the damage that we have done. And we start by reducing carbon footprints while travelling.

Pack light while you travel
When you are packing your suitcase to travel via plane, take as few clothes and stuff as you can. Because the more you pack, the heavier will be the plane. And the heavier the aircraft, the more fuel is required.

Pack reusable items
While travelling, don’t buy plastic water bottles, shopping bags, coffee cups, and food containers only to throw them away later. And all of these items require natural materials, energy, and water to manufacture, not to mention their disposal adding to landfill and ocean pollution. That is why, always pack a few core items you can reuse throughout your trip, like water bottles that you can refill, coffee cups that you can use again, containers to store food, shopping bags and straws that you can reuse.

Do not waste energy and water
When we stay in hotels and resorts, we tend to use a lot of electricity and water. We take extra-long showers, leave lights and appliances switched on, and run heating and cooling systems 24 hours a day. So, avoid needlessly wasting power and water. Keep showers to a normal length, and turn off lights and appliances when you are not using them. This is something we can follow in our homes as well.

Eat local foods
If you are on a trip, try to eat as much local food as you can. Why? Because when you consume foods from local growers and producers, it reduces the shipping and transport emissions of your meals, not to mention it supports the local community. Also, try to embrace meat-free dining during your stay as plant-based diets have a significantly smaller carbon footprint than meat-based diets.

Opt for a cycle, or better, walk
Nowadays, we tend to take cars or hire a cab even to cover a short distance, which in turn, results in greater carbon emissions from those vehicles. When you are going to someplace that is nearby, you can opt to ride a bicycle. If the place is at a distance, that you can cover by walking, then do that. It will also help you exercise apart from reducing your carbon footprint. Also, when you are hiring a cab, try to share it with someone instead of taking an entire car. As it is obvious, the lesser the number of cars on the roads, the lesser will be the carbon emission.