ALISSA’S ECO-ADVICE
Eco-investigator and New Jersey native, Alissa MacMillan, seeks to find answers to your everyday questions about tough decisions we all face, when acting in the best interests for the environment. A freelance writer and philosophy lecturer, Alissa is a former features reporter for the New York Daily News and has been living in County Limerick for eight years. Your queries on all matters environmental, are welcome. This week, she focuses on: TRAVELLING THOUGHTFULLY
Q: I’m looking forward to finally travelling this summer but am conscious it’s perhaps one of the worst things to do for the environment. Should I be feeling guilty heading out for my holidays?
A: As we all become more and more aware of the environmental impact of our activities, some of what we might have taken for granted in years past now gives us pause, travel being a perfect example. But as with other things, there are better and worse ways to see the world.
“You will never achieve sustainable tourism because there is no such thing,” says Dr. Kevin Griffin, Senior Lecturer in Tourism at Technological University Dublin. “Tourism by its nature is unsustainable,” he explains, “but there is ‘more’ sustainable tourism.” As with so much else, a bit of consciousness can make a big difference.
When it comes to our holidays, by far the worst source of environmental harm is air travel, explains Griffin, as it uses the most fuel. This means that if you have the choice, going by bus, train, ferry, or even car, is always more sensible. If you do need to fly to get where you want to go, think about “using your vacation in one fell swoop,” advises Griffin. Going on one longer trip for the year instead of several short getaways will save fuel and give you the chance to “slow down and stay awhile, really get stuck in.”
THE ‘MULTIPLIER EFFECT’
You can also get stuck in in ways that are more beneficial for the place and the community. Once you’re there, think locally: use public transport, eat locally produced food, drink local wines, use local tour guides, and buy products and gifts made nearby, like crafts.
Something happens called the “multiplier effect,” Griffin explains. “I buy from a local restaurant, they buy from a local farm,” all of this feeding back into that community’s economy. Just like in Ireland, where you support local producers and create jobs by buying those products, you will be doing the same in the place you’re visiting, unlike, for example, buying Coca Cola or Budweiser, the money always going back to the U.S. Griffin encourages us not to go for the Danish butter in an Irish hotel – go with the Irish!
While travelling, we tend to forget some of the practices we have at home, leaving the TV on or blasting the AC unnecessarily or with the windows open. Think of the subtle things, advises Griffin. Bring your own refillable water bottle, and in hot climates, be conscious of your use of water and don’t worry about sweating a bit.
“You may shower way more than you do at home, and much more than the local residents,” Griffin says. You might also think twice about playing golf in the desert: “A town of 60,000 people uses less water than maintaining a golf course in a hot climate,” he says.
You can also seek out places to stay that have been recognized for their eye to the environment, for example The Falls Hotel in Ennistymon, County Clare, which has won awards from Green Hospitality Ireland for its sustainability. They do everything from getting power off of their own hydro electric turbine to minimising plastics use.
‘TOURISTS AREN’T THE ENEMY’
Being conscious of why you’re heading off on your journey is another route to more eco-awareness.
“We’d challenge visitors to think about what they’re looking for in travelling,” Griffin says, like if you want to meet locals, experience authenticity, and get off the beaten track. “Why else travel?” he adds. Even if you go somewhere for the beach or a campsite enclave, not interacting much with the local economy, never leave waste behind and, as Griffin suggests, you might consider doing a little something, like going for a local meal at least one night, especially if you want the destination to survive.
When done right, “tourists aren’t the enemy,” he says. “By travelling, you are supporting other economies, local populations, supporting businesses that wouldn’t otherwise exist.”
The benefits of travel are also undeniable, opening your eyes, shaking up your perspective, getting a much-needed break, and meeting new people. This can all happen by “respecting locals and local communities, respecting culture, respecting tradition and respecting property,” Griffin says. Reading up on the history and culture of a place before you go, and recognising the place’s uniqueness and the privilege of getting to visit, you’re already travelling slightly more sustainably.