As we look to our future of a greener earth travel is a difficult one to call green here are some ways we can still be eco conscious when we think about travel..

We don’t automatically think eco friendly when we think overseas travel but there are ways we can be more eco aware shall we say..

As a general rule, the shorter the distance from home you travel, the lower your carbon footprint.

Finding local adventures, such as walking in unexplored corners of your neighbourhood, finding a farmers market or a flea market or visiting museums in your city, is among the greenest forms of travel.

I love to find those kinds of places..then If you want to venture just a little farther, consider filling your car with people and driving a few hours to a beach or forest. Even a small adventure can feel like a world away.

Train travel is considered better for the environment than air travel but the airlines are really committed to going green by 2050 or before and newer technology is being implemented in new planes that are improving the carbon emissions all the time for a more eco friendly travel.

What can we do to make flying more sustainable?

Many airlines like Qatar have a voluntary offsetting program where they offer you the option to pay into their offset program and use all of the funds to build wind farms in a remote area of India which fully powers a small town.

There is also a company called Trees For Travel.

https://www.trees4travel.com/video

They have come up with a CO2 calculator that determines how many trees need to be planted to offset the emissions of your travel and the cost is similar to a good cup of coffee. Its also very clear what you are paying for like a trip from Toronto to Cancun including hotel they say costs about 6 trees at a cost of $4 each.

Our planet has space for an additional 1.2 trillion trees. If we protect & restore forests, we can reverse the current climate change trends & create a world where forests are expanding & not shrinking.

Flights account for around 2.5% of global carbon dioxide production at the moment

In October Google flights started reporting the CO2 emissions from each plane so you can make the best possible choice when you are picking your flight. You can even search for lowest emissions.

Other things you can do is to;

Fly economy. - A business class seat is heavier and takes up more room so the emissions are higher. .
Choose an airline that uses newer planes with better technology
fly direct if you can because making a stopover can increase the amount of carbon you produce.
Volunteer to pay into an offset program like the one offered by Qatar Airways who use your money to build wind farms.

Travel responsibly.

This basically means I care about where I am visiting and the impact I have. I travel to places where they need our support.

buy souvenirs that support the local people,
shop local
support the organizations and hotels that give back to the community
and support hotels that have a conservation initiative.

There are a few great places I would like to recommend for a great eco friendly vacation.

Costa Rica is at the forefront of sustainability. Not too far away but so beautiful. Aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050,

Deforestation has been reversed, forest cover now stands at over 53%, and more than a quarter of the country’s land has been turned into protected parks and reserves.

You can find plenty of eco-lodges, each one implementing strong eco values in their own creative way.

Playa Cativo Lodge, on the coastline of Piedras Blancas National Park is all about sustainability passionate about protecting our planet and all of its precious inhabitants.

They generate 100% clean electric energy by hydropower, complemented by solar panels. They also heat their water with solar power.

They have an onsite farm program to grow on-site fresh organic produce to significantly reduce the carbon footprint.

The Azores comprised of nine volcanic islands filled with natural parks, protected landscapes, and forest reserves are the world's first leading sustainable tourism destination officially recognized certified under the EarthCheck Sustainable Destination program, making it one of the most sustainable tourism destinations in the whole world - four of the islands have been designated as UNESCO Biosphere Reserves

.Only five hour flight from Canada and you can stay in many great sustainable hotels from just $100 a night. I chose the Santa Barbara overlooking the grand beach of Santa Barbara it is the Azores’ first ecologically-friendly eco-beach resort.

Built using up cycled local material, food grown very locally or on property and many more eco initiatives.. great place and on my bucket list!

You can even have a meal in Sao Miguel cooked in a Volcano.

Travel is never going to be totally eco but with a few tweaks we can do our best to travel better, responsibly and more sustainable. Giving back to protect our world and the people in it!

Travel is never going to be totally eco but with a few tweaks we can do our best to travel better and have a more eco-friendly holiday season!

Let’s get back to travel… but responsibly!