Photo credit: Taras Kalapun

The environmental footprint per capita in developed countries is more than 10 tones per year. For example, 10,8 tones of carbon is emitted per capita by British, 12,7 per capita by Greek and 22,4 tones per capita by Americans. It takes both governments and the citizens to take measures to reduce the impact of each nation on Earth. Many every day habits need to be reconsidered and altered drastically.

19.312 Kilometers an average car travels per year, producing 6 tones of greenhouse gases. But you would have to travel 150.107 Kilometers by train to produce the same amount of carbon for the same period. At the same time, 18 times more carbon is emitted per mile per passenger in a car than in a bus. Buses emit less carbon per passenger than trains, planes, boats or automobiles (in that order). In 2007, of the European Union’s total CO2 emissions, the 12% was created by passenger cars.

All these facts demonstrate the crucial need to ‘wean off’ private cars and opt for public means of transport. Such a decision made by the citizens actually alters their everyday life, as new habits are substituting old ones. To help them make such a decision, governments have to rearrange bus, train and metro schedules. They should be frequent, punctual and efficient, so that citizens can rely on them.

But it’s not only about transportation. Overpopulation and consumerism have similarly dramatic impact on the amount of carbon dioxide on the planet.

The British government has set a goal of 60% reduction on carbon emissions by 2050. Renewable sources of energy will be developed, substituting coal. Most governments have not made similar plans. However, all developed countries ought to make a plan for a considerable reduction on carbon emissions.

Photo credit: muha…

This post is an continuation of Travel Green: Manual 1 and Manual 2.

Opt for green: Whether it is a hotel or a tour operator, its environmental initiatives should be codified as policy, thus proving its sensitivity about limiting its impact on the environment. Also, appreciation or concern about a company’s environmental efforts should be expressed either by a comment card or by sending a letter or e-mail to the manager. Generally, companies of all kinds should notice that tourists care about nature and are concerned about the green policy of their choices. The more the demand for greener tourism, the more will industries and companies adopt greener policies.

Public means of transport: It is fairly more difficult than using them in your own country or area, but it is highly recommended. Not only do they minimize your environmental footprint, but also allow you to see a place from the perspective of the locals.

Eat locally: Enjoying the drinks and foods of each destination is actually a greener holiday. Apart from bringing you closer to the local people and their culture, it also helps reduce emissions caused by shipping food around the globe. It also boosts local economy, helping the locals develop their area’s eco-tourism.

At the hotel: Make your own bed and notify the maids not to change your sheets daily, as it’s most often not needed. In that way you reduce water, energy and detergent use. That is, if your hotel does not already have a linen reuse programme.

Shoot digital: Digital cameras require far fewer chemicals and less paper, plus you can delete unwanted shots. Remember to always use rechargeable batteries.

Clean green: Use biodegradable, phosphorous-free soap and shampoo when camping or cruising to avoid adding damaging chemicals to oceans, lakes and rivers. REMEMBER: Phosphorous is one of the main chemicals that leads to eutrophication in marine ecosystems, causing their living organisms to suffocate.

Photo credit: moonjazz

Riding personal watercrafts is generally a not recommended choice. They pollute the air and water, but if used with care, they can be relatively harmless. Since they go in areas inaccessible for larger boats, they can damage fragile marine habitats. However, they can be ridden in a way that is negligible in terms of ecosystem damage, provided it’s in a controlled environment.

Riding ATVs is also accepted under specific rules. ATVs pollute and tear up the terrain, but are sometimes still the only way to get out into the wilderness. The key is to be respectful of your surroundings and not to disturb wildlife. Always ride on proper trails to avoid harming fragile habitats.

Fishing: Deep sea fishing is less preferred than catch-and-release. Generally, fish caught on a line is considered sustainable. Obey regulations regarding the season and size of the catch, and remember that many boats burn a lot of fuel and create air and water pollution. It should be done in moderation or not at all, and never just for a wall mount.

On the other hand, catch-and-release fishing is a fine way to get in tune with nature while leaving a relatively small footprint. Nevertheless, be very cautious with the fish so they are able to survive the release, and of course, use barbless hooks. Remember that catch and release should be practiced only on non-threatened species.

In the same way, hunting is a controversial subject. Good hunters have been among the first conservationists because they have been in tune with nature. Meanwhile, licensed hunting can be a responsible way to control the populations of animals that no longer have natural predators. This becomes more and more often as species become extinct. It is crucial to hunt by the rules, while maintaining an emphasis on habitat conservation.

This post is an continuation of Travel Green: Manual 1.

Photo credit: Joshua Davis (jdavis.info)

Just as even the longest journey starts with one step, the salvation of the planet can start with one person: you. Each person that wants to be an eco- conscious traveller has to respect nature and seek for ways to reduce impact on it. That is achieved by making responsible choices and knowing well that just a few easy steps can make a big difference.

Fly nonstop: Planes burn the most fuel on takeoff and landing. That means that a long haul flight that takes you straight to your destination emits less CO2 than short haul flights. For the same destination, a long haul flight may burn up to two-thirds less CO2 than short haul flights.

Use airport restrooms: Flushing an airplane toilet at 9,144 metres above the ground uses almost a quarter of a litre of fuel- enough to drive about 9,650 metres. So you should make sure that you use the airport’s restrooms before each flight.

Don’t fly at night: according to a study by the University of Reading, clouds created by contrails trap more heat in the atmosphere at night than they do during the day. Thus flights during the day are less harmful than flights at night, concerning global warming.

Cruising: Cruising allows you to bring a lot of people into an area, without creating the environmental footprint required to house and feed them. However, large cruise ships could still be harmful to the environment if they are not new generation ships- with technology complying with the newly established strict standards, guaranteeing energy efficiency and effective waste management- and if they cruise in ports located near coral or other sensitive marine life. Thus, you should choose to travel on small cruise ships which carry less than 100 passengers. They are generally less threatening to fragile environments.

On the other hand, sailboats are the best way to go, if they are actually under sail. In general, there is room for improvement in this industry in making sure that small boats take care of wastewater responsibly.

Using a small part of the square, tourist guides organized a simple but effective exhibition of photographs. The central theme was littering public and historic zones, garbage production and recycling. The gallery included a small tree made of recycled paper, with photographs hanging instead of leaves. Most photographs were about polluted rivers, garbage along coast lines and litters on the streets. Recycle bins were demonstrated and equipment was available for children to draw and write their own green message. Passers-by could get informed about the various consequences of littering and not recycling.

This initiative should be set as an example to all kinds of organizations. Tourist guides realized that litters harm their profession, and decided to draw attention towards that fact. All kind of organizations and professions have problems due to environmental issues. Thus, all different groups can inform about environmental problems and guide other groups of people so as to diminish them. It is crucial that events take place to raise public awareness as to how simple everyday habits hurt both the environment and humanity.

Photo credit: thienzieyung

During the past few months, and under high pressure put by the European Union, Greece has started to adopt a greener policy. Among other measures and actions, eco-friendly plastic bags were introduced into the market, bio-eco products were widely advertised and each municipality planted more flowers in their area, also encouraging citizens to ‘green’ their homes.

But one of the biggest issues, reducing the use of cars at the city centre, is still not given proper attention. On the contrary, steps are taken to produce more parking spaces. That measure is totally against all efforts to persuade citizens not to use their cars and prefer the public means of transport.

The worst action of all was the destruction of a park in Athens so as to produce a big parking space. The municipality in charge cut down forty trees of the wide-leaf family, which produce big amounts of oxygen. The park was transformed into a huge flat area for cars.

Such actions discontinue projects for a greener city. Forty trees may not sound like a big number, but if this action is not condemned then soon it will be another green park and then another. Not to mention that the more parking spaces produced, the more people rely on their private cars. It is not only a matter of how many trees are left in the city- which alone is a major issue- but also a matter of whether citizens are encouraged to use the public means of transport.

It should be added, however, that the majority of citizens were against this action, and demanded that green parks are preserved. This is not enough though, as measures against the environment should be condemned by really boycotting parking conveniences and using the public means of transport.

However, as it takes millions of years for fossil fuels to be created, being extracted in such an alarming pace means that we will sooner or later run out. Only then will people realize how much we wrongly depend on them. Production of all kinds of goods, heating and transportation are only few of the fields that will be directly affected.

But even if fossil fuels were an infinite source of energy, they are the main reason why huge quantities of carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere, causing the greenhouse effect as well as acid rain, breathing problems and destruction of natural habitats.

Concequently, scientists should concentrate on creating and improving the ways we use alternative sources of energy. Making these sources more effective and easy to use, humanity will be able to wean off fossil fuels and face climate change. Generous fundings are given to laboratories dealing with medical care and weaponary. It is time that we realise that fossil fuels should not play the dominant role in producing energy, and thus major steps should be taken.

Wealthy people from the upper classes of society have many opportunities to get involved in these problems, to raise their own and other people’s awareness, and to contribute financially. However, this is not the case when it comes to lower ranks. It seems that poverty is a barrier in taking part in solving environmental problems.

For example, it is said that we should prefer bio-eco products for a greener life. Those products can be recycled or/and recyclable, manufactured in environmental friendly ways, without the use of toxic substances or chemicals. But all these features make them very expensive as well. So, the poorer people have to keep buying the cheapest products, and thus promoting the continuous manufacture and use of unhealthy and pollutant products.

In addition to this, poor people usually have to work hard to make a living. That makes them focus on their personal problems and the exhaustion caused by them, ignoring all other issues. Consequently, most of them are not interested in environmental problems and do not consider getting involved as a possible option. Due to the tough living conditions, lower ranks are also unable to concentrate on deeper education. However, education is crucial when it comes to raising awareness.

The number of six billion human lives would never have been reached if it wasn’t for fossil fuels. The energy sent by the sun and received by the Earth every day could ever sustain more than two billion people. Fossil fuels combine a sort of energy saved below the surface of the planet, now extracted by humans to use this energy and cover their needs. And with all needs easily covered, humanity was and is able to rise in population.

But there is a great difference of four billion people between the number of humans the planet can sustain and the number of humans existing, a fact that has a bad impact on the Earth. Using fossil fuels releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. And since there are so many people on Earth, there are more and more gas emissions. All this leads to global warming, climate change and pollution in general.

Even if overpopulation didn’t cause environmental problems of that kind, there are other consequences to be taken into account. And that’s because all these people need accommodation, private space, public areas and services, fields and farms to produce food. All this space needed is taken from ecosystems, mostly by deforestrating large areas. This act alone is enough to reduce the amount of oxygen produced by plants, and the space that natural habitats used to cover.

Humanity deposits many toxic substances under the ground. Most of those are radioactive materials, pesticides, heavy metals and other kind of poisonous wastes. Even if they are first deposited in lakes, rivers or the sea, waters transfer most of them in the soil, when the latter absorbs water. It happens the other way round as well, as chemicals within soil are transferred with the rain into marine ecosystems.

Soil contamination is as a serious problem as any other form of pollution, but it was discovered later than them. Although it is connected with water pollution, the procedure is slow, and at first not even plants show any difference to point out pollution. If not stopped in time, it leads to desertification and destruction of the whole ecosystem. Many species lose their habitat, face extinction, or accumulate toxic substances in their body and become infected and poisonous for their predators.