Traveling to new places is often quoted as one of the components of happiness. However, psychologists are still researching the relationship between happiness and travel. According to a study led by the Breda University of Applied Sciences, having an upcoming trip does increase happiness because of the anticipation and overall excitement prior to the experience. In the United States, international air carriers have seen an average annual growth of 3.7% per year since 2010 and are expected to grow steadily by 1.7% per year until 2020 (IBISWorld, 2015). This industry is compromised by freight and mail transportation, passenger transportation, and related activities. Passenger transportation accounts for 79.3% of international flight carriers, which makes international travel the largest factor in carbon emissions in the industry (IBISWorld, 2015).
This makes passengers responsible for the largest amount of carbon emissions in international transportation. As an avid traveler and aspiring sustainable citizen, this presents a conflict. I want to remain responsible to the environment, but at the same time, I want to see the world and travel as much as I can. Traveling by ship is by far the best environmental solution thus far, but with everyday time constraints, it is not a time-efficient solution. However, there are simple and effective steps we can take to be as responsible as possible and still see the world.
1. Calculate carbon emissions
Websites, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization, offer “Carbon Emissions Calculators” (http://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/CarbonOffset/Pages/default.aspx). These calculate carbon emissions based on departure and arrival locations and provide an estimate of the environmental impact of our travel. For example, in my flight to Iceland, I was responsible for an estimated 669.74kg of CO2.
2. Find ways to counteract emissions
Knowledge is power, and acting against our emissions can create a large impact if we educate others. YouSustain’s action calculators (http://www.yousustain.com/footprint/howmuchco2) can calculate how much CO2 from an activity is released. Because most of the recommended solutions offered (such as using reusable shopping bags) should be standard practices, educating others on the importance of their own lifestyles could help offset our own emissions. For example, with this trip, I could meet the energy use of an average house for 18.78 days. If I am already keeping my energy consumption at a minimum, I could advise friends and family on how to reduce their energy usage by using smart thermostats, lower their water temperature, etc., to offset my trip’s 18.78 days of energy.
3. Support responsible air carriers
Atmosfair’s Airline Index bases it’s analysis of responsible air carriers in three categories: avoidance, optimization, and compensation. Avoiding involves the reduction of emitting greenhouse gases proactively. Optimization involves doing the most of an already emitted greenhouse gas. Lastly, compensation is the reactive attempt to neutralize the greenhouse gases already emitted. Their index, which ranks airlines under the focus of those three categories, can be found at: https://www.atmosfair.de/documents/10184/882239/AAI2014_EN/78682354-18f9-472f-9212-6911d98b23ff.
These tools are by no means long-term solutions to the environmental crisis we are currently facing, but they are a way to start changing the way we view travel. If we tackle these issues directly, we will have to drastically change the ways we live and redefine our idea of comfort, which would limit our travel and mobility for the greater wellbeing of our environment.
-Jonathan