We all know that flying is not the most eco-friendly form of travel. However, while it’s not always possible to choose an eco-friendly means of transport to get to a certain destination, there are ways you can make up for choosing to fly when going on holiday.
So, when you’ve booked your bargain flights with jet2.com or one of the other budget airline operators, have a think about how you can make up for those CO2 emissions the plane journey will create.
The simplest way to do this is to make a contribution to a carbon off-setting scheme. Look at sites such as Treeflights where you can work out how much CO2 will be emitted during your flights. You can then make a donation for trees to be planted to equal out the emissions. Of course, the amount of CO2, the number of trees and the cost will vary
according to how far you’re travelling. However, a journey between London and New York works out to about £10, so it’s not enormous by any means. And those trees will keep on growing long, helping to absorb CO2 for years to come.
Wherever you are on holiday, you can make sure you leave as small a carbon footprint as possible, of course. Make sure you power down all equipment and lights when leaving your hotel room. Use the shower instead of running a bath and use your legs and walk or cycle instead of getting a taxi to see the sights in the local area. All these gestures can reduce the amount of emissions you personally add to the environment while you’re holidaying.
Similarly, if you choose dishes cooked with locally ingredients, it helps to reduce your carbon footprint. Of course, all these actions can be replicated when you’re back at home, it’s not just something to do while you’re on holiday.
You may think that the actions of one person or family won’t be effective enough to make a difference, but if everyone adopted the same ‘can do’ attitude on the eco-friendly front just imagine how significant each person’s part is in the overall picture. Play your part, and get others to do the same!