Responsible Travel

BALUD is composed of international volunteers. Our partners, projects, meetings, conferences, etc. are in different parts of the world. We contribute to the burning of airline fuel. This is an inevitable part of our work. Yet, we are not oblivious of this fact. We are trying to offset our carbon footprint as an organization. We strive to be a green organization in its true meaning.

This section of the website serves as the online version of the travel column "Travails, Trips and Travels" that Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno writes for a newsmagazine Munting Nayon in the Netherlands for purposes of sharing his travel experiences which to date encompasses fifty countries. Sharing travel experiences through a column may not necessarily or directly offset carbon footprint (though some may not travel having read them), however, the ethos promoted in the content of the columns may inspire behaviour change for some travellers. The following article ‘My Carbon Footprint’ is from the January 2008 issue of the newsmagazine. It provides tips to tourists on sustainable, ethical or responsible travel. Enjoy reading the travel experiences of the writer as he brings you to the different parts of the world every month (only through writing).

My Carbon Footprint

In December 2007, governments and environmental experts gathered in Bali, Indonesia to discuss climate change. This is an initiative on how the world will move forward after the Kyoto protocol expires in 2012. Ten thousand delegates gathered which ironically produced 60,000 to 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide. I was not in that conference. But the event made me more conscious of my carbon footprint.

If you have not heard about ‘carbon footprint’, it is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced. The measure is in units of carbon dioxide. Airline travel is one of the fastest-growing generators of carbon emissions. It accounts for 5.5% of the CO2 generated in the UK. If no action is taken on greenhouse gases, the earth’s temperature could rise by 4.5C or more. Glaciers will melt, sea level will rise and the Netherlands may disappear and so as parts of the Philippines.

I would say I travel a bit more than any average person. I work in the field of global health which brings me to different corners of the world Let’s put it this way, I was short of becoming a Platinum Elite of KLM-Air France’s Flying Blue last year; not counting my earned air miles with rival Star Alliance. This is one achievement nobody should be proud of. How do I limit my personal carbon footprint? I practice ‘responsible travel’ or in development parlance, ‘sustainable tourism’.

If you can avoid airplanes, do it. Take the train, bus, ship or bike instead. That means taking the train from Phoenix, Arizona to Cincinnati, Ohio. That’s a two-day trip. Or taking the bus from Cardiff, Wales to Amsterdam, The Netherlands. That’s a one-day bus ride. Sometimes a bus ride from Manila to Tacloban City is a good alternative than taking the plane. Then you see more sights as you travel along the road. I also took a ship from Helsinki to Stockholm. If I can take the train from Europe to the Philippines, I would love to. Maybe in the near future with the Orient Express.

Do not get fat. I do not mean to offend overweight individuals. But extra weight is extra work for the plane because it has to burn more fuel to carry extra load. This is one of the latest discussions in air travel. Some people are suggesting taxing overweight individuals, a sort of ‘punitive’ tax. But of course this raises human rights questions. So what I do is I keep myself trim and fit. Aside from keeping my weight within normal range, I can also carry my luggage without too much effort.

Visit at least two countries in one trip. If your goal is to visit many countries in your lifetime, it is best to visit at least two countries using one return ticket. What travellers do not understand is normally flights are priced based on a ‘regional’ blocking. Let say, flying to Costa Rica and departing from Panama with the same company without extra charges on your ticket. (I took a bus in between.) There are now regional airlines where you can take single flights. If you want to travel to Thailand, you can visit other ASEAN countries with low-cost airlines jumping from one country to another if you cannot take trains, buses or ships. Then you can go back to your country exiting through say Indonesia. The most popular with this country-hopping scheme is when one travels to Europe. With the enlargement of Schengen, one can now cover more countries in a single European trip. You need not repeat your trip to the region.

Travel light. Similar to the rationale on keeping one’s weight normal, one should not bring too many unnecessary things when flying. Many cultures love bringing ‘pasalubong’. Do you still need to buy Toblerone chocolates in Spain if you have them anyway at NAIA? Why buy and carry bottled alcohol onboard when a big percentage of the weight is the bottle instead of the content? Why bring ‘branded’ clothes from Europe when you can buy them in the Philippines anyway? Well sometimes culture dictates. We can’t help it. Not with me. As pasalubong, I normally bring cash. It’s more practical.

Support carbon offsetting schemes. Many airlines have now started to charge passengers who want to offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated by their flights. The money is channelled to environmental projects that help the release of greenhouse gases. Carbon offsetting is now becoming a popular means of atoning for generating CO2. It allows consumers to contribute to projects such as tree planting to negate the effect of their flight. Carbon credits cost up to 10 Euros per ton. Many customers are however complaining because European flights are already highly taxed. This should already pay these environmental projects.

Buy only one bottled water. Sounds funny but buying bottled water is a human instinct all travellers do. The sad part is one consumes a big volume of water (thus more bottles) in a single day when on a trip. Where do these bottles go? To the non-recyclable plastic trash. Remember that it takes energy to produce, transport and dispose of bottled water. Why not refill the bottle and bring it along with you all the time? Or might as well bring a water container whenever you travel. Similarly, avoid using plastic cups. In Brazil, it is common to get a plastic cup when you buy bottled water. They also give you two straws instead of one when ordering drinks. Hmmm…

Support ecotourism. Ecological tourism is an approach in travel whereby one is ecologically and socially conscious as he/she enjoys the local culture, the flora and fauna, and the heritage. In simple terms, acting responsibly as a guest. That means not producing too much waste and litter, not vandalizing the place, respecting and appreciating the local culture, keeping nature untouched, or not touching the corals when scuba diving. This also includes saving on water by not asking for daily towel change or bathing in the tub. Your actions may deprive the local community of much needed water. Ecotourism is also a cheaper way of travelling since you live with the locals.

Send digital postcards. Postcards are made out of paper. Paper comes from trees. There is a strong likelihood that these are trees from developing countries. When one sends a postcard, planes carry it. One card maybe negligible. But if all tourists watching the Olympic games send cards to ten of his/her friends and family, this becomes a different story. (But honestly, I still prefer to receive a real card than an e-card.)

Write a travel column. There are people who cannot travel either because they do not have money or they are afraid of flying. Others are already contented with simply reading stories about places. Writing a travel column helps others experience one’s trip. Then they do not need to take the plane to see it. Either you write to your friends and family about your trip through email, a travel blog, or a column in Munting Nayon.

I have no intention of getting a Nobel Prize for environmental causes with these actions. It is for the likes of Al Gore who deserve this award. I am just an ordinary global citizen who is conscious of the greater consequences of what I do. I believe it is the obligation of everyone who thinks the same way. To ensure a better tomorrow we all have to act now. Unless we want to see a big part of the world under water.