When you are on holiday one of the last things you are probably thinking of is your footprint. I’m not talking about the prints you leave on those white sandy beaches, but the ones you leave on the planet. When we travel it’s easy to let all of our normal routines and habits fly out the window. So this guide is full of #LittleGreenSteps you can take to be more mindful while you are travelling.
Now most people would take the easy way out – you know the whole ‘I’m just one person, how do my actions matter?’, but luckily for all of us, you are not most people. You are here on this page, reading this article because you know the power of numbers, you understand that when we collectively make changes, we will change the world. And that is why we love you and this is why we love Leo:
“Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating… Let us not take this planet for granted.”
– Leonardo Di Caprio
Climate change in a nutshell.
Our planet is heating up fast, which is scientifically proven to be from pollution and not some natural phenomena. Approximately 2/3 of the pollution that is driving climate change is from the burning of fossil fuels – coal, oil, and natural gas – with another big part coming from deforestation and agriculture. By burning fossil fuels we are heating up the planet and melting the arctic – which is ‘the aircon’ of the world. By cutting down our forests, we are effectively killing ‘the lungs’ of the planet, as they produce much of the oxygen we breathe. Combined – this means more extreme weather globally, more floods, more droughts. So it’s safe to say we have a big problem, how can we all do our part?
Make your footprints greener.
When we are talking about climate change and a ‘carbon footprint’, what we really mean is that carbon represents the different types of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, and footprint represents the total impact something has. If you want to read more about, The Guardian did a great summary. Whether you fly or drive a good place to start is to offset your carbon footprint when you travel, which you can do with companies like Climate Care. To date, they have cut 20.6 million tonnes of CO2 and improved life for 16.5 million people through their projects of safe water, clean cooking, solar power, sustainable agriculture, clean energy and forestry.
>> When you are travelling be mindful of your choices. Aside from offsetting personal carbon, think about the footprint of the things you are consuming. Where possible, buy local produce – it will of had less of a journey to get to you and you will be supporting the local economy.
Be a climatarian, skip that burger.
Yes, this is a thing! According to Nat Geo, every pound of beef served is equivalent to releasing about 19 pounds of greenhouse gases and animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the combined exhaust from all transportation (13%).
>> Consuming less beef reduces your carbon footprint and sparks for interesting conversation at the dinner table. Head to Less Meat Less Heat and take the 30-day climatraian challenge.
BYO and turn the tides against plastic. One small step for man, one giant step for mermaids.
To say that plastic is ‘disposable’ is one of the biggest deceptions of our time. Every piece of plastic that was ever made is still on our planet today in some form or another. Did you know that by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans by weight than fish and that 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans each year? That’s basically a garbage truck full of single-use plastic being dumped every single minute. If you are mermaids like us, this is a terrifying reality.
>> Say no to plastic as much as you can. Bring reusable bags, water bottles, cutlery and containers with you. Reduce, reuse, recycle and replace!
Jokes about menstrual cycles are not funny. Period.
Periods don’t mind joining on holidays, even though they are normally that annoying uninvited guest that just turns up. Tampons are used by over 100 million women worldwide, with the average woman using roughly 11,000 tampons in her lifetime. That is a sh*t load of tampons. Aside from the obvious impact to our landfills, the chemical-laden production coupled with the ‘disposable’ packaging is not doing anyone any favours. Ladies, we can make the switch to eco-friendly menstrual products – and speaking as the converted it’s game-changing.
>> Get yourself a reusable menstrual cup, period underwear, reusable cloth pads or even sea sponge tampons. Your vagina and the planet will thank you.
‘We do not inherit the planet from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.’
– Native American Proverb
Do it for the kids.
A chilling thought I have often had is my kids or grandkids learning about this time in history and turning to me and saying ‘why didn’t you do more?’ There are around 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 – that is our largest youth population ever. It is undeniable that they are the future – but what kind of future are they going to have? There is no planet b and each of us are playing a part.
I truly believe that if each and every one of us was a little more conscious in a few aspects of our lives, we’d be happier, healthier and lessen our burden on the planet. It starts with you, every single thing you do matters. It is up to all of us to make change today, for a better tomorrow for all.
So, what are you going to do about it?
For even more tips and tricks download our e-book here.
This guide is part of our 12 Days of Conscious Christmas, click to see all the guides. Let’s all take #LittleGreenSteps to #LiveMoreConsciously this Christmas!
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