Where Do You Summer?

It is hard to reconcile being green with the need to get away from it all. Most of us have got used to the concept of jumping on a plane to get a bit of sunshine (especially if you live in the UK). Somehow we think that going far away brings some kind of relief. Whether it be a different environment, culture or just some heat it brings a refreshing change. It hasn’t always been that way.

Many of us grew up with much more simple holidays. Ours was going to Jersey every summer. It was very simple, involved no flying and we enjoyed the simple pleasures that family and the seaside could bring. Even in the pouring rain. It wasn’t until I was in my late teens that we started to go further afield. With more and more cheap flights it became the norm to travel to more exotic places. Now with the added pressure of social media, people are seeking the more impressive exotic destination to record on their pages. But, it must be time that we start looking at greener ways to relax and enjoy the summer and show those off if necessary!

So what can you do to make your summer travel more green?

Cut back on flying - I’m pretty scared of flying so for me, this is an easy choice. But, that aside, we should all be thinking about whether we really need to take that flight.

Go by train - In Switzerland, young people have started demanding more sleeper trains as they are turning away from plane travel. Apparently travelling by train is much greener. Opting for train travel can cut your C02 emissions by 90% in comparison to flying.

Stay local - The UK has so many wonderful holiday destinations; Cornwall, Devon, Scotland, Wales, Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly or hop over to the continent and explore by rail or car. Wherever you live, there are good local options for a relaxing and refreshing holiday.

Help clean up - Involve yourself in local clean-up schemes where ever you go or just pick up rubbish as you walk along the beach or through the countryside.

Off-set your carbon emissions through Co2-reducing schemes - Many of us live away from family and have to travel. So if we do, there are ways to reduce the impact of your travel on the environment:
Research the airlines and choose one that is making positive changes toward reducing environmental damage – eg. by making fuel-saving changes, investing in bio fuels etc.
Become a Climeworks pioneer. Climeworks is a Swiss-based company that extracts Co2 from the atmosphere and converts it into rock.
Sign-up to a tree-planting scheme like UK-based Carbon Footprint

Whatever you choose to do, I hope you make the most of your summer holidays and have a fantastic time!