My wife has always had a mission to travel the world, and I mean the whole thing. Two degrees and a global pandemic slowed her down, but by 2022, I was the last thing in her way.
It wasn’t long before she had me sold on an indefinite trip, with a boarding pass in hand. She did agree, however, that we should track everything: our money, our relationship, and our environmental impact. Would this trip eat away at our savings, sour our marriage, or betray our environmental values? We genuinely needed numbers to know if we were delulu, as in completely delusional.
After our three-month trip turned into nearly four years of nomadic living, we’ve returned to Canada. Our numbers show that we are, in fact, sane people, although I still have my suspicions.
Financially, it was a delicate balancing act, and romantically, it was easy. Being whisked around the world by your partner is pretty great. The factors affecting our carbon footprint also became clear within the first few months.
These are the five factors that had the greatest impact on our carbon emissions:
- Avoid flying
This is obviously a challenging one. We are frequent flyers by any definition, but we prioritize overnight trains, buses, and slower ferries over faster airborne options. Every flight you can skip makes a significant impact on your annual carbon budget. - Your diet has an impact
A meat-heavy diet contributes about seven times more emissions than a plant-based one. You don’t need to go fully vegan to make a difference. Even incorporating more vegetarian meals can significantly reduce your impact. - Sequential travel beats hopscotching
Instead of flying in and out of regions repeatedly, travel slowly through adjacent locations. We love pulling out a map and playing a game of connect-the-dots, and it often leads us to unique places we may never have otherwise considered. - Awareness enables better choices
We use a carbon calculator to track our flights, accommodations, food, and transportation. Knowing the numbers helps us make informed trade-offs. Sometimes we choose the lower-carbon bus. Sometimes we fly for safety or time. Understanding our patterns helps in the same way tracking our spending habits does. - Offsetting isn’t permission, it’s accountability
Carbon offset programs can help balance unavoidable emissions, but they work best when you understand your footprint and have already minimized it where possible.
The truth is, critics will say that with the global tourism industry accounting for over eight per cent of global emissions, those who care about climate change shouldn’t travel at all. But we believe that exploring the world helps us understand why it’s worth protecting. We think everyone should travel, and that every traveller should be mindful of their footprint, using some combination of these five factors to reduce their impact in a way that fits their travel style.
Alia Youssef, Documentary Media (MFA) ’20 and Shawn Hymers, Aerospace Engineering ’19, are the travel writers, photographers, and content creators behind Roaming In The Know. After four years of exploring over 50 countries and hundreds of destinations around the globe, they’ve turned their passion for exploration into a trusted resource for travelers. Through their Instagram and blog, they share first hand knowledge, stunning visuals, and practical guides and itineraries to help you plan unforgettable trips.
“But we believe that exploring the world helps us understand why it’s worth protecting.”
I loved this line and whole-heartedly agree! Respect your dedication and the care you took to track your contributions during this trip! Great blog post – really enjoyed reading it!