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Mary Fifield's avatar

I always appreciate your clear-eyed and hopeful take in this complex and frightening moment in human history. Travel is something I grapple with because I know firsthand how seeing other places and being introduced to other cultures can fundamentally change a person for the better. And yet the emissions from travel put that at risk. Sammy Roth, in his LA Times climate column Boiling Point, highlighted a company called Tradewater that does carbon offset through capping of orphan gas and oil wells and permanent destruction of CFCs. Carbon offsets have a questionable reputation for a lot of good reasons, but this is a tool I’m exploring as I try to be more selective about my travel.

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Juliet Wilson's avatar

I've not flown for over 15 years! We generally holiday in Scotland and travel to our destination by public transport (though we sometimes hire a car when we get there, if we're going somewhere very rural).

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Gregory Pulham's avatar

It's great that Katherine provided suggestions for reducing the impact of travel. Nonetheless, travel by motorized method still has an impact. I've been concerned that there is some hypocrisy with birders/ twitchers seeking to add to their lists. Thus, I wrote https://ontarionature.org/the-naturalists-travel-dilemma-blog/ .

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pete drake's avatar

Katherine has suggestions for slightly ameliorating one’s emissions… however if you churn out more than, at most 2 tonnes equivalent of CO2, then you too, are responsible for the meltdown and probable demise of nature as well as possibly 2 thirds of humanity within the next 75 years.

However you CAN lock back your CO2 by investing in proven methods of carbon removal. (Right now I use Biochar ( Finnish ) and sequestration ( Climeworks ). I aim to be carbon negative in my remaining years ). If I can, you can.

It does mean I have less money to destroy the planet with, and fewer holidays.

( Jazzme is quite right … can we all buy insurance - maybe if you lock up your

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Jazzme's avatar

Should Indians buy starvation insurance?

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