As the tourism industry contributes to 8% of the global emissions that cause climate change, we, as travelers, have to take responsibility for this matter. We have the knowledge, the power and the resources. Thus, #TravelCooler was born.
Climate crisis. What is it? Why is it happening? Is there any way to fix it?
Carbon emissions in the atmosphere keep our mother earth’s temperature warm so it is habitable for living creatures. But the intense production of carbon emissions caused by human activities in the past decades has been raising the earth’s temperature and making it too warm.
The temperature rise derives from carbon pollution is no minor issue, and it impacts every single aspect of every living creature. Extreme storms, dangerous floods, melting glaciers, and rising seas have become regular events in our lives. And yes, one of many impacts from those disastrous occurrences also threaten food, and water security, even hazarding public health in general.
In just 50 years, humans have diminished 68% of the world’s wildlife population, and if we continue making the earth hotter as forecasted, we would reach “the point of no return” where we would experience the 6th mass extinction” not just of animals, but also humans.
But fret not! This is a race we can win! There are ways we can fix this global problem. These two solutions may sum up the big picture of what we can do :
Decreasing our carbon emissions production.
Absorb the carbon back into the earth by carbon offsetting through conservation activities.
And how are travelling and the climate crisis related?
Not-so-fun fact! Tourism is a trillion-dollar industry and it contributes to 8% of global carbon emissions. We have foodprint, food consumption, food waste, accommodation, transportation, and activity of choices in this matter. These are all crucial, and interconnected with each other when it comes to contributing to carbon emissions within the tourism industry alone.
But what then? Should we all stop travelling? That’s one way to solve it, but let’s be practical. Yes, the goal is to reach zero carbon emissions, but we also need to enjoy the present life as much as ensuring the sustainability of the earth’s future. Thus, we need to find the balance between the two.
Hence, #TravelCooler was initiated to encourage more carbon-conscious travels. It is a new way of travel starting by planning our trip more carbon consciously, especially in our transportation choice. Then reducing the carbon emissions with better food, accommodation and activities choices, and finally calculate and offset the carbon emissions generated through conservation. With this, we believe that we can still have a great time exploring the world while being more conscious about our choices and contributing positively to the deceleration of the climate crisis.
We believe that #TravelCooler will be a lifetime adventure for all of us. Thus, if you are interested, you can join our #TravelCooler Community here, where you will have access to our talks, classes and other events, and also get updates about exciting news, trends & stories about climate-related travelling from all over the world.
Bumi Journey aims to chill this earth again by providing carbon-conscious ecotourism experiences focusing on conservation, education, and community empowerment. Learn more about our story here.
Writer: Virda Risyad
Editor: Faiz Karim
Instagram: Bumi Journey
References :
1. Ten Key Facts to Know About The Climate Crisis by Climate Reality Leadership Corps, 2017.
2. The Climate Crisis in Travel: Are We Missing the Bigger Picture? By Uncornered Market, 2020.
3. Bumi Journey Learning Material, 2021.