Travel is a beautiful thing.
It helps us grow, experience other cultures
and appreciate our differences.
But if we're not careful,
it can be destructive to the environment,
ironically destroying the places that we travel so far to see.
But it doesn't have to.
I'm Marko. I'm Alex.
And you are watching Vagabrothers,
your go-to guide for travel tips,
inspiration and vlogs here on YouTube.
And in this video, we're going to help you learn to adjust your travel habits
to minimize your impact
so we can preserve our planet for future generations.
If you haven't already, hit that subscribe button,
turn on notifications so you don't miss any videos,
give this video a big thumbs-up, and share it with your travel buddies.
Get ready to make a positive difference.
This is how to travel sustainably.
First things first: let's address the elephant in the room.
Air travel is incredibly bad for the environment.
It accounts for over 40% of the carbon footprint
of the entire tourism industry.
For example, a single round trip ticket from LAX-NYC
generates 20% of the greenhouse gasses
that the average American car does all year.
True, new jets are more fuel efficient.
Some even use biofuels.
But the gains in efficiency are outweighed
by an increase in demand for air travel.
And yet to produce this channel,
the two of us catch dozens of flights a year.
It might seem hypocritical for us to make
a video about sustainability when the easiest way for us
to reduce our carbon footprint would be to stop traveling completely.
That being said, we believe that travel on balance is a very positive force
and necessary to build a sense of global citizenship
needed to address issues that transcend borders...
like climate change.
In the spirit of exploring the planet,
while preserving it for our children's generation,
these are our tips on how we all can travel more sustainably.
First things first: travel locally.
One of the biggest myths about travel is
that you need to go to the opposite side of the planet in order to have a meaningful experience.
We all dream of Bali, but we neglect our own backyard.
Henry David Thoreau, one of America's great travel writers,
spent years traveling the United States on foot
garnering deep philosophical insights from his experiences,
all without leaving his home county
of Concord, Massachusetts.
Before you fly, think about where you can hike, bike, canoe or sail.
Appreciating what you have nearby
makes the occasional distant adventure all that much more rewarding.
If you want some more inspiration, click on this video
for our list of the best national parks in the United States.
Number 2: avoid all unnecessary flights.
Sure, if you live in Australia and your dream is to travel to Europe,
you're going to have to fly to get there.
But you can offset the impact of that trip by skipping all sorts of other flights throughout the year.
For example, back home avoid work trips and
telecommute via video conference, instead.
That way, you're saving your air travel
for the trips that you really care about.
Once you get to your destination, use buses and trains to get around.
Local budget airlines like Ryan Air or Air Asia
might be cheaper and faster, but they
cause your carbon footprint to soar,
not to mention, they usually screw you on excess baggage fees too.
Number 3: A carbon offset.
If you can't avoid flying, consider purchasing a carbon offset,
an additional fee on top of your ticket price,
which offsets the impact of your flight
by funding sustainability projects around the world.
The longer the flight, the larger the offset, the more
money you donate to cool initiatives like
rain forest conservation in the Amazon.
Offsets have been widely criticized as a fig leaf
to cover up the larger problem of airplane pollution.
And while it's true that buying offsets won't fix the problem alone,
it's better than nothing.
But they are best used in addition to reducing air travel,
not instead of it.
Check the links in the description box for more information.
Number 4: use green, local transport.
Once you arrive, use green, local transportation to get around.
Just like back home, using cars and taxis
is no bueno for Pacha Mama
Instead, set off on two feet.
It's free; it's healthy, and it's still the best way to get lost and discover new spots.
Same goes with public transport.
Give yourself a cheap city tour by jumping on and off a local bus route.
Or if you want a surprise, hop on a metro
and get off at a station that sounds cool, and see what's there.
Of course, the bicycle remains the most efficient form of transportation.
And most major cities around the world
now have municipal grab and go bike systems.
A lot like Madrid even have electrical bike systems
allowing you to cover even more distances efficiently and cheaply.
And here in Los Angeles, we've got the new start- up Bird...
electric scooters that are so fun to ride.
If you come to LA, ask yourself, "Do you have a Bird, bro?"
First plug is free on us. If you want to do a brand deal,
you know how to contact us.
But perhaps the best overall method is to practice
"slow travel."
Just as" slow food" counters the ills of fast food,
slow travel practices sustainablity
by doing less on each trip.
For example, if you're planning a two week trip to Europe,
instead of flying from here to there, trying to do as much as possible
in as little time as you have,
pick one place, maybe two.
Rent a house, explore it on foot and try to make
a meaningful connection with the local community.
This is the essence of slow travel.
If you do want to cover some distance,
do it by bike, train, horse, sailing, or walking,
the original form of travel and definitely the healthiest.
Walking Spain's Camino de Santiago
is definitely one of the best slow travel experiences out there,
not to mention one of the cheapest.
Number 6: pack light.
One of the most overlooked tips is to simply pack light.
Bringing one bag instead of two might not
seem like that big of a difference,
but all those extra bags add up and burn a lot more jet fuel.
How many views does this video have now?
Imagine if each one of us had to pack an extra 25 kilo bag?
That's so much fuel wasted.
It's not just how much you pack, it's what you pack.
Specifically, pack reusable items
and avoid using single-use plastic items
like straws and water bottles which don't decompose
and eventually end up in our oceans
like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Start with a reusable plastic water bottle that you can fill up at fountains
and restaurants and save on average
167 plastic bottles per year.
If you're traveling in countries with unsafe drinking water,
bring a Steri pen and purify that water instantly.
Bring a camp mug for hot drinks,
some reusable sandwich wax made from bee pollen
for sandwiches to avoid cling wrap,
and also some reusable utensils.
This company right here, To Go Ware,
makes these great bamboo utensils that all fit into one little kit,
and they even have chop sticks for traveling in S.E. Asia.
Pack a couple reusable tote bags for groceries
or to hold your dirty laundry, and you're good to go.
Saying no to single use plastics might raise some eyebrows.
But it's an important step in raising awareness in countries
that still treat plastics like the biodegradable products they recently replaced.
Beyond that, be mindful when you're packing your toiletries,
especially if you're traveling in regions with poor sanitation
and fragile eco systems.
Avoid products in aerosol cans, body washes with micro beads,
or sulfate shampoos.
Inevitably, all of these end up in our rivers and oceans.
No bueno.
A better solution is biodegradable soap and shampoo
like Dr Bronner's 18/1
pure Castille soap.
You can use it for brushing your teeth, washing your hair
and even doing your laundry.
And instead of using the samplers in your hotel room,
buy a pack of reusable go- tubes,
and fill them up with your favorite products from back home.
There're links to all of the products that we mentioned in the
description box of this video.
Lastly for the ladies, consider a reusable menstrual cup.
While Alex and I cannot vouch for them,
our female friends have recommended them to us
because they can last for 12 hours;
you don't need a bin to dispose of them, you just wash them out.
Make sure you wash them with boiled or purified water to avoid infection.
Next up: think about what you eat.
One of the best parts about travel is trying local flavors.
Avoid multi-national chains,
and eat locally.
It's cheaper, healthier, and better for the planet,
not to mention, you're building the local economy.
This applies to drinking, as well.
Whenever possible, always drink local craft beers, and if you can,
drink draft beers instead of bottles or cans.
And if you were raised in the west, you're probably accustomed
to eating more meat than the locals.
And actually eating less meat is one of the most effective ways to reduce your emissions
no matter where you are on earth.
Not to mention, eating veggies are usually a safer bet if you're
worried about getting a stomach bug { as long as they are washed!}
Same goes for purchasing souvenirs.
If you're going to bring something home,
make sure that you're supporting the local economy.
A lot of the souvenirs that are sold to tourist
in touristy shops are actually made in China.
Instead, buy from women's artisan collectives
that supports sustainable development
and put money back in the community.
And to state the obvious, do not take any animal products as souvenirs
especially ivory, tiger bone, shark fin soup
or anything recommended in Chinese medicine
to make the man strong like bull.
Honestly, just take Viagra if you're looking for that.
Animal welfare issues are more common when you're picking your activities
As much as you want a photo riding an elephant,
swimming with dolphins, or cage diving with sharks,
activities like these have a very real impact on the natural world.
The dolphins that are in that pool
were forcibly removed from the ocean, separated from their parents
and bred in captivity for a life of pain.
Instead, consider volunteering
at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand,
a natural park, or a wild life rehabilitation center
where you can help reverse the problem
instead of exacerbating it.
Vote with your dollar and favor local tour operators who help protect wildlife
and preserve local cultural heritage,
especially if you're traveling to indigenous
communities whose lives can be greatly affected by tourism.
If a business does not meet your standards,
politely explain how they could change for the better.
Just try not to be too preachy.
Remember that in developing economies,
where the cost of going green is relatively a lot higher,
it can mean not putting food on the family table,
which means change can come a lot more slowly.
Number 11: choose accommodation wisely.
Few things impact the travel industry's carbon footprint
as much as accommodations, which count
for 20% of total emissions, the second biggest cause after air travel.
Hotels can cause a huge amount of waste.
Air conditioning and lights left on 24/7
changing sheets and towels daily,
and over 2 million bars of half-used soap
thrown away every single day
in the United States alone.
Thankfully, NGOs like Clean the World
are starting to distribute used soap to
communities lacking adequate sanitation.
But you guys already have your Dr Bronners, right?
The impact of your hotel is super important
if you're traveling to fragile ecosystems like national parks.
But eco-lodges are a great way to be close to nature
and support the local economy, all while being sustainable.
But you don't need to stay in a fancy eco resort to make a difference.
Stay in Airbnbs instead of hotels
Find an eco hostel, and don't forget to hang up your towels
instead of leaving it on the bathroom floor.
Last but not least, live by the saying:
Leave only footprints, take only memories.
It's trite but true, but you can even do one better.
Next time you go to the beach, pick up some trash and throw it away.
Doesn't matter if it's not yours. You're doing the planet a solid.
Or you could even practice the new Swedish
fitness trend: Plogging
which is jogging but with a trash bag,
and you pick up all the trash you see along the way.
Stay fit. Stay healthy, and be sustainable.
Those are our tips. What are yours?
Share your own tips and questions in the comment section below.
And if you have an idea for a future video you want us to address,
make a short clip and send it to :
submissions.vagabrothers@gmail.com
for a chance to be featured in an upcoming video.
If you enjoyed this video, you know what to do:
give it a big thumbs-up, share it with your travel buddies,
subscribe, and turn on notifications if you haven't already.
In the meantime remember:
stay curious; keep exploring, and we'll see you on the road.
Peace.