By Kate Krehel
“We students love to branch out every weekend to explore every corner of Europe, but often amidst our excitement we forget about the consequences to our climate and Earth.“
On February 12th, students gathered at the Marist Italy office to attend a Sustainability Workshop. An expert from Alethea Global, an international cooperative that seeks to inform and give insight to foster climate-conscious solutions, discussed sustainability through the lens of travel. We students love to branch out every weekend to explore every corner of Europe, but often amidst our excitement we forget about the consequences to our climate and Earth. Being conscious of emissions we contribute to through travel is the first step towards the search for more sustainable travel options, and thereby a better, greener future.
The representative, Margherita Pasquini, discussed her journey towards more sustainable travel. She explained that while studying abroad is important, it is equally as important to recognize the emissions we create from participating in such a program. Much too often we are aware of the monetary cost of flights, but not their cost for the earth.
Each of us has a carbon budget, established by scientists during the creation of the Paris Agreement. The carbon budget represents the amount of carbon emissions each of us should use to prevent the global temperature from increasing annually. These emissions encompass those from all walks of life – what we buy, what we eat, and how we travel. Most students who study abroad spend over triple their carbon budget through flying alone! And while some flying is unpreventable, a lack of awareness is so prevalent in our society that most of us don’t even understand the implications of simply hopping on a plane.
“Most students who study abroad spend over triple their carbon budget through flying alone!“
So, what can we do to improve our carbon footprint and stay closer within our carbon budget?
To begin, it’s important to remember that flying is a privilege. In fact, 80% of the world’s population has never flown once. By extending our own carbon budget, we take away from others’, and the resulting ramifications affect those less privileged, especially in the global south, to a greater degree. By taking other forms of transportation, like trains and buses, we can substantially reduce carbon emissions and stay closer within our own carbon budget. On this same note, instead of visiting a different country every weekend, we can instead find incredible beauty by exploring within Italy. Just outside of Florence lie the beautiful, rolling hills of Tuscany where quaint, gorgeous towns reside, each with their own unique charm. By discovering these beauties, we don’t only uncover hidden gems but also reduce our carbon footprint.
So, when planning your next adventure, consider the location of your destination and how you’re getting there. Take into account how much you spend from your financial and carbon budget. We’ve attached links below that contain useful information to help you calculate your carbon emissions and introduce you to alternative modes of transportation to take. Consider lessening your carbon footprint by flying less and exploring all the local wonders Italy has to offer you. So much beauty lies just a bus or train ride away!
“Just outside of Florence lie the beautiful, rolling hills of Tuscany where quaint, gorgeous towns reside, each with their own unique charm. By discovering these beauties, we don’t only uncover hidden gems but also reduce our carbon footprint.“
Follow these links to calculate your own environmental impact…
- Travel and Climate https://travelandclimate.org/
- Atmosfair https://www.atmosfair.de/en/offset/
And follow these ones for some sustainable travel ideas!
- This fun map shows you how far you can travel from each station in Europe in less than 8 hours: https://www.chronotrains.com/en
- Tips on how to travel around Europe:
- Trainline https://www.thetrainline.com
- Seat61: https://www.seat61.com/
- Interrail https://www.interrail.eu/en
- A guide to Interrail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pl0pEE-gk4
- Flixibus: https://www.flixbus.co.uk/
Hi! My name is Kate, and I’m currently undecided on a major. I’m from Princeton, New Jersey, a small town an hour’s drive from New York City. I’ve spent much of my free time back home doing trail work and teaching students ecology, as well as involving myself in various other environmental initiatives around my state – hence, my position as Sustainability Ambassador! Spending time in nature is very important to me, and there’s little I enjoy more than a walk in the woods. Apart from this, I have a fascination with military history (and, well, history in general), enjoy reading, and love listening to music. I also write for fun and like learning languages. Thanks for reading – that’s a bit about me!
Discover more from The Official Student Blog of Marist Italy
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Leave a Reply