Sustainable travel - is it possible? Reports of climate threats are getting worse and worse, and we are inundated with warnings and tips. We've been thinking about how to travel more sustainably, and how the motorhome compares to flying.
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Reports on climate threats
The new report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change may scare even the most ardent environmentalist. The report warns of serious consequences for the future of the planet if warming reaches 2 degrees instead of 1.5.
According to Johan Rockström, a professor of environmental science, we have less than ten years to get the planet back on track. And that is a very short perspective when you live in a time where politics, administration and economics make all changes cumbersome and take time.
How do we achieve a sustainable lifestyle?
According to a 2017 research study there are four lifestyle choices that are most effective in reducing climate impact: having fewer children (most effective), living without a car, avoiding air travel and eating a plant-based diet. Of course, the hope is to move towards more environmentally friendly technologies, but even if this happens, it will hardly be enough. So how can we humans change our lifestyle?
Personally, I believe in a combination of 1) government instruments and 2) inspiration and good examples. However, I dislike blaming other people (I have seen some sad examples!).
I'm the kind of person who thinks it's a hassle to have to be informed and make conscious choices every time I make a stressful trip to the supermarket. However, I would gladly welcome a more limited range of exotic fruit and a higher price for meat.
Sustainable travel - what is it?
When it comes to travelling sustainably, we know pretty much what everyone else knows. Flying is not good and driving is not very good either, at least not if you don't drive an electric car (and electric cars don't seem to solve environmental problems in the long run). Carpooling is, of course, better than everyone sitting one by one in their cars. Travelling by train or bicycle seems to be best, but is not always realistic.
A reasonable alternative could be to fly less often, and stay away longer when you do fly. Another option is to holiday more in Sweden. There are also a lot of other things that come into play. To live sustainably while travelling, you can eliminate single-use packaging, shop less or more eco-friendly and eat locally produced food.
How sustainable is travelling by motorhome?
A motorhome usually runs on diesel, which is not optimal from an environmental perspective, but can the motorhome still be a reasonably good alternative? The Norwegian organisation Østfoldforskning has made a stand-alone study on behalf of the Norwegian Caravan Industry Association.
To find out how the motorhome fares in the environmental debate, they compared it with other possible types of holiday, such as a flight to a big city, a charter to the sun, a cruise or a summer cottage. The study takes into account transport, accommodation, food and activities, and assumes that the motorhome holiday takes place in Norway.
The results of the study show that a domestic holiday is one of the most climate-friendly options. A motorhome holiday has slightly higher emissions than travelling by car to a summer cottage, but is better than flying with a hotel and better than a cruise. Whether a motorhome holiday is a relatively good environmental choice or not depends of course on how far you choose to drive and which motorhome you drive etc., but there are some advantages of a motorhome that we would like to highlight:
- Many motorhome owners rarely or never fly.
- Motorhome owners often holiday in Sweden, or in Europe.
- Living in a campervan teaches you to conserve water and electricity.
How do you think?
Do you think about the environment when travelling? Do you have any tips for travelling sustainably?
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Lisa / livet från den ljusa sidan says:
I think a lot about the environment and no longer fly without a guilty conscience. The shame of flying has bitten me. However, I will not stop flying, in the long term I believe in instruments "higher up" to change behaviour in a way that makes a difference (completely individual will not do it) and I believe in research,
However, I have changed my behaviour somewhat and there will certainly be more. Flights in Sweden are going away, and I'm making very active choices there. I am now also trying to economise on air travel - what is reasonable? I have to decide this for myself. One long one per year? Yes, perhaps. How many shorter ones? Hm. Climate compensation? Yes, I'm starting that NOW.
There are many thoughts left to land, so for me it was a while since I wrote about it, but it will come again - when I "decided".
17 October 2018 - 7:01
Helena says:
You have really made changes Lisa, well done! I also believe that control measures are what works. Shame will not work on everyone, and on those it works on ... sad that they should have to feel bad.
17 October 2018 - 17:43
Anonymous says:
Everyone is always closest to themselves when it comes to what climate measures they think are appropriate!
I never fly privately and rarely at work, commute on foot but my partner drives 4 kilometres/day to work. However, we drive a lot of motorhomes.
Fuel and other taxes on vehicle traffic are relatively high, so I can't understand the reasoning behind the view that aviation, which has a similar if not worse climate impact, should not be subject to similar taxation. Why not put the climate tax on aviation at the same level relative to its environmental impact as private vehicles suffer?
//Peter
17 October 2018 - 7:45
Peter Rydh says:
Everyone is always closest to themselves when it comes to what climate measures they think are appropriate!
I never fly privately and rarely at work, commute on foot but my partner drives 4 kilometres/day to work. However, we drive a lot of motorhomes.
Fuel and other taxes on vehicle traffic are relatively high, so I can't understand the reasoning behind the view that aviation, which has a similar if not worse climate impact, should not be subject to similar taxation. Why not put the climate tax on aviation at the same level relative to its environmental impact as private vehicles suffer?
//Peter
17 October 2018 - 7:46
Helena says:
That's right! It is easiest to propose measures for things that do not affect you ...
17 October 2018 - 17:44
Fantasiresor says:
Great post, agree with you in everything kind of! I've always had a bad conscience when I took the plane (I'm a bit surprised by everyone who seems to have discovered it just this year...). But just as you write, I also generally believe in changes on a larger scale. I also think the debate is too narrow when it only focuses on the environment and not on social and economic sustainability. After all, tourism does not only have negative effects - what happens if we stop travelling to certain countries, for example? Have not been able to write a post about this yet so I think it's nice when others do it 🙂.
17 October 2018 - 10:25
Helena says:
Thank you for your comment Sofia, and I'm glad you're raising the issue of social and economic sustainability! I worked as a social sustainability strategist last year, so these are issues close to my heart. I thought about including those perspectives in this post, but then I decided to narrow the focus.
17 October 2018 - 17:47
Daniel | FlyingDryden says:
I agree with Fantasiresor's line, it can hardly have been news to people that flying costs the environment? That many people woke up this year is nice, but remarkable. Then the debate also becomes very narrow where a lot of focus is placed on just aviation, when there are SO many other things that fall off the radar when it comes to the environment, impact, sustainability and a generally healthy life.
I rarely feel guilty when I fly, almost never. I like flying but I also realise the impact it has on the planet. I'm not stupid. But I can also get very tired of those who blame us who travel by air, as if we are the only ones responsible for bad environmental impact. Again, it has become a narrow and polarised debate that needs a major overhaul from the ground up. Not everything is the fault of aviation, believe it or not.
17 October 2018 - 11:22
Helena says:
I can agree that the debate is a bit narrow, at least in social media and so on. There are many parts of our lifestyle that contribute to this.
17 October 2018 - 17:48
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
Nice to have a post on a topic that we believe engages most people. We choose our flights, within Sweden they are definitely going away. We travel more and more by train (living along the main line makes this an attractive way to travel).
Then we don't give up our motorhome trips, or occasional mountain trips to destinations further afield. Carbon offsetting is a good thing.
We think about the environment when we shop for food, preferably locally grown and much less meat than a few years ago. We are also fortunate to have some access to game meat.
17 October 2018 - 11:51
Helena says:
Yes, the environment is an issue! And it is fortunate after all, it would be tragic if no one cared about the planet! It sounds like you are making many good environmental choices!
17 October 2018 - 17:49
Ama de casa says:
I'm probably a real environmental villain... I fly, drive and cruise most of the time. However, there are some mitigating circumstances I can see. When we drive, there are always (at least) two of us in the car and we hardly ever use it here in the city. Then we usually holiday in our home country, even if it doesn't happen to be Sweden. Sometimes we take the bus if we want to go to Murcia or Alicante, for example. Other places... Well, we are too comfortable when it is too far or there are no direct connections.
A real environmental villain, then. But at least I recognise what many of the environmentalists do not. Buying emission rights? What good does that do... Perhaps it can dull the conscience a bit, but you fool yourself that it would be environmentally friendly in any way.
17 October 2018 - 11:55
Helena says:
Having insight is a good start! As you say, it is certainly easy to lie to yourself. But as I said, I think that these are difficult decisions for the individual, and I actually believe more in government policies.
17 October 2018 - 17:53
JoY says:
It is certainly uncomfortable how we humans have made things worse for ourselves, the ignorance.
As for the flight, it was 4 years since I flew. We certainly use the car to go back and forth to my work when it's dark, I don't dare walk alone through a forest, otherwise I walk/cycle. There is a bus, but it's a bit much to wait 30 minutes when I've been working until 21.30 and have to get up before the rooster. We use the motorhome as a holiday vehicle and we travel many miles. In it, of course, we save water, as at home, no washing up under running taps, collecting laundry for a full machine, etc. Sorting food waste plastic metal cardboard, etc. Fabric bags are taken to the shops and when it comes to fruit in particular, we look at where they come from. We don't buy apples from Italy if there are Swedish ones, for example. We don't eat meat very often and this summer, with the ban on barbecues, we hardly had any at all.
Hugs
17 October 2018 - 14:56
Helena says:
Maybe it's about ignorance? But also a lot about money I think... The desire for growth has driven development and production without a thought of what happens along the way... It sounds like you are making many good choices!
17 October 2018 - 17:54
pilla says:
I certainly don't have a bad conscience about flying and I don't intend to. The fact that I'm doing 8 flights this week alone - yes, that's it! One long, from Bangkok in business class and the rest within Europe. I am aware of the environmental impact but still choose to travel by plane. I will not reduce my flying for the sake of the environment either. I have no children, no car, don't eat meat, cycle to work, don't waste food unnecessarily, don't consume luxury items - well, you can't be the best in all categories.
17 October 2018 - 16:44
Helena says:
Thank you for your reflection Pilla! I find it a little difficult not to think about this with the airplane, but we will not stop flying, and there are certainly more areas in life that you can influence and that play a role in the environment.
19 October 2018 - 8:08
Matts Torebring says:
In our last motorhome, we refuel AD Blue. I don't know exactly how much it affects the environment. I do know that I will be able to drive 'Hornsgatan' after 2022.
We can certainly extend the life of the Earth to some extent. However, I am almost convinced that what we are doing will soon not be enough.
There is a prophecy in Isaiah 51:6 that I often think about: "The earth will be worn out like a garment". We are almost there.
17 October 2018 - 18:42
Helena says:
I had to google AD Blue, but it sounds good! Otherwise, I feel a bit like you, that it feels difficult. The Bible word feels accurate!
19 October 2018 - 8:10
Ditte says:
If the train would work within Sweden, I think many more people would choose it instead of flying. But that is not the case. And Sweden is a long country. I do not have a bad conscience because I fly. I don't have a car, so it evens out somewhat - I otherwise make environmentally conscious choices. And paying extra for climate compensation does not make things better. Emissions are not reduced. But I don't consume so much and think about many things. But the biggest threat is overpopulation, which is difficult to influence. But the debate is interesting.
17 October 2018 - 20:18
Helena says:
Is the train really as bad as people say? I read somewhere that people perceive that the train is delayed more often than it really is. Right now I am on a train by the way, and we are about ten minutes late 😉 I agree that overpopulation is the big problem. We need contraception and support systems for the elderly (so you don't have to rely on giving birth to many children).
19 October 2018 - 8:14
BP says:
Is hardly an environmental villain. I rarely fly, mostly use public transport and drive less than 10 000 kilometres per year. So my conscience is clear. I also think that the countries that are the biggest environmental offenders (India, China, for example) should do their bit first. Here at home, I think most people are quite environmentally conscious. For people who live "in the countryside" or in northern Sweden, the car is vital, as there are hardly any functional opportunities to travel by bus or train.
17 October 2018 - 21:00
Helena says:
It sounds like you are making many good environmental choices! Countries like China and India are the most important given their enormous size. I completely agree! At the same time, I think it's good if we set a good example!?
19 October 2018 - 8:16
Lena - gott för själen says:
Really good and important post! Good angle on the issue. Unfortunately, I rarely think about these issues when I choose a travel destination. However, I usually try to live a sustainable life as best I can.
Hug Lena
18 October 2018 - 6:08
Helena says:
If you think about it in your everyday life, you're still thinking about it! (And no, we're certainly not the world's best at this, far from it, but we're slowly trying to become more aware...)
19 October 2018 - 8:19
Reiselinda says:
It's good to know that you're not the worst environmentalist. If you are travelling around! It does matter how many kilometres you drive. I thought many times during our long trip this summer about how you automatically save more water, don't buy things because of lack of space and so on. Have also continued to think about some of it after we came home and hope in the long run to become even more environmentally friendly! Is also a test traveller and goes by bus to work this month!
18 October 2018 - 7:45
Helena says:
Right? And yes, it does matter how far you drive, how new the motorhome is, etc. And of course you learn to manage the resources in the motorhome! 🙂
19 October 2018 - 8:21
Per Lindahl says:
I am climate smart!
Admittedly
- Have I had a baby
- I drive a car
- Eating meat
- Buy new plastic bags every time I go shopping.
- Only drinks bottled water
- Buying a new mobile phone when the battery becomes difficult to charge
- Throw away my corded headphones and buy new battery-powered ones.
- And of course, shopping is my greatest pleasure
But I don't fly - so I don't need to change my lifestyle!
15 July 2019 - 8:24