My rent trip to Norway was actually inspired by watching Blue Planet (both one and two). The BBC documentary which is rather well known for its colourful and extradorinary film of our oceans opened me up to a whole new world.
For the last couple months I’ve been rather captured by the brilliance of our oceans, and particularly the Whale and Shark spieces. I knew that North Coasts in Norway were famous for whale watching, and thus wanted to make my way over here. Unfortunately, I was too late in the season to actually whale watch, but I made a concious effort to learn more about our oceans, the coast, and some of the amazing technology Norway is introducing in order to combat their Carbon emmisions (for example in
Flåm there is a a 0 emissions Ferry used as part of public transport, or the plans to make transportation in Oslo completely electric).
I also spent a lot of time in Aquriams or the Marine Research agency in Bergen to learn about the ways in which local scientists are hoping to protect wild life in these areas.
All of these experiences were brilliant, but the more brilliant they became the more urgent I felt the call to protect our enviornment. Because, well of course, our oceans are under threat.
I have actively been trying to live a more ecologically friendly life for the last three years, whether it be making my diet more plant-oriented, reducing plastic, sorting my waste or not owning a car. Different practices become more possible depending on different tides of life, and different areas that I have lived. However in the last couple months I started really critiquing my travel and travel habits through an ecological lense.
Travelling in general, especially Air travel, is not sustainable. This grieves me greatly, as for the next 14 months I am rather dependant on such transportation as I finish my degree. However, I have started to implement some practices to make my travelling more mindful and responsible. They are as followed. I hope reading them may inspire you too.
Thinking through the Mode of Travel
I am really trying to limit my use of air travel (which because I am abroad and an international student makes things tough), but I am really trying. Europe has a wonderful train system, without which I do not think I would be travelling as much or as often. But opting for trains, buses, car pooling etc. is more and more important, when you decide you do want to do a trip.
When I do fly I try to calculate my carbon emission, and when I can afford it, I carbon-tax myself and donate this money to a renewable energy project. It doesn’t make the carbon from my trip go away, but I see it as an investment to a different kind of energy system, that would hopefully later be more accesible to me.
Thinking through ‘why’ I am going somewhere and intentional consumption
One time my sister turned to me and said, ‘why do you have to make every trip a ‘broke hippie trip’ (my phrase at the time.)’ I didn’t have a good answer for her then, but I do now. Traveling can be an incredibly consuming experience. Both in the sense of the existential experience, but also materially. It is very easy to travel, with the expectation of a luxurious vacation and then enter a place with a sense of entitlement, hoping it meets your expectations. Especially if you are a traveller from the West.
But every land is home to people, and a community, and has its own concerns. You as an outsider will never be able to permeate this barrier, but you can be mindful of it. You can make an effort to understand the culture and the locals to see how they think and see the world. You can pick places to stay that have ethical practices, and seek good lively hood not only for the tourists, but the local economy around it. You can re-consider and re-evaluate your standards of luxury, considering what good is nurturing your journey and what is, again, meaningless consumption.
You can and will have a good time, and this extra consideration helps your own development, but also making sure it does not come at the expense of others.
Mindful of what you purchase
Most likely, most of us cannot afford everything to be free-trade, organic etc, and for me it is a constant negotiation between what I can afford, to what is necessary and doable. But you don’t need to aim for a perfect 100% to make a difference. Just our meaningless knick-knack shopping can change a lot. As far as I see it there is just no point in buying something cheap, made in unethical conditions, that is just going to sit on your shelf until you throw it out. Buy less, and buy better.
Learning what they do well… and finding it in your homeland
Nobody does life, and in this case Climate Protection, perfectly. Learn from what other countries are doing to adress this issue. See if you can implement it in your home place (which thanks to our world you can do more easily than you think… with just a simple google search!). For example, living in Germany has inspired me to live a more plastic-free, and find a compost place in Atlanta.
There are no quick easy answers to solving Climate issues in our current globalized economy. And we are all trying to navigate this unsustainable system. But just intentional decision to change habits, thought processes and lifestyles is always the first big step to meaningful change.
Remember you do not need to be perfect, to make a difference.
Below are some low quality pictures I took from the Aquriam in Norway.
