Ethical question?

Question

I love to travel to far away places. I think that experiencing different cultures can enrich ones life. However, more and more I've been experiencing a nagging guilt in the back of my mind. Is traveling abroad extremely harmful to the natural environment? Is it morally superior to focus travel locally?

Answer 1

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Answer 2

Travelling abroad will always be harmful to the natural environment. It all depends on the severity. If you go to an Indigenous region, the impacts may be miniscule. You will still have to get to the locations (airplane i assume). Runways cause land degradation and planes use fuel which is becoming limited. No matter where you go or what you do, there will always be harmful effects. Try and do as little harm as you can and you should have no guilts.

Answer 3

It depends on your method of travel.  The link is a video but the bike is not the important thing; it is the chart at the 57 second mark in the film.  

The chart compares the relative efficiency of different modes of travel.  They don't include air travel but I can tell you from personal calculations that a 550 seat 747 gets the same mileage on a per seat basis as a 5 passenger car.  The difference is the plane is usually >80% full while the car is usually <20% full (average in North America is 1.2 passengers per car).  

By using that chart you can see that trains are more efficient than planes or cars, bicycles more efficient than trains, etc.  By incorporating a little sweat equity and efficient modes of travel into your plans you should be able to decrease your "travel footprint".

Oh, don't forget sailboats.  There are some spectacular sailing tours on tall ships, which would be quite an adventure.

Also, if you are seriously going to learn about different cultures that takes time.  Plan fewer trips of longer duration so you can take the time to really appreciate where you are and the people around you.  Don't rush to experience everything, take the time to enjoy it!