With a ban on non-essential travel and some countries in complete lockdown, we\u2019re able to witness what happens to the Earth when we\u2019re largely absent for the first time.<\/p>\n
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As a travel journalist and someone who cares deeply about the future of our planet, the moral dilemma of air travel is something I constantly grapple with. I\u2019ve reduced the number of trips I take, buy carbon offsets when I travel and focus my assignments on stories that allow me to tackle conservation issues whenever possible. But the positive effect these measures have had is hard to quantify.<\/p>\n
What isn\u2019t as nebulous is this: when the world stays home, the planet benefits. There\u2019s nothing good about the coronavirus, but with a ban on non-essential travel and some countries in lockdown, we\u2019re able to witness what happens to the Earth when we\u2019re largely absent for the first time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Waterways](\"https:\/\/ychef.files.bbci.co.uk\/976x549\/p089hz8n.jpg\" "\\"Waterways")
<\/picture>\nWaterways in Venice currently appear cleaner because of a drastic reduction in tourist boat traffic (Credit: Givaga\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Satellite images<\/a> published by NASA and the European Space Agency detected a reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions (which come predominantly from the burning of fossil fuels) from January to February in China, due to the economic slowdown during quarantine. Findings<\/a> by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) show that China\u2019s carbon dioxide emissions (which also come from fossil fuel combustion) have reduced by 25% because of measures taken to contain the coronavirus.<\/p>\n During Italy\u2019s quarantine, similar satellite <\/a>data<\/a> has shown a drop in nitrogen dioxide emissions in the country\u2019s northern region; and waterways in Venice appear cleaner<\/a> because of a drastic reduction in tourist boat traffic (though, much to the chagrin of animal lovers, the photos circulating of dolphins frolicking in the canals were actually taken nearly 800km away in Sardinia).<\/p>\n In India, a nationwide curfew on 22 March resulted in the lowest average level of nitrogen dioxide pollution<\/a> ever recorded in spring, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). And as North America (one of the world\u2019s major polluters) enters a major economic downturn, it\u2019s likely we\u2019ll see similar effects there.<\/p>\n Of course, a global health crisis is not the answer to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but the phenomenon should give us cause to reflect on the impact human activity has on the planet \u2013 including how we travel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Polluted Chinese cities have seen a dramatic reduction in nitrogen dioxide levels over recent months (Credit: Liyao Xie\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Restrictions on non-essential travel means airlines are grounding planes, drastically slashing flights or suspending operations completely. While data on the specific environmental outcomes of reduced aviation is yet to be published, we know it\u2019s likely to have a significant impact. A 2017 study<\/a> conducted by researchers at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies in Sweden (LUCSUS) in partnership with the University of British Columbia showed that there are three personal choices we can make to quickly cut a lot of greenhouse gas emissions: reduce air and car travel, as well as meat consumption.<\/p>\n You may also be interested in:<\/strong> A 2018\u00a0study\u00a0<\/a>published in Nature Climate Change showed that emissions from tourism add up to 8% of the global total, with flying making up the largest share of this. \u201cBy far, the biggest action we can take is to stop flying or to fly less,\u201d said Kimberly Nicholas, a sustainability scientist at LUCSUS. \u201cOne round-trip flight from New York to London is the equivalent of about two years of eating meat [in terms of personal carbon footprint].\u201d<\/p>\n In light of these startling statistics \u2013 in conjunction with the visible signs of environmental relief we\u2019ve seen as the world stays home to beat Covid-19 \u2013 the question needs to be posed: when we can travel again, should we?<\/p>\n \u201cThere’s just no way to have a safe climate and the business-as-usual plan with the aviation industry,\u201d said Nicholas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Biofuels offer a solution, but we may not have enough land to spare (Credit: Abadonian\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If we want to meet the Paris Agreement\u2019s target of limiting global warming to 1.5\u00b0C above pre-industrial levels by 2030, we need to make significant changes to how we travel. Part of this is going to have to come from within the airline and transportation industries.<\/p>\n Some airlines are making headway through research into innovations like biofuel and electric-powered aircraft. \u201cThere’s still a lot of potential fuel economy that could be gained from redesigning aircraft to be more efficient,\u201d said Colin Murphy, deputy director of The Policy Institute for Energy, Environment and the Economy at University of California, Davis. \u201cIf you’re using waste oil, biofuels typically get about 60% greenhouse gas reductions compared to conventional petroleum,\u201d he added. The amount of land<\/a> needed to grow new sources of biofuel \u2013 renewable fuel derived from organic materials \u2013 could pose a problem, however. And while there\u2019s potential for electric-powered aircraft, Murphy notes that limited battery technology means this will never be a viable solution for long-haul flights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Even if we succeed with these technological innovations, we still need to change our approach to travel as individuals. Just as the planet seems to be taking a breath right now, we\u2019ve also been offered an opportunity for introspection. The coronavirus pandemic has forced us to see how interconnected the people, systems and organisations in our world are. While this revelation has been devastating in terms of how quickly the virus has spread globally, it\u2019s also shown us how we\u2019re able to unite and act as individuals for the collective good. We\u2019ve practised social distancing to protect the elderly and immune-compromised; we\u2019ve cheered healthcare workers on from our balconies; and shared the message to #stayhome<\/a> on social media.<\/p>\n When Covid-19 is behind us, we need to once again look outside ourselves and take individual action for the good of the planet. Just as coronavirus has forced our lives to slow down, we should consider a slower, more thoughtful approach to travel. There\u2019s an authentic connection that comes with a place when we take the time to understand its people, culture and natural beauty in a meaningful way. This can\u2019t be achieved with superficial port-to-port itineraries \u2013 we could also do without the environmental wreckage<\/a> that a lot of large cruise ships leave in their wake \u2013 or by hopping around to a legion of countries in two weeks. It might mean taking one longer trip per year instead of packing in five or six shorter ones, which would drastically reduce our carbon footprint.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n City streets around the world are deserted as countries try to stop the spread of the coronavirus (Credit: Noam Galai\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOvertourism is just another form of overconsumption,\u201d said Shannon Stowell, CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association and sustainable travel advocate. \u201cI’m fine seeing tourism numbers lower overall and for the quality of tourism to increase, where people understand the destination better and have a positive impact on it versus overcrowding and pollution and wildlife habitat loss \u2013 which are all outcomes of too much tourism,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n We can also alleviate some of the environmental stress of travel simply by keeping more of our adventures local. \u201cThis is actually the biggest impact we can have,\u201d said Nicholas. \u201cI used to be a frequent flyer, but I\u2019ve found other ways to find that kind of novelty and adventure. Basically, slow travel and self-powered travel.\u201d This might look like enjoying your local beach instead of one in Mexico and saving your carbon budget for a more impactful trip.<\/p>\n When we do fly, we can purchase carbon offsets. \u201cCarbon offsets help and they absolutely move the needle,\u201d said Murphy. They’re not as good as actually reducing the emissions from travel so you’re not completely undoing all the harm, but they help.\u201d When trying to decide what kind of offset to purchase, it\u2019s vital to donate to a project that\u2019s additional, meaning that it didn\u2019t exist beforehand. So, when you donate to a cause that\u2019s protecting deforestation, make sure the land in question wasn\u2019t going to be protected anyway.<\/p>\n How we fly also matters. As enticing as the extra legroom in business class is, purchasing those seats also increases your carbon footprint because it means less passengers per plane. \u201cThe more densely packed you are, the lower your emissions are per passenger mile by quite a bit,\u201d Murphy notes. \u201cAt a policy level, we need transparency about the true environmental impact of our choices, and we need prices to align with those impacts,\u201d said Austin Brown, executive director of the Policy Institute at UC Davis. \u201cFor example, making first-class tickets cost more.\u201d (The price tag on first-class seats is used to subsidise cheap economy tickets, reducing the overall cost of travel and allowing more people to fly.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Exploring the world gives us the global perspective we need to care about the future of our planet (Credit: Art Wager\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When we\u2019re on the ground in a destination, we can reduce our footprint by being respectful to the area\u2019s culture and environment. \u201cWhen you travel to a new place, you\u2019re a guest in their home,\u201d said Stowell. Part of accomplishing this is to choose sustainable accommodation and activities, and a green mode of transportation to explore the place you\u2019re in. This might mean partnering with a sustainable local tour operator who is more familiar with the tourism landscape, which is also a way to give back to the local economy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n To weed through eco-tourism greenwashing, travellers should be looking for tour operators with a transparent sustainability plan. \u201cIf you go on a company website and find a sustainable tourism plan, and you then see an impact report in the next 12 to 48 months, you know they\u2019re putting their money where their mouth is,\u201d said Shannon Guihan, chief sustainability officer at The Travel Corporation and their sustainable tourism non-profit, TreadRight, which has developed a checklist<\/a> to help travellers adopt eco-friendly habits and be more conscious with their choices.<\/p>\n \u201cWe still need travel,\u201d Guihan added. \u201cTourism is one of the biggest employers in the world and there are destinations, worldwide, reliant on travel and tourism for survival.\u201d<\/p>\n Outside of the global tourism economy, travel has the potential to benefit all of us. When we travel in a meaningful way, we gain cross-cultural understanding and develop greater empathy for people outside of our immediate circle. Travel gives us the global perspective we need to care about the future of our home here on Earth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Slow and self-powered travel are good ways to reduce environmental stress (Credit: Skyimages\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Throughout my career as a journalist, I\u2019ve shared mint tea with Bedouins in the middle of the desert in Jordan, looked into the eyes of a mountain gorilla in the lush jungles of Rwanda and tracked tigers under a white-hot sun with local naturalists in India. These experiences have given me a deep appreciation for the vast, diverse, infinitely beautiful world we live in, and a desire to protect it.<\/p>\n Our ability to wander has been temporarily taken from us, and never has it felt like more of a luxury. \u201cThis crisis might give us the opportunity to instill a new travel mindset,\u201d said Stowell. \u201cTravel is a privilege, not a right.\u201d<\/p>\n I can\u2019t imagine a world without travel, but I know that if we don\u2019t change how we travel, there won\u2019t be a planet left for us to explore.<\/p>\n Join more than three million BBC Travel fans by liking us on\u00a0<\/em>Facebook<\/a>, or follow us on\u00a0<\/em>Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>Instagram<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n If you liked this story,\u00a0<\/em>sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter<\/a>\u00a0called “The Essential List”. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n![\"Polluted](\"https:\/\/ychef.files.bbci.co.uk\/976x549\/p089hz8s.jpg\" "\\"Polluted")
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