You may have never heard of deep travel. Yet it is a phenomenon that really deserves our attention. More and more, we no longer go on holiday to eat out and rest on the beach, but rather want to take in everything around us and really get to know a new place. That’s where deep travel comes in: a new look at travel and vacation.

What do we mean by deep travel?

One of the best-known definitions of deep travel can be found in the book In Motion: The Experience of Travel by Tony Hiss, writer for the New Yorker. He describes deep travel as, “a sense of interconnectedness and heightened experience.” It is “an exhilarating state of mind that travel can evoke, when suddenly everything seems fresh, vibrant, intensely interesting and memorable.” Contrary to many definitions, Hiss thus focuses not on a phenomenon or interpretation of a journey, but a feeling that this brings about.

Deep travel changes our perception of where we are and how we experience time, and ensures that we place ourselves differently in the world. In this way we experience the past, the present and the future of a place, by thinking about how the history of a place and the function it can have in the future. This way of traveling allows us to absorb all layers of nature, the environment and human culture around us.

How do you start with this new way of traveling yourself?

The most important element of deep travel is time: take the time to see every place, known or unknown, from a new perspective. The park around the corner never looks exactly the same. At different times of the day, the incidence of light can create a completely different atmosphere. Imagine what the place looks like at different times of the year, and delve into the stories of the people who live there.

Keep the travel feeling after your trip

Many people often lose that wonderfully inspired and well-rested feeling soon after they come home. However, according to Hiss, you can recreate this feeling by asking yourself a question about an aspect of a day or a moment that was filled with meaning. How did the air feel when you got out of the car after that long drive to Italy? What were the first sounds you heard that magical Sunday in the Veluwe? Why did the moon seem so big during your visit to that one nature reserve? Asking yourself these questions will help you relive those special moments.

Do you also want to experience the deep travel feeling yourself? Sustainable travel ensures that you experience places with a new perspective and discover all aspects of the environment. View our sustainable holidays here and experience this feeling for yourself!

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In the Netherlands we have 5 different airports. These are Schiphol Airport, Eindhoven Airport, Groningen-Eelde Airport, Maastricht Aachen Airport and Rotterdam – The Hague airport. Schiphol is one of the busiest airports in the EU and continues to grow. No less than 88% of air traffic in the Netherlands takes place at Schiphol.

It is known that flying is one of the most environmentally harmful modes of transport. Do you want to know why flying is so bad for the environment? In this blog you can read about the impact air traffic has on the environment, how thinking differently and COVID-19 are related and how you can minimize your impact as much as possible if you decide to fly anyway.

How polluting is aviation?

Aviation has a huge impact on the environment. To achieve the climate goals, it is important to travel without flying. Aviation is the most climate-intensive mode of transport. Seven percent of the total Dutch climate impact is caused by aviation . Due to the growth in the number of flights, this percentage will only increase.

Due to its central location, Schiphol is a transfer port between Europe and the rest of the world. There is often landing and take off here. As a result, there is an extra large amount of CO2 and particulate matter emissions above the Netherlands. Particulate matter are the soot particles that we inhale without noticing. These soot particles damage the lungs and can even cause asthma.

The ultra-fine particles are even more dangerous to other internal parts of humans. These ultrafine particles reach the bloodstream via the lungs. Here they can cause serious diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, (lung) cancer and brain damage. Traveling without flying ensures that particulate matter emissions and ultra-fine particles do not end up in the air.

Travel without flying, behavioral change and COVID-19

The Netherlands wants to be climate neutral by 2050. If we look at the current aviation policy, this is impossible. Every day, around 950 flights still take off from Schiphol Airport. Traveling without flying is one of the most important behavioral changes to tackle the climate problem. We have to do things differently. Traveling in a different way, working in a different way and on holiday in a different way.

COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill everywhere. We were forced to think differently. As a result, the use of fossil fuels decreased in the first months and with it CO2 emissions. Figures showed that in these months energy consumption and CO2 emissions from the transport sector fell dramatically as a result of the general advice to work from home.

Still flying?

If you do decide not to travel without flying, here are some tips to reduce the environmental impact of flying:

• Opt for a direct flight whenever possible . More CO2 is released during ascent and descent. So book a flight without stopovers. This reduces the environmental impact and noise pollution.

• Focus on the purpose of your holiday . Would you like a sun holiday? Then choose, for example, the Canary Islands instead of Thailand. If you choose to go to the Canary Islands with 4 people, you will emit 7,500 kg less CO2 than the trip to Thailand.

• It is preferable not to travel by car but take public transport to the airport . This way you not only emit less CO2, but you also save a lot of parking money!

• Offset your CO2 emissions . How this works There are organizations that arrange climate compensation for you. These organizations serve as a kind of middlemen. They ensure that your money ends up with organizations that plant forests, protect important natural areas or lead renewable energy projects.

Do you also travel sustainably ? Then opt for a journey by train or book a sustainable holiday right away!

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COP26 is an event where leaders from all over the world come together to fight climate change. This conference was first held about 30 years ago. The United Nations then requested to sign a climate treaty that should limit greenhouse gas emissions. The countries that have signed this climate treaty meet annually to discuss the progress and challenges of the climate crisis. This year, world leaders gathered in Glasgow (UK) from October 31 to November 12. In this blog you can read all the agreements made during the COP26 conference.

What does the COP26 climate agreement say?

Climate agreement adjusted at the last minute

Whether the climate summit in Glasgow would still come to an agreement for the coming years, was still exciting. More than 24 hours after the official deadline, an agreement was finally reached. In the afternoon of Saturday, November 14, there was broad agreement on the drafted rules, but India did not agree to a drafted passage. This passage called for phasing out coal. However, according to India, rich countries owe their prosperity to coal. And that is why the country also wants the right to profit from coal.

After hours of discussions around 7 pm on Saturday 14 November, a compromise was finally reached: the final climate agreement is no longer about a ‘phase out’ of coal, but a ‘phase down’ of coal. The difference? Phase out refers to the complete ban on coal and phase down coal is about phasing out.

Reaching the top breakthroughs

In the final agreements, the leaders call on countries to accelerate efforts to improve the climate. The aim is to come up with sharper climate promises next year. What exactly does this mean? At the next climate summit in Egypt, the ‘big emitting countries’ will have to present new plans for economic alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement .

Phasing out fossil fuels

The terms ‘coal’ and ‘fossil fuels’ are finally mentioned in the negotiation text, after more than 30 years of climate conferences. The Netherlands has joined countries that will stop investing in foreign fossil energy projects before the end of 2022. The phasing out of these investments has already been discussed, but the signing has accelerated the process.

Stimulating green techniques

More than 40 countries have reached an agreement on the development and availability of green technologies. The goals of these 40 countries are:

• Green energy must become the cheapest and most reliable type of energy;
• Electric vehicles are the new standard and must therefore be affordable and accessible;
• Steel must be produced emission-free or ‘near zero’;
• Hydrogen must become affordable and available worldwide;
• The most attractive option for farmers must be sustainable agriculture.

Green transport in 2040

Several agreements have been made with regard to the subject of ‘green transport’. The Netherlands, together with many other countries, stated that all trucks that are sold new must run on clean energy by 2040. This is seen by world leaders as a major step: freight traffic accounts for a large share of greenhouse gas emissions . This arrangement was discussed in COP26 as there are currently enough technological developments that can contribute to the realization.

In addition to driving vehicles, freight traffic also includes shipping. To this end, the Clydebank Declaration statement has been signed as a supplement to the work of the International Maritime Organisation. The signatory countries have thereby declared their ambition to support the green shipping corridors. This is done by facilitating emission-free shipping routes between two ports.

End deforestation within 10 years

An important breakthrough during COP26 is the measures taken to conserve forests and biodiversity. More than 100 countries – including forested countries such as Brazil and Russia – have signed a declaration that deforestation will end by 2030 at the latest. Many billions are being released to achieve forest restoration and sustainable agriculture.

Global warming

With the climate summit in Glasgow, the leaders wanted to keep global warming below 2 degrees. According to the Climate Action Tracker , global warming is at 2.4 degrees if we continue on the current course. Before COP26 agreements, it was estimated that 52.4 gigatons of greenhouse gases would still be emitted by 2030. With the signed declarations, the climate summit has ensured that these emissions are reduced to 42 gigatons. To keep warming below 1.5 degrees, emissions must fall to 26.6 gigatons by 2030.

What next after COP26?

The decisions taken at COP26 will help implement the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016. The phasing out of fossil fuels, the development of green technologies and the promotion of green transport are measures that ensure a step in the right direction. A critical note of these measures is that the countries themselves now have to translate them into national regulations and policy. Developing the measures is therefore a major challenge. The next United Nations climate conference, COP27, will focus on, among other things, financing to combat climate change.

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On holiday by plane? You’re not the only one. In 2020, almost 23.6 million passengers flew through Dutch airports. These air journeys – however short or long they may be – have an impact on the environment. Are you curious about the damage that flying causes to the environment?

In this blog you can read about the relationship between air traffic and pollution. We end with the answer to the question: what damage does flying cause to the environment?

Dutch Air Traffic

Although the Netherlands is a small country of 4.2 million hectares , commercial aviation is widely used. There are five different airports in the Netherlands. These are Schiphol Airport, Eindhoven Airport, Groningen-Eelde Airport, Maastricht Aachen Airport and Rotterdam – The Hague Airport. 88% of air traffic in the Netherlands takes place at Schiphol.

In 2020, the total number of air transport movements in the Netherlands was set at 236,154 . This number refers to the number of overland movements. An overland move is a flight where the takeoff and landing of that flight do not take place at the same aerodrome. An example of this is an airplane that takes off at Schiphol Airport and lands at Barcelona Airport.

Thanks to the rapid growth of air traffic, airports have been built all over the world. The number currently stands at 44,000 airports worldwide. This concerns both very large and very small airports. The largest airport is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport in the United States. 110,531,300 passengers fly annually from this airport.

What damage does flying cause to the environment if air traffic continues to increase?

Aviation continues to grow despite being one of the most polluting modes of transport. Schiphol is one of the busiest airports in Europe. As a result, the Netherlands has to deal with noise pollution, air pollution and high emissions of various greenhouse gases.

An airplane flies on a fossil fuel called kerosene. The combustion of kerosene releases greenhouse gases. A well-known greenhouse gas is CO2.

When these mentioned greenhouse gases are released into the air, the Earth’s temperature rises. The result is a change in the climate, a rise in the sea level and the disappearance of plants or animals.

Air traffic targets

Are you curious about the answer to the question what damage does flying cause to the environment? Not only is the earth warming faster due to the release of harmful greenhouse gases, air travel also contributes to several other ways of climate change such as other ways of climate change including nitrogen emissions, cloud formation and condensation trails.

At the moment, aviation does not comply with the Dutch Climate Agreement. The sector has therefore drawn up its own plan; Smart and Sustainable . This is our own plan in which the objectives are taken directly from the Aviation Memorandum. An example of such a target is that by 2070 there will be no more CO2 emissions from the aviation sector.

If we want to achieve the Paris agreements to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees, aviation must change. One solution would be to replace short flights by plane with a train journey. It is estimated that this will mean 60,000 fewer flights!

Do you want to plan a short holiday trip by plane? Then think of the question “What damage does flying do to the environment?” Try a train trip through Europe or go sustainable travel in your own country !

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In the Netherlands, we have 5 different airports. These are Schiphol Airport, Eindhoven Airport, Groningen-Eelde Airport, Maastricht Aachen Airport and Rotterdam – The Hague airport. Schiphol is one of the busiest airports in the EU and continues to grow. No less than 88% of air traffic in the Netherlands takes place at Schiphol.

It is now known that flying is one of the most environmentally harmful modes of transport. Do you want to know why flying is so bad for the environment? In this blog you can read about the impact of air traffic on the environment, and what thinking differently and COVID-19 have in common. Finally, we will give you tips to keep your environmental impact as low as possible if you do decide to fly.

How polluting is aviation?

Aviation has a huge impact on the environment. For our own health and to achieve the climate goals, it is important to travel without flying. Aviation is the most climate-intensive mode of transport. The impact on the climate from aviation amounts to 7 percent of the total Dutch climate impact. Globally, aviation is responsible 2.4 percent of global CO2 emissions. Due to the growth in the number of flights, this percentage will only increase.

Due to its central location, Schiphol is a transfer port between Europe and the rest of the world. There is often landing and take off here. As a result, there is an extra large amount of CO2 and particulate matter emissions above the airspace of the Netherlands. When we talk about particulate matter, we mean the soot particles that we inhale without noticing. These soot particles cause damage to the lungs and sometimes even. asthma.

Particulate matter in the lungs is not the only thing that an airplane emits. The ultra-fine particles are even more dangerous for humans. These ultrafine particles reach the bloodstream via the lungs. This results in serious diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, (lung) cancer and brain damage. Travelling without flying ensures that particulate matter emissions and ultra-fine particles do not end up in the air.

Thinking differently and COVID-19

The Netherlands wants to be climate neutral by 2050. If we look at the current aviation policy, this is impossible. It is clear that something must be done. Travelling without flying is the solution. We have to do things differently. Travelling in a different way, working in a different way and on holiday in a different way.

The world has come to a standstill everywhere thanks to the COVID-19. We were forced to think differently. This has also reduced the consumption of fossil fuels and CO2 emissions. Preliminary figures have shown that energy consumption and CO2 emissions from the transport sector have fallen drastically as a result of the general advice not to come to work if you are not working in a primary sector. The development of flying without flying has also become popular thanks to the COVID-19.

When we combine the decline in electricity consumption in the EU with the predicted decline in industrial and aviation activity, CO2 emissions are predicted to fall by 389 million. This number is more than France’s total annual emissions.

Still flying?

If you do decide not to travel without flying, we will give you tips here to reduce the environmental impact of flying.

If possible, opt for a direct flight. More CO2 is released during ascent and descent. So book a flight without stopovers. This results in less environmental impact and noise nuisance.

Make a clear choice in the purpose of your holiday. Would you like a sun holiday? Then choose, for example, the Canary Islands instead of Thailand. If you choose to go to the Canary Islands with 4 people, you will emit 7,500 kg less CO2 than the trip to Thailand.

It is preferable not to travel by car but take public transport to the airport.

Offset your climate emissions. How this works There are organizations that arrange climate compensation for you. These organizations serve as a kind of brokering. No forest or wind farms are built by middlemen, but ensure that your money ends up with those who do.

The post Travel without flying. Why is flying bad for the environment? appeared first on Sustainaway.

Our food consumption has a major impact on the environment. When producing the food, greenhouse gases and pesticides are released. In addition, necessary raw materials, such as water and nitrogen, are also lost. Nowadays there is more awareness about our behavior and the impact that our behavior has on nature, including in the field of nutrition and sustainability. That’s why in this blog: what happens if we don’t eat more sustainably?

What is sustainable food?

Sustainable food, which comes from the generic word sustainability, is a broad concept; for example, one person thinks of animal welfare and the other of fair trade (fair trade). The government has given a broad definition of sustainable food, which involves production and consumption with respect for people, animals and the environment. This definition includes all aspects of food quality, such as animal welfare, nature conservation, environment and climate and fair trade.

How can you eat sustainably?

I want to eat sustainably, but don’t know how? That is past tense. In this blog, 7 steps are given on how you can eat sustainably.

1. Eat less red and processed meat and choose fish, legumes and nuts more often. These are good meat substitutes that have less of a burden on the environment.
2. Waste as little food as possible. How? Buy and cook custom. Less wasting means a lot of benefit for the environment.
3. Eat appropriately, and not too many snacks and sweets. By not taking more than you need, no extra food has to be made and transported than necessary, which is beneficial for the environment. Not only the environment benefits from this, but of course also us as people. Snacks and sweets provide a lot of calories, which is associated with an unhealthy lifestyle.
4. Drink mainly tap water, tea and coffee. Soft drinks, juices and alcohol are not good for the environment and your health.
5. Switch to plant-based alternatives to dairy. For example, consider oat yoghurt, vegetable cheese or soy milk. Today there is a wide range of plant-based alternatives.
6. Choose seasonal products and look at the origin. This reduces the burden on the environment, as these products move quickly from land to the store.
7. Choose one of the 10 top quality marks for sustainable products.

What happens if we don’t eat more sustainably?

Now that you know how to eat sustainably, it’s important to know why you’re doing this. Because what happens if we don’t eat more sustainably? If we don’t reduce our global greenhouse gases, there will be more starvation deaths and more natural disasters and floods. The world is warming, which means the weather is also getting more extreme; more intense hurricanes, more frequent heat effects and very much or no rain at all. In the Netherlands too. It sounds like a long-term problem, but reality is different. Look at the European heat waves of 2019. These were the deadliest natural disasters to occur in 2019.

The biggest problem is the food industry, especially livestock and agriculture. Livestock farming is responsible for no less than forty (!) percent of all greenhouse gases released during the production of food for the average Dutch person. Did you know that even beef from our own country is equivalent to 22 kilograms of CO2 per kilo? This is equivalent to a car journey of 111 km. The food industry depends on you as a consumer; the large companies adapt themselves when consumers change their behaviour.

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It is not surprising that responsible travel is becoming increasingly popular. New climate reports and floods throughout Europe ensure that everyone is once again thinking about the climate problem. Sustainable tourism is a concept that we have known for a number of years, but is also still largely in its infancy. In recent years, the number of people looking for a sustainable holiday has grown considerably. What are the trends of the moment?

Travelers opt for less touristy places

It all starts with the traveler himself. You always make your own choices regarding your trip and therefore have full control over how sustainable your trip will be. Consumers are making these choices more and more consciously. For example, research has shown that 55% of travelers today prefer a place outside the busy city . Travelers indicate that they prefer to sit outside the center for the same comfort. Tourist attractions are also becoming less popular. People nowadays prefer to look for quiet places. In this way, travelers choose not to burden an environment too much, and are leaning more and more towards sustainable travel .

The choice of destination

Because travelers are making increasingly conscious choices regarding their journey, the choice of destination is increasingly a personal choice. People are increasingly booking their own trip and filling this trip with activities themselves. As a result, travel agencies and package holidays are becoming less popular due to the lack of individual options. It is logical that more and more people are celebrating their holiday in their own country in recent years, due to the measures surrounding the corona pandemic. As a result, their own country has become more popular and people have found new places nearby. Whether this trend will continue when it is again possible to travel around the world without any problems, can only be hoped. The closer to home, the smaller the emissions from your holiday.

Fully sustainable travel

The Sustainable Travel Report shows that more and more people are specifically opting for sustainable accommodation. Where in 2016 only 62% had the idea to sleep in such an accommodation, in 2020 this was already 75%. This also shifts the focus for many travelers from sustainable choices in a holiday to a fully sustainable trip. This often means that the transport and activities have also been chosen in an environmentally conscious way and that they do not damage the environment. Also for hotels, if it is eco-friendly, it will be more popular with many travelers. 70% indicate that they would rather book an eco-friendly hotel, even if they are not specifically looking for one.

Locals

Another clear sustainable travel trend is respecting the local population. Travelers are increasingly aware of the effect they and all other travelers can have on a community. The best example of this is perhaps Venice. The local population and the entire community there are under such pressure from tourism that it is better to avoid this location when booking a sustainable trip. Another trend in this area seems to be that travelers are trying to give something back to the population. You can do this by, for example, buying food directly from a local market or going to the small local restaurant.

CO2 compensation

There are also many travelers who want to compensate for their emissions after a while. This is a noble pursuit and the compensation often supports projects such as planting trees or buying CO2 licenses. Yet there is one thing much better than offsetting your emissions; emit nothing. The air that you emit is not directly compensated by the trees that will one day be planted with your money. That is why it is better to thoroughly research how polluting your trip can be before you book the trip.

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Our daily activities, often without our being aware of it, lead to environmental pollution. For example, think of animals and plants that die or environmental areas that disappear due to oil leaks or the release of toxic substances. Our holidays also often have a significant environmental impact. The means of transport we choose play a major role in this.

Fortunately, we can already make a big difference by living as sustainably as possible and being aware of the impact our behavior has on nature. That’s why in this blog: what about the CO2 emissions of airplane vs car?

CO2 emissions from the car

First, we look at both modes of transport for the CO2 emissions plane vs car. Petrol or diesel is often used as an energy source in a car. Burning this releases substances that have a negative effect on the climate. The environmental impact of traveling by car depends on a number of factors, according to Milieu Centraal . The most important factor is fuel consumption. Fuel consumption depends on the size and type of the car, the type of road, distance traveled, speed and accessories that increase air resistance.

In addition to these factors, the number of passengers also has a major impact. If there are several people in one car, less C02 is emitted per person. But if a caravan is connected to the car, 60% more CO2 will be emitted. On average, about 2269 grams of CO2 is released with every liter of petrol. A liter of diesel releases 2606 grams of CO2, and for LPG these emissions are 1610 grams.

In addition to CO2 emissions, cars also have to deal with emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides. Nitrogen oxides in particular have been in the news lately because of the negative effects of these dust particles on human, animal and environmental health.

CO2 emissions from the aircraft

Now that the details of the car are known, it is time to look at the CO2 emissions of the aircraft. Can the plane outperform the car in the CO2 emissions plane vs car?

An airplane burns kerosene. This process not only leads to the emission of CO2, but also to the release of nitrogen oxides, soot and other greenhouse gases. The emission of these gases at the altitude at which aircraft fly then leads to an amplification of the greenhouse effect. During a flight from Amsterdam to Sydney, Australia you cover about 16,643 km. For this, approximately 3 tons (3000 kg) of CO2 is emitted.

One of the biggest problems with flying, however, is the price. The low price of many airline tickets means that there is an unnecessary amount of flying. Locations that may be easily reached by train or car are nowadays often reached by plane.

Airplane vs car?

Will it be a tie for aircraft vs car CO2 emissions? Each mode of transport has its pros and cons. As mentioned before, the determining factor is the distance. If the distance is very large, it is often difficult to travel by (electric) car . That is why it is especially important to think about the CO2 emissions of your flight over short distances. For example, are you going to Paris? Then consider choosing the train, bus or electric car. You may be on the road a little longer, but you will save a lot of CO2!

Do it completely sustainable? Then book your CO2 neutral trip with Sustainaway!

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