I too am concerned about my impact on the world both at home and when traveling. I appreciate the original post and the ideas you all have shared. I have a question: are you saying that air travel is more polluting than other forms of transportation? I did a quick search for info on pollution from planes, and what I found indicated that over the miles traveled the impact might even be less. If that is not the case, I would like to know. Thank you!

I researched this awhile back and I don't remember the details, but if I remember correctly, although planes pollute more than cars, when you consider the per person pollution (planes with 100 people versus a car with 4, or something along those lines), flying came out as less polluting.

That assumes though that your trip is a choice between driving or flying - such as, will you drive your family of 4 from California to Colorado this summer or will you fly? On the other hand, if your choice is between driving your family of 4 from California to Colorado or flying them from California to Europe, since the trip is longer, the per person pollution will be higher with the trip to Europe.

I don't remember the details, but I think that was the gist of what I turned up.

Don’t travel! The damage done will be irreparable and needless. Sell the car and walk or ride a bike. Live in an igloo or other unheated structure eat uncooked food etc.

For starters do not believe everything that is being peddled. National Geographic Mag Sept 05 says the earths temp is rising and FAST, the average GLOBAL temperature is up a whooping 1 degree - HUH ????????????????? http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0409/feature1/

The temp opinion is that it is supposed to go up 4 degrees in the next ten years but the same people can’t tell me the accurate temp of next year. Opinion fad is that 1 degree so far is a global crisis But for those who seem to think that 1 degree spells doom and buy whole hog into the latest fads of OPIONION then sell the car and walk or ride a bike. Live in an igloo or other unheated structure eat uncooked food etc. rather than legislate that other people do such and such. Example Congressmen trying to get rid of SUV’s but alas the reporter discovers they are the ones driving SUV’s. I guess they meant we should just make it more costly for the little people to drive them.
Lately it is 10 below zero or so where I live and I suppose it is probably a bad time to try and peddle global warming here.

"horrible (and worsening) state of the environment"
Los Angeles air is much better off today than 10, 20, 40 years ago than our present "horrible (and worsening) state of the environment"
The Chicago River is not on fire anymore. Etc.

You may be sincere but I don’t let these claims or alleged undeniable truths go unchallenged
I say stop the perpetuation of doom and gloom based on 1 degree. BUT WAIT as in most things follow the money! I literally profit financially every day I go to work from the global warming scare but I do not believe it. Quote Nat Geo. “There's no question that the Earth is getting hotter—and fast.
“ “From Alaska to the snowy peaks of the Andes the world is heating up right now, and fast. Globally, the temperature is up 1°F (.5°C) over the past century,”

Global climate change is not unsubstantiated speculation that scientists disagree about. The overwhelming majority of climatologists agree that its happening MUCH faster than any of the previous warming/cooling trends, and they all agree that it's because of human activity (see the recent IPCC report).

These aforementioned climatologists, by the way, are eggheads, not hippies.

The only reason there is any doubt is because the Noise Machine has been hard at work.

Ice core data ranging over thousands of years offer hard evidence and photos of glaciers 50 years ago and today give some pretty clear visual evidence.

Even President Bush has finally mumbled that it's happening.

There is about a 35 year lag time between the junk that makes it into the atmosphere and the effect we feel (or see) here on earth. The fact that the last 10 years have been among the hottest average temps on record reflect the crud in the atmosphere from the 70's, when the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act were passed.

Even if we get our stuff together and make it an international priority, it'll get worse before it gets better.

The water and air clean up of the last 40 years should offer hope that, indeed, we can fix things when we make a decision to do it. We just need to decide to act.

Travel teaches you about different parts of the world, so don't stop traveling in order to imporve the health of the planet. Alter your lifestyle in general. There are a number of ways you can improve the efficiency of your house and car. Those are two big chunks of the solution.

There will always be ostriches who are unwilling to pull their heads out of the sand and look around, but it takes all kinds I guess.

I like the suggestions lynnejoel offers and am in agreement with scarecrow and aileen.

With regard to global warming, there are nearly 18,000 signatures from scientists worldwide on a petition called The Oregon Petition which says that there is no evidence for man-made global warming theory nor for any impact from mankind's activities on climate. If anyone is interested in going beyond what the party line is trying to feed us, there is much evidence to the contrary. Just for starters look up Richard Lindzen, who has a doctorate in climatology from MIT, or go to http://www.clearlight.com/~mhieb/WVF.../ice_ages.html

Suze, I don't know in what way you think Hisfollower has broken the subscribers agreement. Isn't he/her just expressing his feelings here just as everyone else is? I say, take it or leave it, as stated by Bill.

J Correa, Thank you for your answer. Before I checked back here, I continued to be curious about my question, and I found a couple of sites that estimate the amount of co2 emitted by different transport. A trip from New York to LA by air would emit about .54 metric tons (per passenger) and by car would produce about .98. I guess that does not take into account the actual amount of fuel used(?). I also saw articles about environmental concerns regarding de-icers used on planes (and what about salt used on roads?). I found an interesting article titled Trampling Paradise www.ehponline.org/docs/2000/108-5/focus.html which points out some things to think about, such as the ability of one's destination to process sewage and trash.

I do side with the scientist majority re climate change.

However, on the subject of travel and the environment, I wish hotels would provide places for paper recycling. Because while I'm traveling I tend to accumulate a lot of paper items that I throw out because there's no place to recycle them...ticket stubs, map printouts, newspapers, brochures, etc. I wish hotels would provide paper recycling bins on each floor or somewhere in the main lobby (if there was a discreet place to put them).
And of course, fingers crossed that guests would use them properly and not toss regular garbage in them.
Ditto for cans and bottles.

Agree totally BT - wouldn't you think with all the other things the resorts incorporate into their designs, that it wouldn't be difficult to offer an area for recycling paper, etc - but that would mean the area they were in recycled, and that might not always be a reality either...
A friend said to me once, why should she recycle here trash, which she thought was miniscule compared to the trash airplanes, hotels, etc generate when they don't recycle - while I agreed with her it is frustrating to see the attendants go down the airplane aisle with one bag and everyone tossing in bottles, plastic, paper, etc everyone has to contribute whenever and however they can. I just said to her what happened to every little bit counts and she shrugged.

meanwhile there was a horrendous article recently out here about what really happens to the trash we think we are recycling (in our area anyway) ...it wasn't pretty.

I say travel but don't litter and be an environmental idiot when doing so.


quote. "The only reason there is any doubt is because the Noise Machine has been hard at work."
"There will always be ostriches who are unwilling to pull their heads out of the sand and look around, but it takes all kinds I guess."

The same was no doubt said about those who said the world was round PRIOR to the historical fad that decided it was flat, and that the Earth was the center of the solar system.

I guess I should be thankful for the $5,000 plus per year I have benefited from the Global warming fad. As are those perpetuating it. Hmmm should I as a scientist do another documentary about penguins, polar bears and such or should I jump on the cash cow bandwagon of a crisis. Of course supporters must take money from others and distribute it as seen fit. Money is power. Again follow the money. But I thought those same people were fully on board with the evolution thing, so why are these species not just evolving to cope with a change 1 DEGREE. I cope every day of my life with temperatures varying more than one degree in my environment.

I say travel but don't litter and be an environmental idiot when doing so.

Please all, see my reference for the following reading material in the book section of the lounge. This comes from CHOICE, which is used as a base criteria for college level and above critical/essential library materials.

sobolik, is not far off. I won't retype the entire reviews and the various scientific reports for climitology studies here, but do read it-I will top it over there.

Do not feel guilty about your human use of earth's bounty. Waste and supercilious consumption aside, just do- as in the Nike commercials.

I truly believe that in 20 or 30 years this issue will be looked upon as a prime level example of "critical thinking" exercise re media, political, humanistic/morality "group-think". And be VERY careful of groups or vendors (resorts) that pride themselves on their "eco". You may not be getting what you think you are.

IPCC issues etc. Real science is not cheap. Costs $129.00

Universite' Jean Moulin, France - Marcel Leroux

"Global Warming: Myth or Reality? The Erring Ways of Climatology. 509 pages ISBN 354023909X

One of many that are saying the Emperor has no clothes on, but this one also addresses the IPCC reports of 1990, 1995 and 2001.

And between 1101 aprox. and 1230-50 AD there was a larger degree F differential. I assume that there were no SUV's or jets around then.

Speaking of Oregon, Maggi, one of the climatologist professors at Oregon State University is currently under fire from the state governor's office for taking the same position as those 18,000 scientists. With the whole of state government now controlled by one political party, he might actually lose his job.

Dr. William Gray, a meteorologist at Colorado State University, is part of the group of 18,000 scientists who have signed the petition.

He argues that the studies supporting man-made global warming are the only ones being funded. Young scientists don't dare have an opposing opinion or they will be unable to receive research funding.

He feels both sides should receive funding for research. After the studies are complete, put all the scientists into one room to debate the results and LOCK THE MEDIA out.

Sounds reasonable to me.

"Carbon Footprint" is the new buzz word in Corporate Travel. Many corporations are taking this this issue very seriously.
See: http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

It just isn't something that can be "supported" definitely by a "side" as assumed, let alone tied so closely to a political outlook. It (weather, climate, planet phases, core etc. etc.) are so complex that it makes nuclear/ sub-nuclear studies or genetics seem a piece of cake in comparison. Greenhouse gases and other mammal related activies are just one factor in not hundreds, but thousands of other factors. And totally erroneous information has been accepted as truth re ocean currents now as well.

If you really feel it harbors disaster, I believe the best thing for you to do, is NOT wear man-made clothing, any synthetics, heat/or act condition any areas in which you live, or use any man-made synthetic housing materials in your abode, and eat only what you can grow. Travel and other considerations re fuels- of course not- that's a given. And don't forget that electrical power and large chemical production/outputs for making things like antibiotics and vaccines. None of that either.

In the part of the country I live in (USA) our environment is 10 times better than it was 20 years ago. Measurably, and especially the water.

I personally think SUV are monstrosities.

But to answer sportychick's question, NO!

All the "a little piece of me dies" has nothing to do with evolving physical entities, places, or conditions. It's not even a good benefit for yourself. In fact, a negative one.

JJ5 thanks for all the reference articles, etc - I am going to look at some of those myself but am most excited about passing them along to my son as he is trying to look at all info

I am...most excited about passing them along to my son as he is trying to look at all info.

Good for your son, but best be careful, escargot. In a thread that's since been deleted, I was accused of being un-American and child abuse for encouraging my daughter to do the same. Had to laugh.

"In the part of the country I live in (USA) our environment is 10 times better than it was 20 years ago. Measurably, and especially the water."

Yes, but what made it bad in the first place, and what helped clean it up? human activity.

I can accept that we don't know all the details or all the causes of how the climate may be changing. But I cannot deny that humans have a huge impact on the environment, especially since the industrial age. So to me it's not totally outrageous that man is affecting the climate, and can continue to affect it - for good and bad - as the world's population grows.

Even if global change is inevitable, mankind can do its part to slow down the effects, thus giving humans, animals, and plants that much more time to adapt.

Regardless who deletes you, who critizies you, who has the "truth" within the palm of their hands, it will always remain better to question.

Never forget that the "known" physical world throughout human history has often been supported by social convention, political/economic beliefs and agendas and not provable or truthful by probable trial. That's why men went mad from fear over numerous celestial events, eclipses etc.

Change and cycles are never ending features, be it in cell life or in galaxies. Fear is counter-productive.

Some scientists are seeing advantages to change, believe it or not. Economically AND environmentally.

"it will always remain better to question."

absolutely ! my Dad used to say, when you stop questioning, you stop thinking.