How travel contributes to saving the planet
This week I was on a train from Düsseldorf to Berlin. In their in-train magazine I read an article by Thilo Mischke. He wrote about the sustainability of train travel, Greta, and a generation that is afraid of the future. “Before, we were scared of poverty, no house, no car, no annual leave” he writes. I relate. I am not afraid of those things but I, too, share the concern about the health of the ecosystems on our planet.
You only want to save what you care about
It is hard to care about things you don’t understand, don’t appreciate. Our brains only have so much capacity. So we have to prioritize and compartmentalize. It’s the human condition. That is why I was so moved by National Geographic’s mission when I first read it, and I still am today.
Their purpose is to show us the beauty of the planet, so we appreciate it. So that we may learn and understand. So that we may care. And so that we strive to preserve it. They do this in many ways. Their stunning photograph’s being one of them. Their National Geographic Journeys with G Adventures being another.
I am honored to guide such tours. To show people this beautiful world, inspire and make them care. I find this job more meaningful and fulfilling than anything I’ve ever done before. More important for all of our futures. Travel is important.
How you can contribute
So if you are one of the digital nomads out there, don’t let anybody disrespect what you are doing. If you’re a travel blogger and you get even one person to go on a trip, you have contributed. Tell that to all the cash-heavy executives.
If you are an Instagram influencer, bring on the best edits and filters you got! Because these images get people’s attention. They influence travel decisions. And the experience there will be educational, no matter if the colors were the same as in your pictures.
See it work: Paris Notre Dame cathedral
There was a fire in Hallstatt, Austria this week. If you are exposed to travel content at all, you likely have seen images of the peaceful alpine village with it’s church and lake. World Heritage got destroyed. Just like earlier this year with Notre Dame.
In the aftermath, I heard some people were shocked by how quickly and how much money was raised to rebuild it. It is the perfect example of people caring to preserve. This is exactly what needs to be replicated for every forest and river and every other ecosystem of the planet. Disasters will happen. The Amazon Rain Forest is on fire. Will we care enough to preserve it? So that the next generation doesn’t have to be afraid of the future?
Travel more. Care. Preserve.
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