The official travel thread

Btw. it could be important (@climate change) to not travel too much (like considering your ecological footprint).

I’ve always tried to fly less but stay longer or do something different instead.

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This is a noble thought.
I am very sensitive to this issue. I’m the kind of guy who keeps the faucet closed while teeth-brushing.
Though, being aware of climate changes requires an high degree of consciousness which is culture-related. Traveling has an high cultural value, which in my opinion is among the highest values you can find in any leisure activity.
I deeply believe that every person isn’t enough aware of the ecological footprint of their daily activities. Every time you buy some clothes, some food, you turn on your heating system, you open your fridge, you are polluting.
Lots of energy waste and pollution are caused by stupid and lazy daily habits. And more and more lots are caused by reckless shopping. Often we buy the cheapest product, which may have been produced in countries were they don’t have strict energy pollution control rules, or they use forbidden chemicals which poison the waters, and then the items are packaged (plastic wraps are higly polluting) and then shipped all over the world with high consumption of aircrafts, ships and trucks fuel. Often we buy cheaply made products, which break soon and must be substituted with a new item. Often we buy useless stuff, and we throw away old stuff even if it works. Just because it’s old.

The matter is quite wide and complex, and in my opinion doesn’t deserve an off-topic in a thread dedicated to travels.

I can suggest this: travel as much as you can. It will enrich your mind and your soul, and will make you even more aware of the beauties and the issues of our world and our society.

And if you think that you’d better stay home, feel free to stay home. But please keep your heating system low.
And don’t forget to close the faucet while brushing.

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Or just turn off your computer and go to sleep.

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I’m even more environment-conscious, I save more water by never brushing my teeth!

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Don’t even mention showers.

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Agreed. I’ve never really understood why people leave it running. It doesn’t take much effort to push the toothpaste down the sink afterwards. And your hands will be minty fresh!

This goes on my list of environmentally related bugbears including people who leave their car engine running while stationary (eliciting glares from me when I walk down the street), and people who chuck their rubbish on the train tracks because ‘it doesn’t count if it’s on the tracks’.

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“Wanna see the result of a nglected mouth?”

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While it’s important to not be wasteful and try to pass along good habits to our kids, the average person’s actions are miniscule compared to the mass-scale pollution from industries (at least in the USA). I see shows about performers traveling the country in giant busses, along with tons of crew spreading pollution all across the land for the sake of entertainment. Also film crews take over several city blocks with ridiculous amounts of equipment and energy consumption just to get a 10-second shot that you may or may not even notice in their film.

Compared to them I don’t feel so bad.

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@Ema
I don’t have the faucet opened because I prefer to walk around whilst brushing my teeth. Secondly I don’t like to waste stuff generally but regarding the water, it very much depends on where you’re living. When there is enough water it isn’t an issue at all. On the contrary, it gets a problem when you try to safe too much water because then the lack of waterflow doesn’t clean the pipes naturally anymore and you need to add (more) chlorine, which is not something you really want.

I’m aware that I won’t change the world this way but that’s how I feel good handling things in my little world.

In my opinion the climate change will come because the politicians, or to be more precise, those the politicians serve (a.o. the global capitalists, deep state …), have no interest in a working environment because otherwise they won’t be able to sell their old goods anymore, loose power due to shifting power conditions and later on they’ll be able to make enough money with offering different kind of ‘solutions’ for the problems they’ve caused anyway. Overpopulation, the phase of the typical cycle of capitalism we’re in right now and the greed of the USA are more important.

The typical human being is either too dumb, uniformed (under constant propaganda) or doesn’t dare to rebel and stop this insane system. So, a tiny minority controls the vast majority since a long time. People will (if ever) only react when it will be too late. But hey, I didn’t want to go into politics, this is about traveling, right?!

Err… the implications of that statement are potentially disturbing with regard to Italy.

:thinking::thinking::face_with_raised_eyebrow::confused:

:dash:
:roll_eyes::man_shrugging:

Keeping the faucet closed does not make you a “kind of guy,” which would seem to imply something out of the ordinary.

Like: I’m the kind of guy who carries their bike up and down the escalator.

I’m sorry, I feel a little dumb, but… I still don’t get it. :sweat_smile:

What do being “a kind of guy” and “Italy” have in common? And why being “a kind of guy” should be disturbing?

Oh, nevermind. I have this stupid habit of trying to understand everything I read. :wink:

If you’re “a kind of guy” who does something that isn’t ordinary, that implies the rest of Italy always leaves the water running.

I can’t speak for the whole nation, but I have the feeling that leaving the faucet running is the default option indeed.

And Kate specifically pointed it out as well. And I heard simliar things in Germany. So it doesn´t seem to be limited to Italy, England or Germany. Though I don´t know anyone who does leave it running.

I don’t know what other people generally do, but for me leaving the faucet running is really odd.
Although there was this one time I was flying from San Francisco to Seattle…

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Rothenburg ob der Tauber with Christmas lights.

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And once again, you´re relatively close to me!

I’m not there, I’m still in Italy, it’s a picture I found and loved :blush: