A Sustainable Summer

The summer is coming up, and travel and trips are going to significantly rise. Along with this people will be eating out a lot and shopping for new summer outfits. With this comes higher greenhouse gas emissions due to extensive trips. This article will aid you in finding more sustainable ways to enjoy your summer. 

 

Summer destination:

Picking a destination that equally cares about the environment is important. Ideally pick something close to home! Road trips can be especially fun! People typically venture miles and miles away and know little of tourism around them! If you’re planning to visit a beach or coastline, preferably pick one that has a marine program or a protected coastline as it will help local communities fund their conservation efforts. In addition to this, using websites such as bookdifferent.com helps you find eco-friendly hotels to stay at and also measures your carbon footprint depending on what option you choose. Also, using websites such as goclimate.com can help you calculate your emissions as you go along your trip. It can be used in order to plan your routes before travel to help find the most cost effective, efficient, and climate friendly routes.

 

 

Travel:

Most modes of transportation will still emit a lot of greenhouse gasses. There are ways to reduce it. When possible opt for using the bus or train to reach your destination as flying releases at least three times more greenhouse gasses than the competing types of transportation. In addition to this there are many services with which you can rent hybrid or electric cars. Many argue completely against travel, but in this day and age it is nearly impossible to avoid all types of travel. If the only possible mode of travel is flying, try to opt for larger planes and larger trips as more people on one flight will decrease the amount of total flight taken.

 

Sunscreen:

Skin care also has a large impact on our oceans, especially sunscreen products that contain chemicals such as zinc, titanium dioxide, and many more that poison our oceans. This can induce coral bleaching, inhibition of photosynthesis, decrease fish reproduction, and infiltrate living tissues. While skincare is important, it is also important to use planet loving products! Here are some popular sunscreens that are better for our oceans: Stream2Sea, Supergoop, Badger, Countersun, Suntegrity.

 

Summer apparel: 

Fast fashion is destroying our planet. With many cheap and readily available brands available, people tend to gravitate towards these as they are affordable and easy to obtain. At a time when many people shop for vacations, it is important to encourage the purchase of clothes from ethical sources. With a little research it becomes easy to understand that there are many different price points for ethical clothing, so there are many affordable options for ethical clothing. Some sustainable clothes brands to support this summer: Outerknown, Christy Dawn, Patagonia, Asket, All Birds, Two Days Off.

 

Have a safe and sustainable summer!

 

Sources

“Be a More Sustainable Traveler.” The New York Times, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/guides/travel/how-to-travel-sustainably.

Bell, Carrie. “RS Recommends: The Best Reef-Safe, Eco-Friendly Sunscreens.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2022, https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/lifestyle/best-reef-safe-sunscreen-1180223/.

Chec. “What’s Wrong with Fast Fashion?” CHEC International, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.checinternational.org/whats-wrong-with-fast-fashion/#:~:text=The%20fast%20fashion%20industry%20is,makes%20it%27s%20negative%20impacts%20worse.

Conscious Fashion Collective. “16 Sustainable Summer Dresses You’ll Want to Live In.” Conscious Fashion Collective, Conscious Fashion Collective, 23 Dec. 2021, https://consciousfashion.co/guides/sustainable-ethical-summer-dresses.

Corsillo, Liza. “The 9 Best Sustainable Clothing Brands for Men.” The Strategist, 28 May 2021, https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-sustainable-clothing-brands-for-men.html.

“The Most Beautiful Ethical and Sustainable Sundresses & House Dresses.” Ecocult, 19 Aug. 2021, https://ecocult.com/ethical-sustainable-ecofriendly-sundresses/.

“Sustainable Summer Holiday Travel Tips.” Just Energy, 21 June 2021, https://justenergy.com/blog/sustainable-summer-holiday-travel-tips/.

“Together We Can Save the Climate!” GoClimate, https://www.goclimate.com/.

US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Sunscreen Chemicals and Coral Reefs.” Skincare Chemicals and Marine Life, 1 Nov. 2018, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals.html#:~:text=When%20we%20swim%20or%20shower,Coral%3A%20Accumulates%20in%20tissues.