Newspaper Page Text
Guilt-Free Getaway
How to Have a More Sustainable Spring Break
By Rosemary Scott music@flagpole.com
W ith spring semester in full swing, one thing
is at the forefront of UGA students’ minds:
spring break. Whether your vacation has been
planned for months or you’re still weighing your options,
there is one factor that should factor into your plans:
sustainability.
On the whole, travel is not very green. All forms
of travel result in some type of waste or harmful
emissions. Even so, there are ways to reduce
that carbon footprint as much as possible,
resulting in a guilt-free, environmentally
responsible vacation.
The Worst of It
The first place to start in planning a sustainable spring
break is to know what not to do. One of the most popular
options for students is cruises, with hundreds of students
booking cruises over spring break, often to Mexico.
On the surface, a cruise seems like a sustainable choice.
There are thousands of people aboard the same ship, mean
ing that many fewer people will book flights to that destina
tion. In an EPA survey, it was reported that a 3,000-person
ship dumps about 150,000 gallons of sewage into the ocean
each week, with over 1 billion gallons of sewage dumped by
cruise ships each year. This large-scale dumping of waste
kills marine life, strips oxygen from the water and poses a
health risk to all who enter the water near the shoreline.
Though there is no sustainable way to cruise, some ships
and cruise lines have taken steps to reduce their environ
mental impact. Friends of the Earth, an environmental
charity, created a Cruise Ship Report Card, grading each
cruise line and ship for its environmental impact, or lack
thereof. The highest-scoring cruise line is Disney Cruise
Line, with an A-minus overall. No other line scored higher
than a C.
Compared to cruises, flying or driving to a destina
tion reduces one’s overall environmental impact. The
most difficult part of sustainable travel is deciding which
method to use, as flying is often the fastest way to travel.
Unfortunately, one round-trip flight across the country
can produce as much as 20% of one car’s emissions over
the course of a year. If more than one person is going on
the trip, as is often the case over spring break, it is almost
always more environmentally friendly to drive, as those
emissions grow higher with every additional car on the
road. While traveling by bus or train from Athens is incon
venient, if it’s feasible, those are the most environmentally
friendly options.
If flying is the best or only option, there are ways each
individual’s impact can be reduced. One of these is to
buy a less expensive seat. According to a study from
the World Bank, emissions associated with a seat
in business class are three times as high as one in
coach. If there is no way to reduce emissions,
some airlines, such as Delta and United, allow
customers to purchase offsets, meaning
the airline will donate money to an orga
nization helping to reverse the effects of
climate change. If you’d rather donate to a
different organization, there are carbon foot
print calculators online that determine exactly
how much one would need to offset a trip.
One of the most eco-friendly options
for spring break is driving somewhere
close by, like the beach or a music festi
val. Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival
is held during UGA’s spring break in
Okeechobee, FL, an eight-hour drive
from Athens. The festival, which pro
motes sustainability, offers a cheaper
ticket for those who carpool called an
eco-pass, which can be bought on its
website, okeechobeefest.com.
According to Melatti, there are five primary ways waste
can be reduced while traveling:
Bring solid toiletries: Solid toiletries are both practical
and environmentally friendly. They come without bulky
plastic packaging and can be bought in different sizes
and quantities, depending on the length of the trip. In
addition to shampoo and conditioner, solid perfume and
toothpaste can help eliminate virtually all plastic in a
typical toiletries bag.
Buy organic sunscreen: Many popular sunscreen brands
contain chemicals that are toxic for marine life, which
is why buying organic sunscreen is a must if a trip takes
you into the ocean. Additionally, organic or natural sun
screen can be gentler on the skin.
Use a bamboo toothbrush: Bamboo is more sustainable
than plastic in that it grows quickly and is biodegradable.
Making a switch like this can help keep plastic tooth
brushes that may never break down out of landfills.
What You Can Do
All these statistics may make it
seem like there is no way to travel sus
tainably. The good news is that there
are still small steps that can be taken to go greener—even
on vacation. Matt Melatti works at the UGA Office of
Sustainability through the AmeriCorps VISTA program,
and he says going green while traveling should add to your
vacation, not take away from it.
“Many people look at vacation as a break from their
daily chores. However, sustainability should never feel like
a chore. It is an opportunity to do something great for our
world and can add so much value to our daily lives,” Melatti
says.
Buy plastic-free food containers: Though reusing a
plastic container may seem like a sustainable option, the
reality is that plastic is often not recyclable and will still
end up in a landfill. Stainless steel food containers are a
more sustainable option and easier to clean.
Bring a portable water purifier: In some popular
vacation spots, the water is not safe for consumption.
Instead of buying a case of plastic water bottles, buying
a portable, rechargeable water purifier will not only save
money but help the environment, as well. ©
ViVA!
VOTE US FAVORITE
DESSERT, LATIN
AMERICAN!
EMPANADAS
ARGENTINE CHEESE STEAK
CUPCAKES
HOME MADE SOUPS
VEGETARIAN & VEGAN OPTIONS
Open Tuesday-Sunday • Patio Dining • Kid Friendly
247 PRINCE AVENUE * 706-850-8284
WASHINGTON
SQUARE
t
WE DO HAIR
706-395-6633
washingtonsquarestudio.com
[h1 wug
HU UNIVE
ygy.
LO
NE
A 91.7 and 94.5 FM @WUGAFM
“s ,TYOF “ WUGA.ORG
CAL
'1AIO
.WS Ln P r
WUGA IS A BROADCAST SERVICE OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.
14 FLAGPOLE.COM | FEBRUARY 5, 2020
ERIC ALLEN