Note: Stupid Tip of the Day is a not-so-new regular feature of The Gate which will not be featured regularly — if at all — after today…or maybe not; but in honor of Earth Day, I thought I would “recycle” some stories which I have found elsewhere in addition to what should be an obvious tip.
T oday is Earth Day, which was started 45 years ago today on April 22, 1970 and is now celebrated in 192 countries around the world with campaigns to bring attention to the environmental issues concerning our planet and its precious resources.
Travel is hardly friendly to the environment — for many modes of transportation such as airplanes, boats and cars — significant amounts of fuel are consumed, with emissions spewed back out into the atmosphere and polluting the air we breathe and the water we drink. Fortunately, there are many ways we can personally help to reduce the adverse impact on our environment…
Recycle Whenever Possible
…and here is where the obvious Stupid Tip of the Day comes in: I am amazed at how many times I witness people either carelessly littering; or throwing away items which could easily be recycled — especially at airports. For example, I have noticed people not taking the extra second or two to properly dispose of waste which could have been recycled — especially when there are usually recycling bins adjacent to the trash can for general waste which cannot be recycled.
I wish I had hard statistics to demonstrate how many tons of waste which could have been recycled ends up in landfills simply because people were too careless or thoughtless to put that minimal bit of extra effort to ensure that their refuse is recycled for future uses — and I am referring to only airports. There is a link to an article below which states that greater than 75 percent of waste is recyclable; but we only recycle approximately 30 percent of it.
Here are some articles — from both BoardingArea and other media sources around the Internet — which you might find interesting in helping to minimize your impact whenever you travel:
Great Use For Recycling JetBlue Crewmember Uniforms + Win A Trip to NYC
JetBlue Airways — which for the first time in its history initiated an overhaul in its uniform for its staff last year, according to this article posted at Michael W Travels — “has teamed up with Manhattan Portage, makers of the famous NYC bicycle messenger bags to recycle unused uniforms into a ‘fashion-forward bag collection’.” That is a pretty cool idea, in my opinion.
5 easy ways to be eco-friendly on business trips
From the Road Warriorette herself here at BoardingArea comes this article posted earlier today which contains five ways to be friendlier to the environment whenever you travel on business — including using “green” toiletries as well as luggage.
1,000 Free Club Carlson Gold Points For Going Paperless
Ben Schlappig of One Mile at a Time shared this article earlier today pertaining to a targeted promotion from the Club Carlson frequent guest loyalty program: 1,000 free Gold Points for members who enroll in paperless statements by Tuesday, April 28, 2015.
11 Facts About Recycling
In addition to the statistic that greater than 75 percent of waste is recyclable; but we only recycle approximately 30 percent of it, this article contains ten other facts pertaining to recycling.
Recycling Facts
Facts pertaining to recycling aluminum, paper, plastic, glass, solid waste and miscellaneous items — as well as landfills and links to additional information pertaining to recycling — are found in this article.
Earth Day: Our planet’s most beautiful landscapes – after we made them ugly
This article contains plenty of photographs — some of them “then” and “now” comparisons — which will open your eyes as to how humans have been ruining the environment in such places as Glacier National Park in the United States; the Cotswolds in England; and the Giza Necropolis in Egypt.
Earth Day quiz: do you care about the environment when you travel?
Take the survey in this article pertaining to your travel habits; and follow the links in this article to find out about some “greener” holiday options.
11 Sustainable Travel Ideas to Consider for Earth Day
This article contains a list of the companies, organizations and destinations in the travel space which are supposedly more environmentally friendly than their counterparts.
7 Eco-Travel Tips for Earth Day—and Every Day!
Although this article first appeared two years ago, the tips which it contains are still relevant today — such as taking a vacation volunteering which includes “trail maintenance and construction, bridge and shelter renovation, and native species reestablishment in national parks and forests, state parks, wildlife preserves, and other unique environments” across the United States.
Summary
A bonus — yet obvious — Stupid Tip of the Day is that we should treat every day as though it were Earth Day. I do not necessarily believe that we should go out of our way to significantly inconvenience ourselves at a higher cost and sacrifice what we enjoy doing in order to help our planet become “greener”; but there are still so many little things we can do which would not take much effort and yet substantially help to improve our environment if each and every one of us contributed in a small way towards that effort.
Fortunately, the situation has been slowly improving over time in parts of the world with a combination of technology, conservation efforts and awareness…
…but in the meantime, I try to recycle whatever items I possibly can every single day to do my share of helping to improve the environment…
