Worth your weight in CO2

Published on Sunday 20 May 2007 00:39

ONE of the least polite things you can do is ask a woman her weight. But I'm going to tell you mine: 5.11 tonnes. Before you call an ambulance, I should explain that this figure refers to the amount of carbon dioxide I managed to tot up on flights last year.

Of the 18 flights, two return trips to London account for four, then it took another four to get to Seattle and back. The rest were used travelling round India and Nepal (with an ethical tour firm). With impeccable timing, we crossed the border into Nepal just as the Maoist insurgency was reaching boiling point. All road travel was banned, leaving us to explore Nepal in an old 12-seater plane. It was an adventure all right, but now it feels more like a guilt trip.

I'm not the only one feeling uneasy about air travel. The Queen's recent tour of the United States was Her Majesty's first carbon-offset state visit. So is it possible to be a green tourist? At the moment everyone seems to be gushing about how eco-friendly rail travel is, but while that's fine for a weekend in Paris it's less feasible if you want to get to New Zealand. Whatever you do, don't try to get there by boat. It might be reassuringly old-fashioned, but according to Climate Care, a cruise liner such as the Queen Mary II emits almost twice as much CO2 per passenger mile as a long-haul flight.

The quick and easy salve for your conscience is to offset your carbon. Just go to a website such as www. climatecare.org or www.carbon neutral.com to calculate how much nasty stuff all those flights have produced, then pay the experts to clean up your mess. My 5.11 tonnes vanished for just 38.40. What a bargain. Carbon offsetters do more than just plant trees; they also invest in all sorts of renewable energy projects. Just as well, seeing as it can take a tree up to 60 years to convert one tonne of carbon.

Of course transport is just one part of the picture. Travel and tourism account for approximately 10% of all jobs worldwide - if we stopped going on holiday, livelihoods would suffer at home and abroad. And travel doesn't have to mean exploitation - eco-tourism is growing three times faster than the industry standard. According to research by Mintel, by 2010 the outgoing ethical holiday market from the UK will have increased to 2.5 million trips a year.

So if we are going to fly, the message is that we should be using responsible tour operators - ones who have an ethical policy, use local staff (and pay them fair wages) and who have a commitment to environmental issues such as water use and waste. And if you don't want to stay in an eco-resort, at least do the decent thing by reusing the towels in your swanky hotel and switching off the air-conditioning when you go out.

It's estimated that only 4% of the world's population travels abroad each year, and it's certainly an ethical option to be part of the remaining 96%. Holidays in the UK, using public transport (good luck), put money into the local economy and win you green stars. VisitScotland's Green Tourism Business Scheme has more than 420 members who have been assessed and awarded for their energy efficiency, so look out for the green symbol when you are choosing your accommodation.

After the jet-setting extravaganza of last year, I've decided that 2007 is going to be my year of domestic tourism. My planned walking break in Aviemore and cycling tour on the west coast should both pass the eco-test, but I'm a little worried about the trip to Alton Towers. Do rollercoasters cause CO2 emissions?

Website and book of the week

www.responsibletravel.com

IT'S always nice when someone else does the hard work for you, and this site is a great starting point for booking ethical, eco-aware holidays. As well as general advice on how to be a responsible tourist, it features holidays in 150 countries from 250 tour operators.

The Ethical Travel Guide

by Polly Pattullo (12.99, Earthscan)

Commissioned by the Tourism Concern organisation, this book will help you avoid tourist traps and instead find places to visit where you can have a positive impact on local people and their environment.