ETHICAL TRAVELLER:Catherine Mack on responsible tourism
OUR ARTICLE a fortnight ago about flying to New York in search of credit-crunch bargains took me on a nostalgia trip. I did exactly that in my youth, which was also back in the last century. But I thought we had all moved on a bit since then. Consumer excess is a personal choice, I guess, but carbon excess in order to feed that frenzy is not on any more. I am not against flying, but there are limits, and chasing a Sex and the Citylifestyle is verging on carbon trashy.
If you have signed up for the 10:10 challenge (1010.ie), so committing yourself to cut your carbon emissions by 10 per cent in a year, you will have noticed that the first tip is to fly less but holiday more, by taking fewer but longer trips. The sixth tip is to “buy good stuff” and think about waste and ethics on our shopping trips.
So if you are limiting yourself to one return flight a year, and your Christmas shopping trip is it, use the link to the Carbon Friendly Flight Search tool at flysmart.org.
It will find you the cheapest flight as well as the greenest. It does this by assessing the carbon efficiency of each fleet, and whether the route is direct. It shows that a return from Dublin to New York – 10,209.56km – emits 1.25 tonnes of carbon per person.
For about the same price, and half the amount of carbon, you can travel to the markets of Marrakesh, and keep money in the local economy, with grotto after grotto of gorgeous jewellery, leather, rugs and spices.
Morocco’s argan oil, for example, is a wonderful beauty product, now sought after by those in the know.
And no overheated malls, overpackaged goods or overloaded plates of food.
Take a local guide around the souks, such as one recommended on tripbod.com (share the cost with a group of girls), to find all the best bargains and get your head around haggling. You will have to swap the margaritas for mint tea, though.
Even flying to Turkey to stroll through the streets of Istanbul is half the carbon cost of fighting your way along Fifth Avenue. Choose locally owned accommodation, treat yourself to a Turkish bath and bring back a load of Turkish Delight for Granny. You can book a great short trip, with the use of a local guide, on responsibletravel.com.
Staying closer to home, take the boat and train to Edinburgh or Glasgow, where you can buy plenty of local crafts or produce, not only in some superb boutiques but also at the Scottish capital’s Ethical Christmas Fair, from December 12th to 20th (edinburghschristmas.com).
You will feel as if you have walked on to the set of Sex and the Cityin Glasgow's Che Chamille (checamille.com), which works with young designers directly, using ethically sourced materials.
There are lots of other ways to enjoy Scotland in winter while you are there – check out white.visitscotland.com.
Or just stay at home and support Ireland’s local producers. Take the train or bus to a town you don’t normally visit and stock up on local produce. The almost endless choice includes spots such as the Burren Perfumery, in Carron, in Co Clare; Voya, in Co Sligo, which makes seaweed products; and Kennys Bookshop, in Galway.
Please feel free to send me suggestions as a comment to this article on my website, and I will add them to the list.
ethicaltraveller.net, twitter.com/catherinemack