To travel bloggers and others: On earth and things that scare me.

 Ok there, so before starting shooting comments informed or ignorant about how informed or ignorant I am and how patronizing of me, please let me make my point.

I'm not tree hugger. I don't fit with your stereotypical hippie, green, whatever you want to call it activist, environmental conscious people, I'm far from doing the maximum. But I was thinking. And here I write to my fellow travel bloggers, but any backpacker or travel enthusiasts really. Yes. I am talking about preventing our world to go to well, hell.

We want to see the world, we want that one trail that barely been touched before. To get to that tiny temple at the top of some mountain somewhere, that untouched beach with a single bungalow. But sometimes you end up just in Ibiza in a McDonald. It doesn't matter. It's not about travels, we are always traveling in some ways. It's what we do when we travel. It's the little things. A plastic bottle. A plastic bag. A new local delicacy. Everything has an impact. And please, I beg you, do not give me the pointless argument of "but it doesn't count, I can't change anything by myself" I won't even go in this argument. If you think that, then there is little civilized ways I could describe you.

So what about next time you travel, whether it's to work or to the deep jungle. What about using a bottle with a filter in it, so you can use tap water without risks instead of popping to the shop. What about trying to reduce the number of sodas we drink. Do we really need it?
"But when I was in Thailand/Brazil/HongKong, they just gave me 3 plastic bags for my stuff". Well just give it back. "But it's gonna be used for the next one". Well at least its still 3 plastic bags less, and may be the next person, won't use it either and then it starts to  make a different. A chain reaction.

I'm not pointing a finger on America in particulary, it is just that I happen to read that report that was only on the US but apparently 80% of the American public thinks that oceans are a source of drinkable water. And that a vast majority don't trust environmental reports and journalists. And thats where it gets worrying (if all that wasn't worrying before). There is a lack of fair and accurate report and education on environment. There should be classes in school, and I know there is in a lot of places this kind of things but it should be put at the same level of importance that maths or english. Because if there is no planet to learn these things anymore then it's kind of useless. So although we all think we know enough, I think we should all do extensive research on the actual condition of earth to get a reality check. Again if you give me the "but climate change and ocean pollution is all a political conspiracy" then I am really sorry for the way you think.

In all fairness, I'm just very selfish. And very scared. I'm scared for my family and for myself. I have been lucky so far to not really experience any change of the weather in my life. But I don't want it to happen. I don't want my family or my friends to die in a tsunami, typhoon, floods, earthquake. I don't want myself to die in a conflict that will at some point, if nothing change, start about the reserve of drinking water on our planet. I want to live and I want to live old.
When I was a kid I thought that if everything was going wrong in my life, I would just open small lemonade and grilled fish shack on the beach on a paradise island. However, without fish to grill because of overfishing, without drinking water to do the lemonade, with no lemons because of flood and may be not even an island left because of the level of the oceans raising, the plan B is over. Actually all our plan Bs are kind of gone now.

It's selfish because when I sign a petition against Shark fining, I also think about myself diving and I want to see sharks.

So I really want myself and everybody that breathes to turn things around.
We should think twice about taking a plane when we can take some other greener transportation ways.
May be join a local green group and raise awareness.
Yes it does mean reducing our comfort, yes it is an effort sometimes, yes it means breaking our routine.

Personally my fear of the future is my motivation, I'm not even gonna give you the "its for our children sake", I don't like kids, it's for myself. Whatever your motivation is, do it. So ok,  I don't do things perfectly, still learning, still trying.

And US (not united states, I mean "we") travel bloggers, us who like to see the world so much, we should be ambassadors of protecting the planet. If we think to be qualified enough to give travel tips to people to see places, we should at least make sure we protect these places. Although it might means missing a few things, like trying shark fins for example, we should do it. So we can write about the wonders of the world at least a few more years.

So what about we create a badge, a standard on our travel blogs that shows that we are understand that traveling has consequences, but we trying to reduce it. If you like this idea please contact me on twitter: @allytoullec .
What about we all create a "Green" page on our blog. There is plenty of problems to pick from. Let's spread the word.

That's it folks, feel free to voice your opinion, shut me down etc... keep it civil would you? No one wants the youtube kind of style comments, cheers.