“Solitude and solace are two of the experiences we have come to expect from our national parks. But you won’t fine either while jockeying for Instagram photos on the rim of the Grand, crushing into shuttle buses at Zion as you would into a rush-hour train in Manhattan, or pitching your tent in a packed campground in Yosemite, where by nightfall the yapping of your fellow citizens degenerates into a cacophony of children crying, couples bickering, old men snoring, and gadgets pinging.” — Christopher Ketcham, The Business of Scenery, Harper’s, April 2021 To which I might add the noise of others heard through thin-walled motel rooms. The PBS tourist industry whores Rick Steves and Samantha Brown seldom or never mention the fossil fuel consumption of the airlines or the attendant carbon footprint of vehicles used to ferry tourists amongst various destinations. “Cruise ships generate significant quantities of wastes that the industry disposes of with surprisingly little regulation.” — Center for Sustainable System, University of Michigan And, of course, the pandemic has shown us that cruise ships are a petri dish for viruses; not just the coronavirus, but also the diarrhea and vomiting-inducing norovirus.
“Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods." [Preface to Brissot's Address to His Constituents (1794)]” ― Edmund Burke, On Empire, Liberty, and Reform: Speeches and Letters
I don't like to travel and a big part of that has to do with the high carbon footprint associated with travelling. I haven't traveled outside of my city for 10 years and I have averaged around 2000 miles/year in my subcompact car for the past 5 years. I averaged 2500 miles/year for 20 years prior to that. I also get back and neck pain from driving and insomnia from travelling. I don't exercise much during trips or eat as healthy. With the internet, books, magazines, and other forms of media, why is it essential to travel?