THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL IN A WARMING WORLD
The carefree, exploratory euphoria that most of us associate with road trips feels directly at odds with a devastating but inescapable reality: the ways that we currently access the world through travel are greatly imperiling the planet, as well as ourselves. From holiday excursions home to impromptu cross- country road trips, there are steep environmental costs associated with driving that many are finding increasingly difficult to ignore. Climate change threatens to not only destroy many of the destinations that travelers seek out, but also dramatically upend the daily lives of everyone on the planet. This puts, after Italy went into lockdown, levels of nitrogen dioxide—a major pollutant worldwide—fell an astounding 40 percent in the country’s northern regions. We’ve always had the option to alter our behavior in ways that stave off climate change, but a silver lining to be found with coronavirus is that, at the moment, much of the world doesn’t have a choice. Unfortunately, the climate benefits of the crisis situation will not last long; when life eventually stabilizes and we adjust to a new normal, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions will return to pre- virus levels. Conventional methods of travel will inevitably return, and we’ll be faced with the choice to either inflict more harm on the planet through traveling, or to stay home—a sacrifice that many around the world won’t tolerate after being confined to their residences for long stretches of time.
