31 Reasons to Travel Green: In Pictures
Every green traveler has those days where she just wants to give up. Pollution, global warming, bad environmental policy decisions - how much of a difference can one person really make?
We’re launching our 25 Days to Green Travel series with photos that remind us why traveling green - and living green - matters. We’re going with the “a picture is worth a thousand words” concept. All of these images except one are from Flickr, many from amateur photographers. No matter what shade of green traveler you are, I hope these photos motivate you to keep traveling green. As I searched for these photos, I was reminded over and over that our travel decisions don’t just affect us; they affect people and wildlife across the world, and they will for generations to come.
The post wraps up with some truly amazing photos of beautiful places, people, and creatures around the world, so stick through the depressing photos to the end and you’ll be rewarded.
The Bad
Destruction of Wildlife
Oiled bird from Black Sea oil spill. photo credit: marinephotobank
Polar bear on melted ice near Barents Island, Norway. © Arne Naevra
Dead fish in a polluted riverbed, Buenos Aires, Argentina. photo credit: blmurch
Global Warming
Exposed coral reef in Gili Meno, Indonesia. photo credit: yeowatzup
Fragment of a melted iceberg. photo credit: nick_russill
Floating iceberg chunk in Patagonia. photo credit: lrargerich
Melting icebergs in Jökulsárlón, Iceland. photo credit: csproete
Water Pollution
Polluted river in Cambodia. photo credit: davilla
Man finding plastic bags in River Yamuna in Delhi, India. photo credit: Koshyk
Metal barrel in a green river. photo credit: jantik
Air Pollution
Taj Mahal choking in early morning smog. photo credit: mshandro
Beijing smog. photo credit: diggingforfire
Air pollution in Nova Scotia. photo credit: ojbyrne
Car pollution in Cremona, Italy. photo credit: Simone Ramella
Mexico City smog. photo credit: arndw
Los Angeles, California smog. photo credit: cwsteeds
Santiago, Chile smog. photo credit: philliecasablanca
One way to avoid breathing polluted air in Tehran. photo credit: kamshots
Plane pollution, Anywhere. photo credit: mshades
Forest Destruction
Deforestation in Guatemala. photo credit: Pati’s Moment in Time
Deforestation in the Amazon. photo credit: dgidsicki
Deforestation in Wakayama, Japan. photo credit: T.Hagihara
Waste
Electronics waste in China from the Western World. photo credit: art_es_anna
Chinese baby surround by electronics parts from the Western World. photo credit: art_es_anna
The Good
Preserve the Sites and Wildlife
Coral reefs and fish in St. Lucia. photo credit: World Resources Institute Staff
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland. photo credit: atomicpuppy68
Mountains in Brienz, Switzerland. photo credit: pilou
Elephants in Kenya. photo credit: wildcat_dunny
Moose in Alaska. photo credit: Paul Resh
Support the Local Economy and Way of Life
Fish vendor in Seoul, South Korea. photo credit: neaners
Indian street vendor. photo credit: utpal.
31 Reasons to Travel Green: In Pictures is the first post in Go Green Travel Green’s 25 Days to Green Travel series. You can see the complete list of articles in the 25 Days to Green Travel Index. If you haven’t already, subscribe to our feed (also available via email) and stay up to date.
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Stumbled here via Gadling. You folks are doing a great job. Happy to see a green blog.
Thanks for using my pic (Car pollution in Cremona, Italy). I’m honoured to be part of this powerful post. And please feel free to use any other of my pics should you need more. Best wishes from Italy.
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i think that helping our planet is the best thing that we can do because we need to preseve all of the good things in life before it’s too late and were crying about it i think that we should all go green in order to help the place that we live in that is our beloved EARTH :] I thank you for trying to put the helping mind in everyone
This article definately accomplished what it was trying to do! For me with all the “GO GREEN” everywhere it makes you think a little more about what we r actually doing and what we should really be doing. I would have to agree that i have started going green and every little bit helps and i plan on going more GREEN!
that ladies is hot!
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Awww the polar bear is so cute now i definatly wanna go green!!!
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Beautiful pictures. A creative way to engage people.
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Thank you so much for posting these photographs. People need to know how the earth and environment are suffering. You have inspired me to make sure that I not only take the “pretty photos” as we travel. But that I take the “reality” shots too.
Summer 2005, I took classes at a University in Beijing. While I was there, I will never forget how surprized I was that the air polution was so intense. I spent my Summer 2001 in New York City and Beijing was even worse.
My husband and I leave on September 30th to backpack to various countries around the world for a year or so.
As we have been planning for our adventure we have been updating a blog. http://www.nomadbackpackers.com We would love to have other opinions, ideas, encouragement, advice, helpful tips, and more left as comments.
Thanks,
Natalie
oh my gawd so much detruction in the world N i dint know your pictures were pretty [most of em]
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I wonder if that “cute” polar bear is thinking about eating cute green berries or tearing open a cute baby seal and devouring the meat.
Maybe you ladies will wake up from under your green quilts and realize that under the “global warming” craze is a bunch of global-hungry men who want to set up a world governmental body in order to weild power over the masses, all in the name of saving your deified planet. Hello!!
great job collecting photos. the images really speak.
i wonder if the polor bear is going to live on that last peace of ice and please if u read this please recycle and don’t litter. Do me a favor and u please recycle THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
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wow … beautiful pictures, are you sure those were taken by amateurs ?
Holy mother of destruction, wake up people ! soon it’s going to be us instead of those fishes and birds
Fantastic post! Photos are such a powerful medium for conveying messages of conservation.
Thank you,
Gina
whoa, that picture of switzerland is amazing! i sure hope that place never gets destroyed by pollution!
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Wonderful pictures. I really think that posting pictures is more effective in bringing the reality of pollution closer to people. They talk in a way that words cannot.
So sad to see some of the suffering we cause.
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Sure Italy is one of the most beautifil places of the world!
Very glad you posted the good afterwords, those pictures, while stunning were incredibly disturbing. Very powerful post. Thanks.
The picture of Ireland is absolutely stunning! All very thought provoking. Thanks for the post.
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