Self-Drive Holidays & The Environment
It’s becoming a bit of a cliché for companies to show off their ‘green’ credentials and ferry operators are no different, but self-drive holidays are now being actively promoted as an environmentally friendly option by many travel commentators and environmentalists too.
Tourism is aguably one of the most important environmental threats, mainly due to the impact of air travel, and poses a huge challenge to all of us. Travelling by air has been increasing at a rate of around 4%-5% per annum and is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. UK holidaymakers have also chosen to take more and more longer-haul flights lately, presumeably in a quest for newer, more exotic holiday experiences.
Choosing a self-drive holiday in Europe instead of flying can be an effective way of cutting your holiday CO2 emissions and, given recent horror stories about severe airport congestion, an increasingly attractive option.
Ferry operators are trying to minimise their environmental impact and Eurotunnel even boldly claims to offer not only the most ecologically sound means of transport, but also the least polluting cross-Channel service.
Shipping certainly produces less greenhouse gas per tonne per kilometre travelled than commercial aircraft and this has been verified by independent studies. The Passenger Shipping Association also states that international regulations are in place to regulate emissions such as sulphur and nitrogen from ships’ engines and carbon dioxide emissions are being reduced by moderating speed, using more fuel-efficient engines and improving route planning. Further environmental initiatives also include strict rules for waste management and the replacement of tin-based anti-fouling paint with new ‘slippery’ paint to reduce drag, improve fuel efficiency and avoid pollution.
The message is clear. Don’t fly to your holiday destination. Ferries, trains and cars are a comfortable and convenient alternative and you get the added bonus of enjoying the scenery en-route. Britain is very well connected to the rest of Europe with ferry routes to Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Spain. If you travel on one of the longer routes through the Bay of Biscay, you can even pass the time by trying a bit of whale and dolphin watching!
Feel free to post your comments in this section and let us know your thoughts on the importance of the environment in your own holiday choices.
By – Alan Potts
Thursday, May 1st, 2008
My name is Alan Potts and I'm the Editor of the UK Ferry Tickets web site and Managing Director of BUYability Limited. You can connect with me or keep up to date with new posts on this blog via the following social media sites: 
May 8th, 2008 at 9:20 am
With regard to reducing our Carbon Footprint we all have a responsibility to reduce our impact on our planet and if we all reduced our travelling by a small percentage I am sure this would have a less damaging effect