Your Camping Carbon Footprint
Camping is one of the Great British holidays that have proved to be enduringly popular over the years. Although many families used to camp exclusively within the British Isles at one point but now many have began to camp in various locations in Europe instead. It is one of the true pleasures of self drive holidays and one that I would highly recommend. However, although most people believe camping to be incredibly environmentally friendly, that isn’t necessarily the case.
You can do just as much damage camping on your self drive holiday as you could staying in a hotel. Lighting campfires, cooking outdoors and having fun may sound fantastic but it can be incredibly degrading for the environment. As such, it is important to manage your carbon footprint and think about what you are doing when out camping. The following information should help you to do just that.
Firstly, the main way that you can reduce your camping carbon footprint is to avoid littering. This is the main problem in many camping areas because people just do not put their rubbish in the bin. They either leave it to lie on the camping grounds or burn it and pollute the air. The best thing you can actually do is bag up your litter and take it home with you. That way, you can dispose of it safely and recycle wherever possible. However, this is not the only large problem associated with camping areas these days. Vandalism is just as big a problem. Vandalism degrades the natural environment so be sure to keep an eye out for any vandalism and report it where possible.
Also, you should never camp anywhere but in designated areas. Whilst camping in the wilderness may sound really appealing, every single environmentalist will know exactly how delicate the ecosystems there are and human intrusion can actually do much more harm than good. Designated camping areas have been cleared for that purpose so you won’t damage any natural habitats. They may or may not have rules for campfires but even if they are allowed, you won’t be ruining habitats or running the risk of burning down a forest like you would be if you set one in the wilderness!
Speaking of campfires, only use wood that has already fallen. Never ever take any directly from living trees to burn. You should also supervise any fire at all times to ensure that it doesn’t spread and also to make sure that no creatures come near and are harmed. After all, you’ve all heard the stories of hedgehogs crawling into bonfires before they’re lit on Guy Fawkes Night. The same applies for the rest of the year.
Finally, think about your bathroom habits too. Any human waste should be disposed of via a fairly deep hole and not left lying around where there is no toilet. Also, no soap should ever be taken into a river or a pond because it will pollute the water and potentially kill the creatures living there.
Stick to all of the above advice and your carbon footprint will shrink when you’re out camping. As such, we can all enjoy the environment on a camping holiday in years to come!
Guest Article by Louise Crowley
Thursday, August 28th, 2008
