Offices join to encourage sustainable travel abroad

While studying abroad has the ability to impact students' lives students also have the power to negatively impact where they travel — a problem that the University is trying to address.

The UNC Sustainability Office in conjunction with the Study Abroad Office" has created programs that encourage students to travel sustainably and become more environmentally and socially aware of their impact on environments abroad.

""Living sustainably is a mind-shift"" said Brian Cain of the sustainability office.

He stressed that traveling sustainably is not only the best option, but the only genuine way to experience a new country.

If students fully immerse themselves in the environments of the countries they visit, Cain said, they take the first natural steps toward traveling sustainably.

The University has more than 300 study abroad programs in more than 70 countries.

Senior Lindsay Eanes came up with the idea for a sustainable travel brochure after returning to UNC from studying abroad in Samoa a year and a half ago.

She said her experience abroad opened her eyes to the impact students' actions, even those as simple as traveling, have on the places they visit.

I never experienced what it means until I went to Samoa"" Eanes said. Their entire country is dependent on sustainability and sustainable travel.""

With the help of the sustainability office" Eanes created UNC's Sustainable Travel Guide. The guide advocates things like using mass transit while abroad or walking to a destination instead of catching a cab to reduce the ecological impact on a community.

The guide also says frequenting local businesses and restaurants instead of franchises while abroad is another way for students to experience the culture and leave a positive impact on the environment.

In addition to the guide the University has taken other measures to ensure sustainable travel.

In 2007 the study abroad office began its Green Passport program. Since its creation" the program has expanded and is now included in the study abroad programs of other universities across the country.

Green Passport is essentially a social network of environmentally conscious students.

""The idea is to exchange information all over the world"" said study abroad adviser Rodney Vargas. Students in Thailand can see what another student is doing to protect the environment and how they are getting involved in the local community.""

Vargas added that lifestyle changes at home can ease the transition to sustainable travel.

Cain said he thinks students' intelligence can translate into making the world a more sustainable place.

""We have some of the smartest students in the world"" he said. If we can make them some of the most sustainable too I think we would have an amazing pairing.""


Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.