CHECK OUT OUR INTRODUCTORY VIDEO!!!
LET'S SAVE THE PLANET!!!
We all love travelling don't we? But do we ever stop for a moment to think how will our great desire to roam all over the world harm the environment? We the group members of green trips, have conducted various research methods to find out how does travelling and going on trips harm the environment, and how we as the people of this planet, can do our part to save it from peril! We have interviewed 5 people who have shared with us, how they travel( on vacations and on a daily basis), what kind of pollution it causes, and how are they trying to fight it. Our research methodologies are:
1.Interview
2.Documentation of the research
1.Interview
2.Documentation of the research
INTERVIEW:
Ms. Shreeya Gokhale:
Shreeya Gokhale is a class 12 student, living in Mumbai. In her opinion, travelling has its advantages but also drawbacks, like: Air pollution, littering and overuse of harmful materials like plastic. According to her, these problems can be solved if people are more careful about the mode of transportation they use, and take necessary measures, like car pooling and using cloth bags instead of plastic. She also believes that more waste bins are present especially in tourist areas, there won't be much littering.
Mrs. Poonam Harlalka:
Poonam Harlalka is an accountant, and also an environmentalist. She believes in saving the environment, even on a daily basis on travelling. She always walks during short distances and uses public transport for long ones. When none of these are feasible, she always goes in favour of car pooling to make sure other people also contribute.
Mrs. Roohi Kalia Jain:
Roohi Kalia Jain is an entrepreneur. She is a travel enthusiast, but at the same time also believes in protecting the environment. She believes that air pollution is becoming a huge problem nowadays, and tries to avoid using flights while travelling to nearby cities and states. She travels by road, and always carries a bag with her, so she won't have to litter. She believes that if everyone is cautious, we can help save the environment.
Mrs. Aparna Kumari:
Aparna Kumari is a teacher. Even though she's not very fond of travelling and visiting different places and prefers to stay at home, she plays her part. In her opinion, people should travel less. They should try to stay at home most of the time, and only travel on rare occasions. While travelling, they should be careful of their mode of transport. She also believes, that other than all of this, people should spread more awareness about this topic, to ensure others obey it as well.
Mrs. Shalini Gokhale:
Shalini Gokhale is a teacher and a homemaker. She believes in comfort. She uses cars for short and long distances, and does not try other safer alternatives like walking and cycling. She doesn't prefer in saving the environment to a great extent. However, she admitted that she will try to improve by using better means of transport, and putting the environments needs before hers.
We contacted people we knew for the interviews and convinced them to take part by asking interesting questions and coming up with a questionnaire, which was designed Nandini Harlalka and Sanjana Gokhale. We used zoom platform for the interviews since physical was not possible due to the pandemic.
Questionnaire:
1. What is your profession?
2. How far is your work place from your home?
3. How do you travel to work or other places like grocery stores on a daily basis?
4. What kind of pollution do you think it causes?
5. How do you travel to destinations during vacations and holidays?
6. What kind of pollution do you think it causes?
7. What kind of pollution do you think (other than travelling), is caused during vacations?
8. How do you plan on doing your part to prevent this pollution from happening
Other than the interviews, we the group members have ourselves researched on this topic. We have looked at how people use their mode of transports, what pollution is caused while travelling, and what can we do to reduce it.
3. MODE OF TRANSPORT DIARY:
MODE OF TRANSPORT SURVEY: For this issue, we have taken a survey of teachers and students, of their mode of transports, why do they travel they way they do, and are there any alternatives. |
|
How do teachers and students come to school? |
Why do they come to school this way |
Is it environmentally friendly? |
Are there any alternatives? |
Bus |
More children on the bus means fewer cars on the road. This means less traffic, lower emissions, and safer roads around the school at drop-off and pick up. The impact of your choice to use school transportation can touch many others in a positive way. |
aren’t environment friendly source because they cause too much of pollution by giving carbon-di-oxide out in the air. Vehicles are air quality compromisers, producing about one-third of air pollution. The smog, carbon monoxide, and other toxins emitted by vehicles are especially troubling because they leave tailpipes at street level, where humans breathe the polluted air directly into their lungs. |
Walking. Enjoy a Longer Life. ... Lighten Your Mood. ... |
Car |
because parents feel it’s safer to drop their wards by themselves and they aren’t scared too that their ward would miss bus or van. If they miss bus and van then there school will be missed. That is why the car is more reliable. |
aren’t environment friendly source because they cause too much of pollution by giving carbon-di-oxide out in the air. Vehicles are air quality compromisers, producing about one-third of air pollution. The smog, carbon monoxide, and other toxins emitted by vehicles are especially troubling because they leave tailpipes at street level, where humans breathe the polluted air directly into their lungs. |
Lose Weight. .. Cycling: |
Van |
van is always on time. Now days van now comes with GPS systems. Kids also make new friends and also learn to take care of their things. After all of that they too have a habit to manage their time. Parents are also relieved and they have peace in mind. Parents are alsoupdated on their kids' location with a GPS system. |
aren’t environment friendly source because they cause too much of pollution by giving carbon-di-oxide out in the air. Vehicles are air quality compromisers, producing about one-third of air pollution. The smog, carbon monoxide, and other toxins emitted by vehicles are especially troubling because they leave tailpipes at street level, where humans breathe the polluted air directly into their lungs. |
Increased muscle strength and flexibility. Decreased stress level Value |
2. EFFECT OF TRAVELLING ON THE ENVIRONMENT:
AIR POLLUTION: Transport by air, road, and rail is continuously increasing in response to the rising number reported that the number of international air passengers worldwide rose from 88 million in 1972 to 344 million in 1994. When a large number of tourists are involved, it invariably leads t a greater use of the transportation system. We all are aware of the fact that emissions from automobiles and airplanes are one of the biggest causes of air pollution. When a large number tourists use these modes of transport to reach a particular attraction, it pollutes the air both locally and globally. Due to the rapid growth in international tourism, tourists now account for nearly 60% of air travel. In many places, buses or other vehicles leave their motors running to ensure that tourists return to comfortable air-conditioned vehicles. Such practices further pollute the air. |
SEWAGE GENERATED BY TOURISTS: Construction of hotels, recreation and other facilities often leads to increased sewage pollution. Wastewater has polluted seas and lakes surrounding tourist attractions, damaging the flora and fauna. Sewage runoff causes serious damage to coral reefs because it stimulates the growth of algae, which cover the filter-feeding corals, hindering their ability to survive. Changes in salinity and siltation can have wide-ranging impacts on coastal environments. And sewage pollution can threaten the health of humans and animals. |
NOISE POLLUTION: Noise pollution from airplanes, cars, and buses, as well as recreational vehicles such as snowmobiles and jet skis, is an ever-growing problem of modern life. Tourists destinations are often subject to significant noise pollution. Tourists vehicles entering and leaving natural areas create a lot of noise. Such noise is the source of distress for wildlife. Loud music played by tourists in forested areas also disturbs the animals living in the area. Often, noise generated by tourist activities for long-term alters the natural activity patterns of animals. |
GLOBAL WARMING: Contrails, water vapor, released by airplanes forming condensation trails, trap heat that would otherwise be released from the earth. This brings about global warming. According to studies, night flights cause global warming more compared to day flights because contrails help in reflecting sunlight during the day. The contrails in the sky condense at higher altitudes and can spread up to two kilometers from where they have been realized. They tend to trap heat that would otherwise be dispensed from the earth, greatly contributing to global warming |
DEPLETION OF NATURAL RESOURCES: The depletion of natural resources is a growing concern especially in places where resources are already scarce. In such areas, the local flora and fauna might be deprived of the resources needed to sustain their lives. For example, large volumes of water are consumed to cater to the needs of the tourists, run hotels, swimming pools, maintain golf courses, etc. This can degrade the quality of water and decrease the volume of water that is available for the local population, plants, and animals. It is not only the water resources that are depleted. Unsustainable practices by the tourist industry can also put pressure on other resources like food, energy, etc. |
LITTERING: In areas with high concentrations of tourist activities and appealing natural attractions, waste disposal is a serious problem. Irresponsible tourists often litter the tourist spots visited by them. Today some cruise lines are actively working to reduce waste-related impacts. Solid waste and littering can degrade the physical appearance of the water and shoreline and cause the death of marine animals. |
3. WHAT CAN WE DO TO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT: 1: ONLINE SHOPPING There is a huge difference between online shopping and shopping directly at brick-and-mortar stores. Did you know that a full 22% of a garment’s climate impact comes from the process of a consumer driving to the store to try something on? Every time you find something that you like and decide to actually visit the shop to try it on before purchasing it, you are affecting the environment we are fighting so hard to preserve. Yes, the clothing you purchase online still has to be delivered to your doorstep; that drive also has an impact on the environment. This carbon footprint is significantly smaller, however, because delivery services get items to all customers via just a couple of trucks and via the most optimised route. That’s why it’s a good idea if, the next time you think about shopping, think online! You won’t have to drive all the way to the shop to try something on. There are plenty of high-quality pictures and videos online to help you get a great idea of what you are going to buy. Reducing the Use of Plastic Bags Single-use plastic bags are the number one source of ocean plastic pollution. They are an environmental disaster both on land and sea. In fact, up to 80% of ocean plastic pollution comes from land-based sources. Each year, 100,000 marine animals die because of plastic bags.On top of that, we can’t speed up the degradation of plastic bags. It takes 500 years for a plastic bag to degrade. But it doesn’t degrade completely. They become micro-plastics that continue to absorb all sorts of toxins and pollute the environment.When shopping online, you won’t be getting single-use plastic bags. Some of the most popular brands even use eco-friendly shipping packages to protect the environment and prevent pollution. This includes compostable and recyclable materials. By shopping online, you will also help!If your favorite shop hasn’t gone online, you can still help. Make sure to use your own reusable bags when shopping. 2: WORKING AT HOME VIA INTERNET: Use less plastic: The world has produced approximately nine billion tons of plastics to date. That’s not surprising considering how many people buy coffee, breakfast, and lunch every day during the work week. Coffee cups lids, beverage bottles, utensils, food packaging, and plastic bags all contribute to the total amount of plastic used.Though home workers can certainly hit the coffee shop and local eateries, most Virtual Vocations workers stay at home or work elsewhere only one to two times per month. Telecommuters have the convenience of refilling the coffee pot, eating leftovers right out the bowl, and reusing dishware. Only about 3% of members confess to ordering out, and 13.8% members snack on packaged foods throughout the day. By eliminating disposable cups, utensils, and plates, work-at-home professionals avoid significant contributions to the world’s plastic problem. Reduce air pollution: In addition to carbon, driving produces nitrous oxides (NOX), particulate matter (PM), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Each pollutant has both environmental and human health effects. For example, exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) can cause respiratory issues, such as asthma or infections. When other nitrogen oxides react with VOCs, ammonia.By reducing the number of cars on the road each day, the nation reduces overall air pollution and, therefore, reduces related environmental and human health impacts Use less paper: Remote workers typically use email, software programs, and cloud-based applications to send messages, take notes, create documents, and submit files. This results in less printing, copying, faxing, label making, and paper filing each day. Since the average office worker consumes about 10,000 sheets of paper each year, digitally-based jobs eliminate the need to dispose of or recycle 247 trillion sheets or 2.47 trillion pounds of paper annually. 3: CARPOOLING: Fuel conservation and efficiency: Carpooling, though it seems to be too small a step, will help conserve non-renewable energy sources like gasoline, diesel etc. Take this arbitrary example – four people travel from A to B everyday. It takes them about a quarter gallon of gasoline per head to travel from A to B everyday; that is around 5.5 gallons of gasoline per head per month, or 22 gallons of gasoline per month, or around 250 gallons a year. However, if the four people opted for carpooling, they would consume only a fourth of the total amount of gasoline; that is only around 60 gallons a year! Do you see the difference? You can save a lot of fuel by carpooling, and that is surely a good thing for the environment. Less air pollution: Carpooling means more people in a single car, means less number of individual cars on the road; and what does that lead to? Less pollution! Less air pollution, less noise pollution, less carbon emission, less greenhouse gas emission. Carpooling is a direct step towards a cleaner and greener environment. We can block out sound and hence prevent noise pollution from affecting us. We can purify the water we drink and hence escape from the effects of water pollution. But we cannot control the air we breathe. Air pollution, in this sense, is one of the deadliest forms of pollution. Efficient use of land: Have you noticed the amount of space that is taken up by parking lots around your city? Every new building that is erected requires a new parking space. Can you imagine how difficult it is to plan this on paper before you begin with the construction of a building? Suppose you plan to open a new mall in your city. Now, you do not know how popular your mall is going to be. You have no idea how many people are actually going to turn up at your mall. But you still have to plan for parking space for the customers. It is quite difficult to do this. A lot of land-space is taken up by parking lots. This could be avoided by carpooling. 4: DO NOT LITTER: Many developing countries don’t have the means to dispose of bulky, man-made items like old electronics, polyester clothing or used batteries. If you leave them, they could remain in a landfill or worse for literally hundreds of years after you’re gone. Pack your trash and take it home. The exception is clothing and items that may be of use to local people – these should be donated to local charities or religious organisations so they can reach those most in need. 5: USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: There are in fact several advantages to public transport. Fewer cars on the road will result in decreased traffic congestion. This translates into reduced noise and air pollution. It is also often safer to travel by public transport, especially as commuters may be tired and more likely to have an accident in their own cars. Another advantage is that public transportation vehicles are starting to use cleaner alternative fuels. This means there is less diesel being burnt and releasing emissions into the atmosphere. In Los Angeles, California for instance there are 2500 clean air commuter and metro buses. Public transport is definitely better for the environment especially since cities such as Los Angeles are more frequently using clean energy buses. In 9 years in California, there has been an increase from only 9% of buses using clean energy to 29% of the units. This number is certain to grow in the future. Using public transport has other benefits for people aside from being good for the environment. For example, people can make friends, and can also catch up on sleep while they are commuting. There is no worry about falling asleep behind the wheel so in that way it is safer. Public transportation is better for the environment as has been shown by studies that have been done on emissions. There are other benefits such as less noise and traffic congestion, and it is safer since tired commuters are not driving. Whenever possible, you should try to take public transport rather than drive your own car. |
Conclusion:
The problems which are caused by travelling include air pollution, noise pollution, depletion of resources, littering and generation of sewage. However, there are also various method to solve these problems including working from home via the internet, online shopping, carpooling, not littering and using public transportation.
Communication
Communication went very smoothly. We all stayed in touch through WhatsApp and scheduled regular meets. Whenever someone had a doubt during their given task for the research, they were immediately cleared by the rest of the group. Any new ideas or information was immediately shared on the WhatsApp group.
Video conference:
The video conference went very well. We all bonded and talked about various topics. Everyone in our group was nervous about it and we prepared for how to communicate with them. We learnt about their research and the situation of green trips in their country. However, due to the pandemic, one problem was that switching to online was a huge problem and voices were cracking, videos were freezing and some points could not be heard. Overall, it was a good, informative and interactive conference.
Group work:
Our group work went very well. Everyone had different ideas so we combined them together and were able to come up with many different points. Another thing that helped the group work go well, was that all of us already knew each other so we all got along very well. However, in some topics, there was a lot of difference in opinion which made it a bit hard to finalise points, however we tackled that problem by making firm decisions and doing justice to everyone's opinions.
Video conference:
The video conference went very well. We all bonded and talked about various topics. Everyone in our group was nervous about it and we prepared for how to communicate with them. We learnt about their research and the situation of green trips in their country. However, due to the pandemic, one problem was that switching to online was a huge problem and voices were cracking, videos were freezing and some points could not be heard. Overall, it was a good, informative and interactive conference.
Group work:
Our group work went very well. Everyone had different ideas so we combined them together and were able to come up with many different points. Another thing that helped the group work go well, was that all of us already knew each other so we all got along very well. However, in some topics, there was a lot of difference in opinion which made it a bit hard to finalise points, however we tackled that problem by making firm decisions and doing justice to everyone's opinions.
Comparison
Communication with the Netherlands students' went really well. We talked about our interests and topics which were not related to the research to bond with each other. The research was shared very smoothly and it was very fun and we had a great time having conversations with them.
Similarities |
Differences |
Our research methodologies are similar |
They don't use harmful transportation to go to school as they can walk or ride using bicycles |
Our interviews include approximately the same number of people |
The ways they collected they conducted their interviews were different than ours |
Their main research questions are similar to ours |
The situation of green trips in their country was much different in theirs. |
Worksheet My green trips
Family diary with trips of one week – Sanjana Gokhale
Family diary with trips of one week – Sanjana Gokhale
Reflection
Nandini Harlalka:
This was an amazing experience for me. I really enjoyed working with my team mates, researching, interviewing people. I also enjoyed making the introductory video. Even though I was a bit nervous to meet the Netherlands students, I was surprised by how well it went. We talked about many interesting topics to smooth the conversations, and shared our ideas and research methods about the project. I am very grateful to have been a part of this EUMIND project and I had a lot of fun!
Sanjana Gokhale:
I had a really good time working for this project! Apart from interviewing people, and researching on how to save the environment, I was also really excited to work with the Netherlands students. I had no idea that things would go way better than I expected. We did not only talk about our research, but also about our non research interests. We were also excited to learn about their research methods and how their country situation are different from ours. This was a great experience for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Kyrah Dewani:
I enjoyed working for his project. Decorating websites, interviewing people, asking for their opinions about the environment, talking to the Netherlands students, it was very fun. The communication and research went very smoothly. We had regular meetings to discuss our research information. This project was amazing and became an unforgettable experience for me!
Prisha Dalmia:
This project was really exciting for me. I had never experienced something like this. One of the most fun parts was interacting with the students of Netherlands. I also learned a lot about the environment from this project and I loved scheduling meets' with my teammates and having conversations with them. I had really a lot of fun working for EUMIND and this was an awesome experience!
Devishi Audich:
This project was as much fun to do as it sounded before I signed up for it. As a group, our strength was our unity, we worked together to achieve our goal. We had group brain storm sessions where we communicated well with each other and passed on information collected by each one of us to the other, that lead to interesting conversations. Otherwise, we also decided our methods of research which included interviews, surveys and questionnaires. We all decided to come up with questions and ideas that would benefit our research. The project filled each one of us with excitement as well as a strong sense of responsibility, knowing that our research and findings could benefit the society. I’d say that although it was a very gratifying experience, it also was a little difficult, in the sense that we were in the middle of a pandemic which made communication a little harder than it usually was and the interactions were longer because we were not physically present to be able to understand the other person and thus It took us time to communicate. Our partner school students were very co-operative and the time we had together was good and of grave importance for the project. We enjoyed our conversations with them which were very informative. As for the project, together, we all as a group overcame the obstacles and were able to give our best.
This was an amazing experience for me. I really enjoyed working with my team mates, researching, interviewing people. I also enjoyed making the introductory video. Even though I was a bit nervous to meet the Netherlands students, I was surprised by how well it went. We talked about many interesting topics to smooth the conversations, and shared our ideas and research methods about the project. I am very grateful to have been a part of this EUMIND project and I had a lot of fun!
Sanjana Gokhale:
I had a really good time working for this project! Apart from interviewing people, and researching on how to save the environment, I was also really excited to work with the Netherlands students. I had no idea that things would go way better than I expected. We did not only talk about our research, but also about our non research interests. We were also excited to learn about their research methods and how their country situation are different from ours. This was a great experience for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Kyrah Dewani:
I enjoyed working for his project. Decorating websites, interviewing people, asking for their opinions about the environment, talking to the Netherlands students, it was very fun. The communication and research went very smoothly. We had regular meetings to discuss our research information. This project was amazing and became an unforgettable experience for me!
Prisha Dalmia:
This project was really exciting for me. I had never experienced something like this. One of the most fun parts was interacting with the students of Netherlands. I also learned a lot about the environment from this project and I loved scheduling meets' with my teammates and having conversations with them. I had really a lot of fun working for EUMIND and this was an awesome experience!
Devishi Audich:
This project was as much fun to do as it sounded before I signed up for it. As a group, our strength was our unity, we worked together to achieve our goal. We had group brain storm sessions where we communicated well with each other and passed on information collected by each one of us to the other, that lead to interesting conversations. Otherwise, we also decided our methods of research which included interviews, surveys and questionnaires. We all decided to come up with questions and ideas that would benefit our research. The project filled each one of us with excitement as well as a strong sense of responsibility, knowing that our research and findings could benefit the society. I’d say that although it was a very gratifying experience, it also was a little difficult, in the sense that we were in the middle of a pandemic which made communication a little harder than it usually was and the interactions were longer because we were not physically present to be able to understand the other person and thus It took us time to communicate. Our partner school students were very co-operative and the time we had together was good and of grave importance for the project. We enjoyed our conversations with them which were very informative. As for the project, together, we all as a group overcame the obstacles and were able to give our best.