It’s annoying already and it makes people anxious, makes it seems like travelers are some type of enemies of society people, some scapegoat to blame for the problems of society even if it’s not true.
and we see the result of this already, taxes imposed on flights, aversion to travelers, what next? Only 1 flight every 3 years allowed?
Travelers make the economy works, no travelers no development for a big part of the economy and especially for destinations and countries where tourism is the main driver for the economy, and the pollution is just asmall part of the total.
We saw already what happened on 2020-2023, companies failing one after another, unemployment and depression, 2 times a bigger crisis than on 2008.
And we also saw how bad it was to not be able to travel to other countries and be confined on our small region.
No one enjoys having the negative consequences of their actions pointed out to them but that doesn’t mean the truth, that while aviation is the cause of around 2.5 per cent of global CO2 emissions it is responsible for a significantly larger share of warming, (between 4-6 per cent) thanks to other emissions at altitude.
Obviously private jet flights are broadly frowned on by most people but the social licence for mass flying, (still only a small percentage of global population) is also being eroded as more people everywhere feel the sting of our collapsing climate.
As for aviation and the economy, frankly, tourism is in for a very rough time as weather gets more erratic. Covid taught us we need to have more resilient systems. The warming climate will bring change too, like it or not. Being “annoyed” won’t make any of this go away.
As far as i am concerned, i have an engineer point of view.
1/ To exchange homes avoid to go to hotels which are full only during the high season and which occupy land where people could live.
At least if you exchange with primary homes. 2nd homes have the same disavantages as hotels or any other low occupied places.
2/ We (human beings) are working on going to the space.
Not to come back but to settle. In one century more or less but they will make it.
Remenber that in 1860, people were still on horses and in 1960, they were on the moon.
If they can do that , they can make planes with new technologies.
There are already planes flying with sun energy.
Obviously small planes.
But it’s possible.
Other technologies are studied.
It will take decades but we will make it.
3/ The main problem is the increase of the world population with its needs.
Even if you cancel all the planes, it won’t change that billions of people will consume.
We were 1 billion in 1800.
8 billions in 2024.
Planned to be 10 billions in 2050 / 2080.
And these 10 billions people have no intention to travel on the back of horses and light their home with candles.
So the best thing from my point of view is to improve technologies to make them greener without punishing anyone.
And to choose primary homes on HE
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and concerns. We understand that travel is not just a luxury for many—it’s a way to connect, learn, and support economies around the world. It’s true that travelers play a vital role in fostering economic growth, cultural exchange, and understanding, and the past few years have underscored how deeply travel enriches our lives.
At HomeExchange, we believe in the transformative power of travel, but we also recognize the need to travel responsibly. While tourism does fuel economies, it’s important to address its environmental impact and work together toward sustainable practices. This doesn’t mean restricting travel or blaming travelers—it’s about finding solutions that allow us to explore the world while minimizing harm to our planet.
We support initiatives like offsetting carbon emissions, promoting slower and more intentional travel, and embracing accommodation options that reduce environmental impact. Home exchanging, for example, is a more sustainable travel option compared to traditional tourism, as it makes use of existing homes rather than building new infrastructures.
We’re committed to continuing our efforts with our community because we believe in a future where travel can be both meaningful and sustainable.
Climate change is not just about global warming, but also about more extreme weather. Look at the fires in Los Angeles right now: this is directly caused by climate change. Furthermore, warmer is not better in many places around the world. You clearly do not understand the enormous consequences of burning fossil fuels. Man is making life on earth impossible for man (and many animals and plants) by the way of life of western man.
