While most grey nomads are already well aware of the major upsides of travelling in their own backyard as opposed to heading overseas, it seems the environmental advantages of doing so are now being better appreciated.
A recent University of Queensland-led study has shown greenhouse gas emissions from tourism have been growing more than twice as fast as those from the rest of the global economy.
Associate Professor Ya-Yen Sun from UQ’s Business School said rapid expansion in travel demand has meant carbon from tourism activities accounts for 9% of the world’s total emissions.
“Without urgent interventions in the global tourism industry, we anticipate annual increases in emissions of 3-4%,” she said.
Tossing up where to go on your next trip? Some options are better than others environmentally.
However, Dr Sun told the Grey Nomads that domestic travel using private vehicles had a lower environmental footprint than flying to another country. And she believed grey nomads were right to explore their own backyard in their caravans and motorhomes rather than heading off on a plane overseas.
“While more research is needed, I believe that Australians travelling around the country in their caravans and motorhomes is a much more environmentally friendly option,” she said. “This should be highly encouraged as an alternative to international outbound travel, which comes with a high CO2 footprint.”
Of course, travelling long distances in a big rig isn’t necessarily actually good for the environment, though. Dr Sun told the Grey Nomads she didn’t have a figure on how big of a carbon footprint Outback caravanners have.
“This would depend largely on their travel distance, how many people sharing the vehicle (more people, less emissions per person), and other travel consumption patterns,” she said. “Self-cooking produces less CO2 than dining out, or engaging in motor-based activities produces more CO2 versus static activities.”
She said using an electric vehicle and charging it at stations powered by ‘green electricity’ would be the most environmentally friendly option for grey nomads moving forward, although she acknowledged this wasn’t feasible for most travellers at this stage.
Dr Sun did however suggest that looking at choosing environmentally-conscious caravan parks that ensure their electricity is sourced from green energy is one thing that could be done now.
“Many utility suppliers now offer ‘zero-emissions’ electricity, though it often comes at a higher price,” she said.
While many grey nomads remain sceptical that an all-electric Big Lap will ever become a practical option, steps continue to be made in that direction. WA is now home to one of the world’s longest connected electric vehicle (EV) charging highways with the WA EV Network just successfully completed.
EV drivers now have access to 110 fast and ultrafast charging points across 49 locations, from Mundrabilla in WA’s Golden Outback, up to Kununurra in Kimberley.
In some of the more isolated locations, the chargers are being supported by standalone power systems drawing on solar and battery storage.
WIN A DOUBLE PASS TO HISTORIC WINTON
Grey Nomad members are being given the chance to win one of two double passes for the 48th Historic Winton to be held May 24-25 at Winton Motor Raceway in Victoria. The fabulous event promises two full days of historic car racing and vehicle displays of the elegant, the rustic, the weird and wacky. Both double passes (each valued at $170) offer entry for two people for both days. Camping is available at the event.
Click here to learn about Historic Winton, our competition, and how to enter.
Members: If you wish to enter, please click here.
