In an immigrant-majority school, traveling during the holidays is important to many. But is it time to start choosing home?
Pictured above: Adorable pug wrapped in blanket. Image credits: Deleted user, Pinterest.com.
Evergreen trees coated in snow, the scent of hot chocolate in the air, and endless smiles etched across faces. As December once again rolls around and the year winds down once more, most people have something exciting on their mind: winter break. For many of us, it’s the time to relieve the stress of self-studying all physics APs at once, curing cancer, and whatever else the average Academy student engages in to appease Harvard, in favor of seeing extended family or going to a holiday resort. But during a year when the effects of the ongoing climate emergency are truly making themselves known, with July ranked as the hottest month on record, I’ve felt more and more uneasy with some of my travel choices. Which is why, this year, my family and I are opting for the staycation.
Immediately, I wondered whether or not this choice even mattered in the long run. I mean, we all know that airplane pollution is horrendous for the environment, emitting about 100 times more CO2 per hour than the buses we take to school. But even if I don’t go on that plane, someone else will; and even if that plane doesn’t fly, more will for many more days, weeks, and years. Frankly, the biggest question that weighs on everyone who cares about the climate right now is: do my efforts count? Right now, with fair certainty, I say: kind of. The thing about huge issues like the eco-disaster is that they aren’t solved by just one person. Or ten. Or a million. Oftentimes, it’s wider, built-in issues that consumers can only do so much to combat. But just like a random act of kindness, good inspires good.
I’m not asking you to give up a yearly flight. But if you read this and start being more conscious of your choices, it’s still a win in my book.