Claire has been running her blog The Green Geekette for almost 10 years. For her, it is a question of showing how we can travel in an eco-responsible way while preserving the environment as much as possible
How did you get the idea to launch your blog?
"At the end of my studies, I found myself with a lot of free time and since I was very interested in ecology on a daily basis, I started writing a blog on this subject. So I launched it at the beginning of 2010 and called it the Green Geekette, "green" which means green, because I have a green mind and I added "geekette" because at the time I was working in IT. Then the blog started to grow with my travels. I went to live in Canada and started travelling more and more often. Then, quite naturally, I realized that it was necessary to link ecology to travel. And I started talking about eco-responsible travel, a subject that is close to my heart. »
What were your main trips?
"I started with a big 6-month road trip in Canada and the United States since I lived in Canada so I took the opportunity to discover the area. Then I spent a winter in Asia based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Then I made a lot of trips to Europe. Then, as I went along, I started to reduce my trips, because I suddenly realized the huge carbon impact of my trips and I was shocked. That was a lot! And so I decided I wasn't going to fly anymore. And finally it's not bad, because not taking the plane is running much less and taking the time to discover the destinations better. So I travel less and prefer the overland route. For example, this year I only made two trips. In particular, I spent a month in Porto. I went there for New Year's Eve, then stayed all January. I took Portuguese classes, learned to dance the forro, a Brazilian dance, and I met many people. Then, this summer I went to Sweden by bus... It was quite a journey! I still travel, but differently. I'm taking the time. But it came from a need: I had to be in line with my values, which are linked to ecology, and for me not to fly anymore, it was part of it and I needed it. »
What are the trips you plan to make in the near future?
"I would like to go back to Portugal, which I loved very much, to practice my Portuguese and see my friends again. While travelling, over the longer term, I would like to go to South America, but my goal is to go there by sailboat so I am waiting to have time to free up for that, because I know that crossing the Atlantic is at least 2 months. »
How did your ecological commitment come about?
"It really came gradually. I started by paying attention to what I put on my skin using organic cosmetics, then decided to pay attention to what I ate by choosing organic products and becoming a vegetarian. And it's true that the journey was in a way the last bastion I hadn't touched... In my daily life, I was rather irreproachable in terms of ecology, but as far as transport was concerned, I was really not at all ecologic until I became really aware. My impulse came a year ago, I had to take a cruise to Brazil with 500 digital nomads, who like me could work from anywhere, and all together went on a cruise to Brazil. But while doing some research, I realized that this cruise ship was still very polluting, even if the impact was not as significant as in an airplane. So I decided to cancel. »
But then you don't think you should fly at all anymore?
"In fact, my goal is not to make people feel guilty, but simply to make them aware of the situation. For example, it would really be better to avoid flying for a long weekend in Europe because there is a cheap low-cost flight, but rather to prefer the bus or train if you want to stay longer on the spot. In fact, it is necessary to reduce air travel. It's a bit like a chocolate bar. If you take a square, you can enjoy and taste this chocolate, but if you eat the whole bar, you may have indigestion and not have enough to share the bar with others. We need a rational consumption of air travel. We can continue to travel, but differently
I went from 17 tons of C0² last year to 1 ton this year. Its carbon impact can be calculated online, notably on the Planet addict blogger's website. We must know that in order not to damage the planet, we should all be at 1.5 tons of carbon impact per person and no more. It is difficult to change all your travel habits overnight, but you can do it gradually by asking yourself the right questions. Once the little seed is planted, it's already a good start! It all starts with a real awareness. »
Find the full interview by listening to the podcast with Claire The Green Geekette by clicking here
Find Claire the Green Geekette on her blog www.thegreengeekette.fr
