The Case Against Tourism

Discussion in 'Environment & Conservation' started by Robert Urbanek, May 24, 2021.

  1. Robert Urbanek

    Robert Urbanek Active Member

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    “Solitude and solace are two of the experiences we have come to expect from our national parks. But you won’t fine either while jockeying for Instagram photos on the rim of the Grand, crushing into shuttle buses at Zion as you would into a rush-hour train in Manhattan, or pitching your tent in a packed campground in Yosemite, where by nightfall the yapping of your fellow citizens degenerates into a cacophony of children crying, couples bickering, old men snoring, and gadgets pinging.” — Christopher Ketcham, The Business of Scenery, Harper’s, April 2021

    To which I might add the noise of others heard through thin-walled motel rooms.

    The PBS tourist industry whores Rick Steves and Samantha Brown seldom or never mention the fossil fuel consumption of the airlines or the attendant carbon footprint of vehicles used to ferry tourists amongst various destinations.

    “Cruise ships generate significant quantities of wastes that the industry disposes of with surprisingly little regulation.” — Center for Sustainable System, University of Michigan

    And, of course, the pandemic has shown us that cruise ships are a petri dish for viruses; not just the coronavirus, but also the diarrhea and vomiting-inducing norovirus.
     
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  2. Jack Hays

    Jack Hays Well-Known Member Donor

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    “Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods."

    [Preface to Brissot's Address to His Constituents (1794)]”
    ― Edmund Burke, On Empire, Liberty, and Reform: Speeches and Letters
     
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  3. Robert Urbanek

    Robert Urbanek Active Member

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    Nearly everybody on political forums are judges of truth and knowledge. It comes with the territory.
     
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  4. skepticalmike

    skepticalmike Well-Known Member

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    I don't like to travel and a big part of that has to do with the high carbon footprint associated with travelling. I haven't traveled outside of my city for 10 years and I have averaged around 2000

    miles/year in my subcompact car for the past 5 years. I averaged 2500 miles/year for 20 years prior to that. I also get back and neck pain from driving and insomnia from travelling.

    I don't exercise much during trips or eat as healthy. With the internet, books, magazines, and other forms of media, why is it essential to travel?
     
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  5. Jack Hays

    Jack Hays Well-Known Member Donor

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    “Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you'll be able to see further.”

    ― Thomas Carlyle
     
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  6. Jack Hays

    Jack Hays Well-Known Member Donor

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    “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”
    Saint Augustine
     

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