Julia Gomez/Contributing Writer
It’s finally time for spring break. While Miami is known for its beaches, spring breakers are harming its delicate ecosystems. So, here are some ways to have a fun spring break—without causing any lasting harm.
Instead of flying to your destination, go by bus or train. Greta Thunberg, a 17-year-old climate change activist, gave up flying to fight climate change and spread awareness of the effect airplanes have on the atmosphere.
“Short flights produce a larger amount of greenhouse gas emissions per passenger compared to longer routes,” according to Vox. Depending on the trip, a flight to somewhere nearby like Orlando would cause more emission than driving or taking the bus.
If your spring break trip revolves more around going to the beach and camping, make sure you respect wildlife and leave what you find behind, according to the seven principles of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.
If you’re visiting the beach, don’t disrupt the wildlife by bringing home sand dollars and conch shells. Yes, they’re beautiful, but removing them negatively impacts the ecosystem.
You should also be sure to pick up after yourself. “8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean annually,” according to Miami Beach’s website, and its “estimated that 8,000 pounds of trash appear on [Miami’s] beaches every day.” The city has even banned single-use plastics in order to lower the amount of litter found on the beach.
If you’re still looking for something to do, you can get a group together and schedule a beach pick-up, or you can look online. You can easily find an event and join in on the fun on Eventbrite or Facebook. Making new friends while helping the environment is a pretty awesome way to spend your break.
You can have a great spring break, but remember to clean up after yourself. Before you head off on an adventure, consider the way your actions affect the planet and the environment you’re interacting with.
Featured image by Sergei Tereschenko on Flickr.
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
Have questions or comments for our writers? Send an email to opinion@fiusm.com with your name and the name of the column in the subject line.
About Post Author
