Virtual Residency Day Thirty-Five, Unintended Consequences

In the travel secition of the Times this Sunday, there is an article about "volunteer toursim" http://tinyurl.com/lbyek. The idea is that travelers have gone to Niger with basic health & medical supplies and returned with handicrafts they can sell to help the population. An example was iron pills for post-partum Mothers, who often die of anemia there.

It got me thinking about this project. The problem is how to have contact with Others while protecting the planet from the consequences of carbon emissions from present modes of traffic. Isolationism is not the solution. If that were to be the outcome, then that would have severe and scary unintended consequences.

The idea is to maximize not minimize contact. We need the respect and understanding that can emerge from that travel. The Nigerians also need iron tablets for post-partum women, for example, that migth nota rrive any other way. There are so many situations in which "showing up" is essential.

The primary onus, if we are going continue to participate in this world, is then on the business leaders who provide our transportation. I have read that there is a filter available to reduce emissions for jet fuel. The problem is the up front cost. Speaking for myself, I'd be content to fly less frequently and pay more for esssential trips, if I knew fuel emissions were being significantly cut.

The secondary onus, on each of ourselves, myself, is to carefully discriminate what is essential travel in the meantime.