• mojo_raisin@lemmy.world
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    13 hours ago

    Travel is actually bad. Sure it allows some subset of wealthy people to “become more cultured” and use it as a status symbol but that’s because it’s inherently exclusive. There’s 8 billion people on earth, we can’t all get on planes and experience different cultures. Is it good to promote something as important to a life experience that’s only available to wealthier people?

    If a person needs a plane ride to experience other cultures to no be an asshole, I suspect that they’ll be an asshole either way.

    Allowing species to move into new areas and damage ecosystems is one of many problems with travel (not just planes either).

    I did some traveling, I loved it, but was it worth the damage and pollution? I don’t think so.

    • Mac@mander.xyz
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      13 hours ago

      Travel is not only good, but important for people to do to expose themselves to other cultures.

      • mojo_raisin@lemmy.world
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        11 hours ago

        Is your cultural enlightenment worth the destruction of the environment and half the population living in poverty?

    • ywain@lemmy.zip
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      13 hours ago

      That’s a very sinical outlook, if the rich didn’t abuse travel like a private taxi service or didn’t shutdown any opportunity to advance more sustainable travel systems more people would have a better life and be able to travel on top. The 0.01% have the blame.

      • mojo_raisin@lemmy.world
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        11 hours ago

        There’s 8 billion people on earth, if even half that number traveled the environment would be toast. The only reason we’re alive right now is because 4 billion people are living in abject poverty.

        Sustainable travel doesn’t stop invasive species from tagging along, besides the fact, nothing an industrial population of 8 billion people do can truly be called sustainable.

        Sure travel is good in some ways, but is it worth the cost of being an exclusive club that destroys the planet?

        • CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world
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          4 hours ago

          There’s 8 billion people on earth, if even half that number traveled the environment would be toast.

          Sure, if everyone was travelling nonstop every week.

    • new_world_odor@lemmy.world
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      13 hours ago

      I feel you but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. I have personally seen the radical positive change that can occur with people experiencing a new culture. They could have changed without it yes, but would they have? The cultural experience provides a valuable catalyst for change.

      And I am with you on air travel - horribly polluting and we should eliminate it as a form of pleasure travel, limited to necessities. But trains are great for travel! I think getting out of your own cultural zone can be really important for some people.

      I do think travel being limited by wealth is a problem to be tackled, via all workers having the right to take a yearly vacation (whether they travel or stay home) and fair compensation that allows people to cover life’s expenses and still build a savings.

      Cross species introduction is hard and I really don’t know what to do there, and i know it’s vitally important from dealing with some invasive species where i’m at. Part of me wants to say stricter punishments and fines for people who violate, but then that depends on the inspection aspect. And I hate the idea of giving even more power to any government today. Maybe travel not being allowed between specific areas that have species with potential to cross-interact, but that would be insane to figure out in the first place and then keep it up-to-date. The more I think about it, the harder it is to solve.

      Maybe you are right, though I really wish there was some way for travel to be completely ethical. But maybe that’s not universally possible.