Gone on pilgrimage

When you're practicing Voluntary Simplicity, it's hard to talk yourself into things that you know are good for you, but not so good for the planet. So I want you to know that it's with many misgivings -- and no small amount of joy -- that I am on my way to Europe one more time.

Because I know that the fossil fuels used by air travel are costing our planet dearly in terms of environmental degradation through extraction, spills, other disasters, and climate change, it was hard for me to talk myself into air travel, which, next to space vehicles and cruise ships, create more greenhouse gases per person than anything else. Took me a good two weeks. Adding to our beautiful planet's carbon debt load -- which is contributing to droughts, tropical storms (like the one that hit Taiwan this week), the melting of polar ice and rising sea levels that affect our brothers and sisters around the globe -- isn't something I want to do.

But I do want to spend a week on Pilgrimage in Taizé with Cathy, who has been my friend for a full 45 years, since our first day in Grade One, and who has led Taizé prayer with and without me many times over the years. We had always talked about seeing an opera in Milan someday, but I think Taizé is a better choice for us. And I do want to visit my Flemish friends Gaby and Yvonne, Luc and Brigitte, and Xavier and Ilse one more time, to enjoy their friendship and share their burden of grief in losing Dimitri, if only a little bit. I think from then on, I will just travel shorter distances that cost creation less in terms of environmental impacts...

So as you read this, I am overseas, possibly enjoying a day in Paris with my best friend, or perhaps already on my way to Taizé for the week of October 2-9. I'll be back to my ordinary, low carbon life in two weeks. In the meantime, I intend to make the most of these days in France and Belgium, having a full week to experience the Taizé Community's beautiful ecumenical prayer life, and several days just being with my friends in Flanders. I'm off on a spiritual pilgrimage of friendship. You can be sure that I'll pray for you as I go.

Simple Suggestion #209... Spend love miles, not air miles

Once upon a time, when global climate change was hardly considered a real threat by the majority of the world's scientists, a young Canadian woman travelled to Europe and met a wonderful Belgian couple who showed her Flanders and the North Sea. They adopted her as their Canadian daughter because they had lost a son to Canada (he made his life in Ontario and now has a Canadian family). The relationship between the couple and the young woman bloomed quickly and continued to flourish through letters and parcels. When she married, she and her husband spent some precious time in Belgium so he could get to know her 'Flemish parents.' Their children heard many stories about the Belgians who adopted two Canadians, and last summer, one of the children actually met them.

Almost thirty years later, the friendship is still going strong, thanks to the love of this amazing couple. I will see them again tomorrow for the first time in twenty-two years. (And today, we are visiting Vimy Ridge, which they showed us 22 years ago.) I'm so excited!

Being a proponent and active practitioner of Voluntary Simplicity, a trip overseas is not something I am very comfortable with because of my concern for the health of our planet. Creating the kinds of fossil fuel emissions that jet planes do, they should be used infrequently, if at all. But in a world where families and beloved friends are scattered far and wide, how do we manage to reduce the carbon we're putting into our atmosphere, especially when it has become clear that global climate change affects us all?

Well, for one thing, those of us who live in wealthier nations can opt out of our air miles/travel rewards programs as much as possible. Frivolous reward vacations might seem like a dream come true for a tropical week or two, but scientists are saying that we're reaching a global tipping point (if we haven't reached it already) as far as our planet is concerned. Rather than spending air miles just to satisfy our wanderlust, we can content ourselves with being armchair tourists and taking in cultural events in our own region, leaving trips across the oceans to those who have loved ones with whom they need to visit and spend time.

I first came across the air miles vs. love miles idea when I heard an interview of British writer and environmental activist George Monbiot (click here for a link to his blog). Air miles are, of course, the airline industry's ploy to keep us addicted to travel... and few of us have much self control when it comes to planning our vacations -- if we have the money to go, let's go, forget those carbon impacts. But our desire for sandy beaches and palm trees is actually leading to the melting of polar icecaps and the possibility that those beaches (and possibly some island nations) will end up underwater.

So I am spending these love miles with a considerable amount of unease and anxiety for future generations, and am expecting and hoping that this will be my last airline trip in a long time. It's hypocritical of me to be in Europe and jabbering here about global climate change when I am definitely a contributor -- another example of the conundrums of this age we live in. But oh, it will be so good to hug my dear friends again!!!!

Love miles, not air miles!

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Click here.