Treading Lightly: Sustainability Lessons from the Road in India
Treading Lightly: Sustainability Lessons from the Road in India
With Big Sky SNO’s Executive Director, Lizzie Peyton
I’ve always felt that traveling is one of the best classrooms for sustainability. Immersing into different landscapes and cultures gives me a fresh lens on how interconnected our actions are with the places we visit. Whether it’s seeing how another community conserves resources, manages waste, or values the natural world, travel offers an opportunity to reflect on how I live at home.
I was fortunate to spend the beginning of September exploring the Himalayan Mountains of Kashmir and Ladakh in India. By motorcycle. (Still here, kinda proud I made it.)
It was a reminder that as a visitor to a beautiful and pristine location that we have a responsibility to partake in honoring the environment while having the privilege to enjoy it.
Here are my top 3 takeaways.
Signage matters. A way to engage visitors that does (and sometimes doesn’t) work. India is creative about signage both to promote a healthy environment and safe driving, among other things. The signs make you laugh in the Kashmir/Ladakh region, so they stick with you.
Even in a space fraught with contested border turmoil and a great deal of military presence, the environment is prioritized. While it may look different from Big Sky to Leh, India, the goal is the same: protecting the places we call home. Every community and individual can contribute in their own way.
Transportation footprint makes a huge difference when you travel. Taking public transit acquaints you with local life quickly, saves money, and reduces your contribution to traffic and emissions. On this trip, I realized how little of an impact a motorcycle can have compared to other modes of travel. It takes up less physical space on the road and uses very little fuel, resulting in lower emissions and a less expensive trip overall. Human powered pedaling on a bicycle is an even better choice and incorporates movement into your day. Wherever you’re headed, consider how your choice of transportation shapes your environmental footprint, and make decisions that move you forward lightly.
Sustainability was top of mind as I was traveling with Alexis Alloway, an integral partner in performing and publishing SNO’s Waste Composition Assessment. We often discussed how we could be more intentional visitors while traveling throughout the world.
“As stewards of a beautiful home in Big Sky, we can do our part to bring visitors along an environmental stewardship journey and hopefully inspire them to bring home a bit of action to protect this one world we have as a home.”