What do you call a vacation where you don’t go anywhere? According to JT from The Environmental Blog you call it a “staycation”. I like that idea – a stay at home vacation. Think about it for a minute – no rushing around in planes, trains or buses, no credit card bills to pay immediately following your vacation, and no long car journeys involving a repetitious series of questions starting with, “Are we there yet?” Yep – this is the only no aggravation, low carbon footprint, money saving vacation idea I’ve heard of. And what’s more, if approached sensibly, it has the potential to deliver a lot of fun for everyone in the family! JT, I take my hat off to you…

Okay, so what do you do on a “staycation”? Well, The Environmental Blog reckons that…

If you live on the west coast or the east coast, try visiting the ocean. The beach is always fun whether it is off the hot southern California coastline or the rocky tide pools off of Oregon’s coast, there is always some great summer adventures.

I’ve got a couple of additional ideas about what you might do during a staycation. I’d like to toss them out there…

Start an herb garden – Whether you’ve got a spare bit of yard that’s not being used, a few old tubs that no longer see the light of day, or simply a windowsill covered in pigeon poo, you’re in business. Starting an herb garden is good fun, relaxing, and provides you with a wonderful source of fresh food in the weeks and months to come. If you’ve got young children, get them involved. Children that can enjoy the simple pleasures to be had in growing an herb garden are probably going to do pretty well in life. With all the distractions and nonsense that they’re going to have to contend with in their later years, any time spent now enjoying life’s simple pleasures will likely generate positive outcomes.

Volunteer – A bit of social connection is always good for the soul. If you look around your local neighbourhood there’s bound to be projects and groups looking out for people to lend a hand. Does your neighbourhood have a community garden project? Is there a low cost housing precinct nearby requiring volunteers? How about your local school – do they need someone to lend a hand mending some items? Is there a local history group that’s in need of assistance? Getting involved in the community makes a difference to both your life and the lives of those around you. Helping other folks out is a pretty special feeling and one that’s not easily replicated during a traditional vacation.

Give it a try – having a “staycation” might just be a lot of fun!

Most Governments throughout the world, albeit reluctantly in many instances, are beginning to accept the fact that adverse climate change, brought about in large part by green house gas emissions, has the capacity to seriously erode the quality of life we currently enjoy. But as an individual, it’s sometimes difficult to know what practical steps to take in order to minimise the impact our actions have on the planet. Faced with the problem of where to begin, we thought it might be worthwhile considering a few practical steps that we can all take to ensure the survival of our planet for future generations.

One of the best places to start is to gain some sense as to the magnitude of your current carbon footprint. Carbon what? Carbon footprint. For those who’ve never heard the term used before, let’s start with a definition.

A carbon footprint is the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide. In essence, your carbon footprint is a measure of the extent to which your lifestyle choices contribute to carbon emissions. If you’re keen to work out what your own personal carbon footprint is, check out the calculators at CarbonFootprint.com.

By making choices that emphasise the principles of sharing, economy and mutual obligation, we can all make a significant difference. As an organic consumer, you’ve already taken a really important step. Organic production systems emphasise the use of renewable energy sources, recycling, and the maintenance of biological diversity. But what else can we do? Here are five simple steps that can make a difference.

Cycle and walk – Simply jumping on a bike or choosing to walk when you would otherwise have chosen to drive can have a huge impact on your carbon footprint. Over the course of a year, the cumulative impact of a decision to leave your car at home can prevent tonnes of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere.

Share the ride – If the distance you need to cover makes cycling or walking impractical, aim to catch some form of public transport. Jump on the train, bus or ferry. Apart from spreading the burden of emissions across numerous users, public transport is often less stressful – it provides a great opportunity to zone out by reading a book or listening to your favourite music. If you must use your own personal vehicle, see if it’s possible to car pool or share with others.

Grow your own – Growing your own organic fruit and vegetables is a great way to reduce your footprint. In fact, growing and planting activities can help to offset carbon emissions produced elsewhere. It’ll also mean fewer trips to the local shops, will save you money, provide you with exercise, and enhance your intake of nutritionally optimal food.

Buy local – Food grown locally has generally travelled much shorter distances than food that’s brought in from interstate or overseas. Food that comes from distant locations requires significant quantities of aviation or diesel fuels to be expended before it reaches your kitchen. This adds to the quantum of greenhouse gas emissions. Besides which, food grown locally tends to be fresher.

Become energy smart – If you’re not already with a sustainable energy supplier, consider switching to a company that specialises in renewable (for example, wind, solar or hydro) energy sources. And always turn off lights, computers, and other electrical appliances when not in use.

None of these steps are overly difficult. Even by introducing one or two of them into your lifestyle you can help to ensure that our planet remains viable for future generations.