Earth Day

Having specific "days" for things has always sounded wrong to us. The existence of days for children, for women, or for the Earth only serves to alert us to the fact that we are, somehow, failing. These are not days of celebration, but of warning. And these days, in our view, have a much greater commercial impact than a transformative one.

It is neither "woke" nor cliché to state that the planet is facing constant and ever-increasing challenges. We lack an integrated form of global thinking that would allow us, as a network, to implement alternatives to facilitate certain setbacks or slowdowns that would be beneficial to us. We live in a world where networking is the future—digital, true, but it can and should also be organic. There are many arguments claiming it has always been this way: fundamental shifts that lead the world to undergo changes, some drastic and even natural or cyclical. But this is not entirely true, because the speed of these changes has been unparalleled since the Industrial Revolution.

We are changing at a speed that does not allow the planet time to adapt. We live in a "for yesterday" world. Everything must be immediate, and we observe this in our daily lives—even in a simple TV series, where every episode is available at once instead of us waiting week by week for a new one. This, which seems inconsequential, is an image of modern immediacy.

Very recently, we learned the beauty of waiting. We buy a piece of pottery, but its production requires it not to rain; or we look at a technique called cyanotype—a photographic process that only works when the sun is out. What they share, beyond beauty and ancestry, is the wait. The speed of the false need for change, combined with excessive consumption, is producing real catastrophes on our planet. Even the promised miracles of the future, such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), have an absolutely abnormal resource consumption.

This text does not intend to be defeatist, but rather to offer our perspective on how a company like ours can make a difference in its field, listing actions that may seem small but have a real impact. And how we, as part of a whole, can act differently at home and in our neighborhoods.

Our professional focus is on corporate and group incentive travel. In a climate of over-tourism, we have an added responsibility, and it is also up to us to demystify the "evil" of organized group travel. A group trip can be viewed negatively, but if we change the methods, seek the right partners, and take on a role that isn't always easy in a market where people think "anything goes," we can make a much more impactful and undoubtedly positive difference.

We cannot erase our carbon footprint, but we can offset it directly through actions with our groups. It is simple math: if a single person has a positive impact, multiplied by a hundred, the result is obvious. Avoiding the use of animals in activities, instead raising awareness of their importance to local culture; using shopping bags made from leftover used clothing; choosing meals sourced from local and seasonal production, optimizing them to avoid waste (and, when it occurs, channeling it to associations supporting vulnerable communities). Raising awareness to end single-use disposable packaging, which generates immense waste, is crucial. All these actions, and others, can and should be implemented in the countries we visit, where tourism can have an extremely beneficial impact—provided it is regulated.

Most ecosystems with the greatest biological diversity are located in the Far East or Africa. Travel to these locations, despite the carbon footprint being higher compared to a neighboring country, can have a very positive impact that offsets other UN SDG goals, which are of equal importance.

How can we make a difference with small actions?

Here are some examples we can apply both within the family and the community:

• Education: It is, and always will be, the foundation for change in any area of our lives. An enlightened community is a community without fear of difference and one that is positively productive.

• Reading and Dialogue: The next generation is reading more books than predicted. Encourage and participate in book clubs—not just for the youth, but especially for the elderly—that shed light on current and future challenges, so that as a group, alternatives and solutions can be devised, first for the family, then for the community.

• Active Participation: Participate in workshops and events that promote sustainable practices for daily life. Many organizations and city councils already host these. Organize groups to collect waste on beaches or in forests.

• Water Management: At home, let’s start with water. It is estimated that by 2030, the demand for drinking water will exceed production by 40%. This is a serious problem. Take quick showers; use the quick-wash settings on machines instead of washing by hand; turn off the tap while brushing your teeth; buy local products to promote regional production and reduce the "hidden" water consumption associated with transport; buy fewer clothes (the production of one pair of jeans consumes an inconceivable volume of water); plant native species instead of lawns or exotic plants that require more watering.

• Organic Waste: Try composting. Many municipalities already require the separation of these residues in specific bags, or you can do it at home. Your favorite potted plant will have soil richer in nutrients with much less chemical intervention.

• Conscious Consumption: Buying local and seasonal supports production, maintains jobs, and reduces the resources used in transporting fruits or vegetables from distant origins. "Eco-minimalism" is a trend with more and more enthusiasts. "Owning" is no longer that cool. Choosing with greater awareness and buying less frequently—but with higher quality and durability—teaches us to value what we already have rather than acquiring new products simply because of a trend.

• Digital Recycling: Recycle your digital products. Lithium quickly lost its "luster" as the ultimate solution for pollution. Alongside it are other toxic components in the world's best friend: the mobile phone. We also have computers, cables, and appliances that should be taken to designated recycling points.

Finally, why not join a community garden? Why not host a dinner where the theme is for each friend to bring local products or dishes made with what they already had at home, using reusable containers?

Why not join a sewing club where you can learn clothes repair techniques? The Japanese have been doing it for a long time—it’s called Boro, and the pieces can be beautified with Sashiko.

Organize a morning cleanup in your neighborhood. You will get to know your neighbors better, spend time outdoors, and restore dignity to the space where our children play daily.

A few days ago, we took an inspection trip to Southern Italy. We realized that, about five years ago, a plague destroyed almost all the native olive trees. We were told that, more than the loss of olive oil production so vital to the region, history, cultural heritage, and identity were lost. This is the correct way to view the losses occurring daily. These are small pieces of all of us that are lost to memory. And some things are better lived than remembered.