With rising temperatures causing chaos worldwide, what does it mean to be a tourist in a world on fire?
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“Where shall we go on holiday?” would not, ideally, be a stressful question.
But the world in 2025 is far from ideal, and summer breaks in Europe and North America are no exception. Holiday hotspots are being ravaged by heat, fire, floods and drought as fossil fuel pollution warps the climate – and travelling to reach them in planes or on cruise ships spews far more planet-heating gas than anything else you and I are likely to do. (Rocket enthusiasts such as Katy Perry and Jeff Bezos, I assume, have not yet subscribed to Down to Earth.)
It’s hard to relax by the beach in 40C heat with the stench of smoke fouling the air. For some travellers, a nagging sense of guilt will further sully what they hoped would be a break of mindless bliss.
