{"id":27826,"date":"2020-08-26T14:35:58","date_gmt":"2020-08-26T14:35:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=27826"},"modified":"2020-09-17T10:33:47","modified_gmt":"2020-09-17T10:33:47","slug":"skydiving-the-planet-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/skydiving-the-planet-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Skydiving & the Planet \u2013 Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How can we as skydivers burn fossil fuels for fun while still reducing\nour impact on the environment?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n


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How can we balance our skydiving addiction with a concern for the planet?<\/a>
Photo: Olav Zipser by Juan Mayer<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We are not an environmentally friendly sport. As an industry, we burn a lot of fuel and produce a lot of harmful waste…<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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We use petroleum-based, non-renewable resources for our skydiving gear. We ride planes to altitude many times a day to jump out of them for fun. We are not a sustainable industry. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

However, we can be <\/strong>better<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 less wasteful and reducing our impact on the planet. The concept is simple: treat the world\u2019s resources like our wages. We only make a finite amount of money, so to spend the amount we, as skydivers, willingly pour into the sport, we must make sacrifices in other areas of our lives. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like our wages, we have finite space and resources on our planet.\nSince we spend a large amount of this on skydiving, we need to spend less of it\nin other areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The global lockdown has shown the enormity of human impact on the\nenvironment, with reports all over the world of clearer skies and resurgence of\nwildlife. This break from normal practice provides an opportunity to reassess,\nand to rebuild in a better way if we so choose.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article gives some figures about our impact on the world\u2019s resources as skydivers. It gives examples of practical actions jumpers, organisations and companies in the sport are taking \u2013 and what you can do \u2013 towards balancing our impact. They are just small steps but as a community, lots of small advances mount up to appreciable positive progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our contribution [to the planet], both positively and negatively, whether we realise it or not, is happening. If you can open up to that, that\u2019s step 1. After that it\u2019s about trying to introduce some minor changes \u2013 no matter how minor. After time, that will set a new base line, that we can improve on thereafter\u201d<\/p>

Simon Guthrie<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Our Impact on the Environment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n