This week on Travel Genius, Mark and Nikki tackle one of thorniest subjects in travel right now: should we be buying carbon offsets for every flight we take? Or should we follow Greta Thunberg’s lead, and scrap any plans to hop on a plane for the foreseeable future? Or is the impact of flying greatly overrated compared with many other industries – and simply called out as it’s seen as a perk of the privileged? If you’re coming down with a case of flygskam (flight shame, in Swedish), they have advice on how to cure it, including how to be sure that any offsets you buy are truly impactful rather than pure greenwashing. If your New Year’s resolution is to travel more mindfully, we’ve got your covered. 

As for this week’s guest, she’s the self-proclaimed MacGirlver, Kari Byron. The former Mythbusters staple is now host of her own globetrotting show for kids, Crash Test World that’s aimed at using science to explore the way we live across the globe. She joins Travel Genius this week to share smart tips from her travels, which included backpacking around the world aged 23. Like a Swiss Army knife, she’s multipurpose and handy in any situation, whether it involves staying safe in your hotel room or keeping kids engaged when sightseeing. And she has something in common with Jason Atherton when it comes to keeping food tasty, wherever you are.

Want to share your own Travel Genius moments? Reach out on Twitter, via email, or by phone at 646 324-3490. If you’re lucky, we’ll share your best tips on a future episode.

Correction: This podcast misidentified the name of the carbon offset company, Cool Edge. The name of the company is Cool Effect.

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