itchy feet and responsible travel

so i've been itching to travel again.

i have been looking at the UNESCO world heritage list, i.e., those protected sites, to see which places i would love to see next.

in the meantime, here are some pictures from some of those places on the list that i have been to.

BRAZIL

historic centre of salvador de bahia


CZECH REPUBLIC

historic centre of prague


historic centre of cesky krumlov

FRANCE

banks of the seine


MEXICO

historic centre of mexico city


pre-hispanic city of teotihuacan


PERU

historic sanctuary of machu picchu


city of cuzco


SPAIN

alcazar in sevilla


USA

grand canyon national park


yosemite national park

so while i try to be a responsible traveler, i know that trying to see all these endangered sites is not very environmentally friendly. when i camp/hike, i try not to leave any trash and not take anything out (soil, rocks, plants, etc.) but i know that i am probably still leaving a horrid carbon footprint. so it is a bit of a conundrum. i want to see, hear, feel.

for instance, i plan to hike kilimanjaro, go on a safari and beach bum in zanzibar. all of the places i plan on visiting are on the UNESCO world heritage list (kilimanjaro national park, serengeti national park, ngorongoro conservation area, selous game preserve, stone town). in particular, going to hike kili to see its famed glacier before it is gone forever is probably hastening the melting process. so should i not go?

how does one still experience the place without helping in the destruction of the place i so want to see?