To fly or not to fly?

[tadghcr]

Not to mention those headlines of certain airlines flying empty planes to maintain the number of gates they want at airports...

[PumpkinMozie]

So much of what’s achieved on business trips could be covered over an online conference call.

[maleahlock]

Just being able to AFFORD a flight says all you need to know about who's flying.

[ruleroftheclouds]

As someone who is planning to move from europe to australia for at least half a decade, this has been a big point of debate with my family and a personal struggle for me... how often will we be able to see each other? how ethical would it be to fly in my parents for big life events? what happens if there are medical issues with my rapidly aging grandparents... looking at the actual facts of where the problems lie with the flying and realizing it is not me seeing my family on the other side of the globe that is causing the excessive amounts of emissions produced by this industry is reassuring at least... still not happy about it, but there are distances that can only reasonably be covered by plane in a globalized world 🛫

[unprodigal]

I really like the way you explain things ❤

[KatharineOsborne]

I live in the UK but my mom lives in Canada. I infrequently fly (I try to do less than one flight a year). You get hit by guilt both by flying and not flying. I saw my mom this year because she nearly died, and before that she flew out in 2018 to visit, and prior to that I flew out to her twice in 2017 (after my dad died). My total carbon footprint is right about where the UN recommends, but it would be hard for me to get it lower (I can't go vegan or remove gas from my home as I rent) and having a flight blows it for the year.

[omnipotentfaces]

This is an easier conversation for people who’s family all are in one country. I’m in the uk, but half my family are in Canada and the other is in India. We never get to see each other and are lucky if it’s once in 2 years. Obviously if your going to ibiza every year it’s a different issue, especially with all the billionaires jets and flying - or yachting - there waste all over the world.

[thatjillgirl]

I tend to fly once or twice a year, and I just don't feel bad about it. I think it is indeed negligible, especially if I'm doing other things in my life to lower my overall carbon emissions and be more sustainable. I buy offsets too. We can fly more conscientiously, but we don't need to avoid things that bring us joy just for the sake of avoiding flying when there are so many other actions that we can engage in to fight the climate crisis.

[bugsandbrushes]

A buddy of mine flies about two to three times a year for vacation, often around half the world. He insists that he needs this, to "get away from it all" and I believe he genuinely had a hard time during the first year of covid, when he couldn't go abroad. To be honest, it's getting hard for me not to feel resentment towards this attitude of his and it also has me worried for his mental health. Either he's just a butthole not caring about the climate crisis, or he uses those trips to cope. I can't imagine a person who is generally content with their everyday life needing to flee to some beach to be waited on for two weeks all the time.

[agnesmarion]

Few truer words have been said, girl ❤

[ecoustineau]

I only see my parents every two years because flying is expensive and destroying the environnement. (So yes to ruining my personal life). It really breaks my heart when people travel just for fun because I need those emissions to see the people I love.

[diemdia]

Just a side note, but I recently learned that there are all electric planes in development that could be powered by renewables - I don’t know how long it’ll be until they’re the norm, but I hope it’s soon!

[lzlzlz]

Me not being able to book a trip to Londen because a train ticket will cost me 300 euros which I cannot afford. Even tho a plane ticket would be only 100 euros😢

[JacobChen-dl]

Well people don’t have to see their parents. It’s common for many foreigners living in the US to not go back to their home country and see their families.

[lindsaydiscovers]

We need to focus on how to make air travel more sustainable. Some flights allow you to buy carbon credits, but id rather donate to research.