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Learning information like this finally led me to take responsibility for my actions that affected others. I challenged myself to go one year without flying. Lik
by spodek 7y ago
Learning information like this finally led me to take responsibility for my actions that affected others. I challenged myself to go one year without flying. Like everyone, I have family all over and earning money meant flying. Now I'm in year 4 and it's one of the best choices I've made.
After a few months of transition, figuring out how to resolve the challenges, I changed from expecting to be on a flight on day 366 to going for another year, no longer out of obligation but because of the increased role of community, greater adventure, discovery, and all the values I attributed to flying but that I could create more when challenged on my own.
I don't think that flying is bad. I love traveling. But the headlines on climate are irrefutable and I refuse to claim I'm not responsible for my choices that hurt others, especially for my recreation. Planes aren't going to fly anyway. They respond to people paying. One plane may bring me to my relatives, but flying in general disperses them in the first place, leading to less time with them. At some point I had to rip off the band aid and switch from accommodating a lifestyle of scattered community with rare actual eye contact, hugs, and touch to getting closer to the people close to me.
Among other transitions, last summer I learned to sail to get off North America. I've taken the train across the country and back. I've met as diverse people and done as adventurous things. I used to say I expect to fly some day again, but the longer I don't fly, the less I expect to. Who knows?
People always ask my distribution of family and sources of income. I had to solve my problems for my life but your life is different so my solutions won't apply. The only meaningful answers I can give to something I think you can only learn experientially is that you can do it too and if you do, the reasons for not flying will override the reasons to fly. You'll be glad you did. I don't know if this will make sense or resonate, but the longer I go without flying the more people talking about flying sounds like people talking about heroin.
I wrote a piece in Inc at the end of the first year, which I think captured some of the joy to that point, but I've discovered and created more since then https://www.inc.com/joshua-spodek/365-days-without-flying.html https://www.inc.com/joshua-spodek/365-days-without-flying.ht....
- Udik 7y ago> the headlines on climate are irrefutable That would be a first for journalism in its long history. Why can't people accept that headlines on climate are as clickbaity as headlines on just anything else? Edit: also being downvoted for pointing out that newspapers headlines are clickbaity is a first :)
- Khanhanhan 7y agoHeadlines can be both, clickbaity and irrefutable.
- Dumblydorr 7y agoThe headlines may be faulty, but the broader point is climate is rapidly changing and every action we take is one less drop in the bucket.
- Udik 7y agoI agree, there's a lot of solid science, confirmed by what we're measuring year after year. Climate change is happening and CO2 emissions are a major cause, or the only one. But we should not underestimate the power of a decades-long daily stream of clickbaity headlines on the same topic, all skewed in the same direction- the catastrophic one, the one that spreads fear and incites indignation. Nobody is immune to it, not even scientists are.
- robin_reala 7y agoNot the only one by a long shot. Methane (from cattle and melting permafrost) is a dramatically worse greenhouse gas than CO2.
- NeedMoreTea 7y agoWe gave up years ago. We've travelled to Europe via train. Some places have been a lengthy journey, but the views and transitions on the way more than make up for it. It's as much a part of the trip as the destination. We've been able to stop for lunch or dinner in places we'd otherwise have simply flown over, and we've discovered countless places we'd otherwise not have known existed. A lot of those discoveries have been here in the UK too - all those little gems off the tourist map. Like deserted beaches and forests, niche museums and other attractions. Or making an itinerary through the minor towns and villages free of overdevelopment and sprawl rather than the major hubs that flying tends to push you to. There's a hell of a lot to discover at home, so overseas every year simply isn't necessary. Even if carbon neutral flying came about I don't think we'd resume, except perhaps a couple of long haul trips that aren't really doable otherwise. Rail and ferries are less fraught and far more relaxing. A bit like contemplating McDonalds against your favourite fine but slow restaurant - best kept mainly for emergencies.