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"I have lived as a nomad for the last nine years, taking 360 flights travelling over 1.5 million kilometers (assuming flight paths are straight, ignoring layove

"I have lived as a nomad for the last nine years, taking 360 flights travelling over 1.5 million kilometers (assuming flight paths are straight, ignoring layovers) during that time." I guess he really doesn't give a shit about the environment

INTPenis 4y ago
Don't put that blame on the consumer. The fact that we fan fly from Stockholm to Riga for 50 euro isn't right. The fact that the EU subsidizes airplane fuel isn't right, the fact that Sweden and many other governments have until recently given millions to airlines isn't right. The consumer simply saw cheap flights and did what they do best. The root of the issue is elsewhere.
- sooheon 4y ago
  The political machine that handed out those subsidies also responded to the incentives set in front of them. The lobbyists and entrenched interests also were acting naturally in accordance to their incentives. By this logic, everyone can always pass the buck.
  - INTPenis 4y ago
    I'm not passing the buck, I was implying what should be obvious. The blame rests solely with the politicians.
    - sooheon 4y ago
      > The blame rests solely with the politicians This is scapegoating. Who put them in power? > The consumer simply saw cheap flights and did what they do best. The politicians saw lobbyist money and did what they do best. The lobbyists got paid to do what they do best. The special interest groups saw a gameable system and did what they do best. The consumers feed the industries that buy out the politicians. Everyone plays a part and everyone is partly to blame.
liquidise 4y ago
I'm confused by this take. If someone said they take ICE public buses to commute daily, my guess is the sentiment would be that is environmentally-conscious commuting. Is this meaningfully different from boarding a plane? I can see a luxury vs necessity angle, but is that it? Over long distances planes are more efficient. And like buses, the idea that a single person's behavior will impact departure schedules feels wrong.
- loevborg 4y ago
  You would have to spend 2083 days on a bus to travel 1.5 million km. That would be 63% of his 9 nomad years.
- dabeeeenster 4y ago
  Is this a serious reply? Do people travel 1.5m miles by bus? Think critically.
  - liquidise 4y ago
    I think you missed the point of my reply. Vitalik sitting on non-private flights doesn't meaningfully add to pollution, the flight was already happening. The fuel was already earmarked for burning. "This person boarded a lot of flights that were going to pollute anyways" is a strange take. Sure he did it a lot, but if an individual contributes no measurable impact by sitting on a plane, then boarding 300+ flights pollutes roughly the same as boarding 0, since those 300+ flights happen anyway. If you want to argue about market forces, do that. But as a sibling comment said, blaming a consumer here is strange.
    - dabeeeenster 4y ago
      This isn't a serious reply either. What happens to planes if consumers choose to fly half as much?
anony23 4y ago
He flies commercial, not private.
- dabeeeenster 4y ago
  So what?
  - anony23 4y ago
puranjay 4y ago
I'm sure you wrote this comment with soot on a tree bark, stuffed it into a glass bottle and hoped that someone far away with electricity and computers would post it online.
- dabeeeenster 4y ago
  No I mean I wrote it on a Macbook?

INTPenis 4y ago

Don't put that blame on the consumer. The fact that we fan fly from Stockholm to Riga for 50 euro isn't right. The fact that the EU subsidizes airplane fuel isn't right, the fact that Sweden and many other governments have until recently given millions to airlines isn't right. The consumer simply saw cheap flights and did what they do best. The root of the issue is elsewhere.

sooheon 4y ago
The political machine that handed out those subsidies also responded to the incentives set in front of them. The lobbyists and entrenched interests also were acting naturally in accordance to their incentives. By this logic, everyone can always pass the buck.
- INTPenis 4y ago
  I'm not passing the buck, I was implying what should be obvious. The blame rests solely with the politicians.
  - sooheon 4y ago
    > The blame rests solely with the politicians This is scapegoating. Who put them in power? > The consumer simply saw cheap flights and did what they do best. The politicians saw lobbyist money and did what they do best. The lobbyists got paid to do what they do best. The special interest groups saw a gameable system and did what they do best. The consumers feed the industries that buy out the politicians. Everyone plays a part and everyone is partly to blame.

liquidise 4y ago

I'm confused by this take. If someone said they take ICE public buses to commute daily, my guess is the sentiment would be that is environmentally-conscious commuting. Is this meaningfully different from boarding a plane? I can see a luxury vs necessity angle, but is that it? Over long distances planes are more efficient. And like buses, the idea that a single person's behavior will impact departure schedules feels wrong.

loevborg 4y ago
You would have to spend 2083 days on a bus to travel 1.5 million km. That would be 63% of his 9 nomad years.
dabeeeenster 4y ago
Is this a serious reply? Do people travel 1.5m miles by bus? Think critically.
- liquidise 4y ago
  I think you missed the point of my reply. Vitalik sitting on non-private flights doesn't meaningfully add to pollution, the flight was already happening. The fuel was already earmarked for burning. "This person boarded a lot of flights that were going to pollute anyways" is a strange take. Sure he did it a lot, but if an individual contributes no measurable impact by sitting on a plane, then boarding 300+ flights pollutes roughly the same as boarding 0, since those 300+ flights happen anyway. If you want to argue about market forces, do that. But as a sibling comment said, blaming a consumer here is strange.
  - dabeeeenster 4y ago
    This isn't a serious reply either. What happens to planes if consumers choose to fly half as much?

anony23 4y ago

He flies commercial, not private.

dabeeeenster 4y ago
So what?
- anony23 4y ago

puranjay 4y ago

I'm sure you wrote this comment with soot on a tree bark, stuffed it into a glass bottle and hoped that someone far away with electricity and computers would post it online.

dabeeeenster 4y ago
No I mean I wrote it on a Macbook?