{"id":8961,"date":"2021-11-16T09:58:38","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T09:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1373325"},"modified":"2021-11-16T09:58:38","modified_gmt":"2021-11-16T09:58:38","slug":"should-i-rant-about-climate-change-while-also-being-a-frequent-flyer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=8961","title":{"rendered":"Should I rant about climate change while also being a frequent flyer?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The last couple of weeks have been momentous for politicians, community and religious leaders, and activists as they flew to attend COP26 to stop the world imploding into <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/cop26-australia-is-burning-in-international-embarassment\">doomsday scenarios<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>No sector was safe \u2014 transport, overpopulation (ok, maybe not a sector per se), meat and dairy, or forest logging \u2014 from the ire of people desperate to assign blame.<\/p>\n<p>One thing that attracted plenty of wrath is flying \u2014 and I\u2019m part of the problem.<\/p>\n<h2>Private jets are bad, m\u2019kay?<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1373353 js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/2858149737_95bc6c7f18_b.jpeg\" alt=\"flying by private jet\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/2858149737_95bc6c7f18_b.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/2858149737_95bc6c7f18_b-280x187.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/2858149737_95bc6c7f18_b-202x135.jpeg 202w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/2858149737_95bc6c7f18_b-405x270.jpeg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/2858149737_95bc6c7f18_b-796x531.jpeg 796w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/flying-is-bad-for-climate-change-but-we-all-do-it#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift%2F2021%2F11%2F16%2Fflying-is-bad-for-climate-change-but-we-all-do-it%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: It\u2019s no surprise that flying private jets has a heinous impact on the environment.\" data-title=\"Share It\u2019s no surprise that flying private jets has a heinous impact on the environment. on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share It\u2019s no surprise that flying private jets has a heinous impact on the environment. on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>It\u2019s no surprise that flying private jets has a heinous impact on the environment.<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1373353\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/2858149737_95bc6c7f18_b.jpeg\" alt=\"flying by private jet\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/2858149737_95bc6c7f18_b.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/2858149737_95bc6c7f18_b-280x187.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/2858149737_95bc6c7f18_b-202x135.jpeg 202w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/2858149737_95bc6c7f18_b-405x270.jpeg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/11\/2858149737_95bc6c7f18_b-796x531.jpeg 796w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s no surprise that flying private jets has a heinous impact on the environment. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/oliverwilliams1\/2021\/11\/05\/118-private-jets-take-leaders-to-cop26-climate-summit-burning-over-1000-tons-of-co2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">According to The Daily Record<\/a>, over 118 jets carried world leaders and business executives to COP26. This blasted 13,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, over what 1600 Scottish households burn through in a year.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" readability=\"10.784688995215\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">By \u201cwe\u201d he means \u201cyou\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He just took a private jet to attend G20 in Rome, before flying back with private jet to attend <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/COP26?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">#COP26<\/a><\/p>\n<p>_ <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zj0LFj2QO0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/zj0LFj2QO0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DrEliDavid\/status\/1454408765504200709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">October 30, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>But anyone who thinks we\u2019ll see Joe Biden, Prince Charles, or Jeff Bezos sitting in cattle class with the rest of us is dreaming.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not sure what\u2019s wrong with the pointy end of the plane, though. They won\u2019t have to binge-watch Game of Thrones in the middle seat.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" readability=\"13.872576177285\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">They are laughing at you. The 400 private jets used by world \u2018leaders\u2019 to get to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/COP26?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">#COP26<\/a> pumped out 13,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, yet they want you to stop eating meat, to stop going on holiday, to buy a new electric car, &amp; to spend thousands of pounds on new boilers. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Phj1wpQvKJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Phj1wpQvKJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Matthew Firth (@MatthewPFirth) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MatthewPFirth\/status\/1455161739801239558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">November 1, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>By the way, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/checkyourfact.com\/2021\/11\/03\/fact-check-image-private-planes-climate-change-cop26\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Check Your Facts<\/a>, the photo used in the tweet above actually depicts aircraft parked at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport in 2013 for Super Bowl XLVII. During the event, New Orleans-area airports hosted <em>more than 800<\/em> private aircraft for the game.<\/p>\n<p>If this isn\u2019t a blatant disregard for the climate, then I don\u2019t know what is.<\/p>\n<h2>Is it time to stop business flying?<\/h2>\n<p>Ok, the bigger issue is, should we stop business flights altogether?<\/p>\n<p>Politicians, in general, are big fat hypocrites. A <a href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/1029548\/Greening_Government_Commitments_Annual_Report_2019_to_2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">UK report<\/a> recently found that ministers and civil servants took nearly 107,000 domestic flights in Britain in just one year, an average of 293 flights a day.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a lot of meetings that could have been an email.<\/p>\n<h2>Yes, I am a frequent flyer<\/h2>\n<p>I am guilty of being a frequent flyer.<\/p>\n<p>In 2019, I took about 20 flights. Most were within Europe, the UK, and trips to Israel, Japan, Australia, and Hong Kong. The vast majority were work trips where I attended conferences on behalf of publications. It was fun. I hung out with some amazing devs, startups, companies, hackers, and general tech nerds.<\/p>\n<p>But I also got to visit my family in Australia (which took six flights altogether). My parents are old, so they can\u2019t fly halfway to reduce the burden or visit me \u2014 I\u2019ve seen them three times since 2014. Travel to Australia is expensive and time-consuming.<\/p>\n<p>While the last year has taught us that we don\u2019t&nbsp;need&nbsp;to attend every event in person, it\u2019s also taught us that we&nbsp;like attending events in person. Strange things happen!<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s nothing like sitting with a bunch of crypto journos as they tell you how they\u2019re going to stitch up Vitalik Buterin in a press room at a conference.<\/p>\n<p>I also rather enjoyed listening to someone from Berlin going for a job interview at a startup at the table next to me in Hong Kong, slagging off his hopefully former CEO. (Don\u2019t do your interviews in cafes, folks.)<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t know desperation until you see a horde of tech journos fighting for calamari at a press event. Or amusement until you see an American pitching anal sex toys to a room full of VCs.<\/p>\n<p>You just don\u2019t get this stuff on a zoom call.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s not only these weird interactions that we miss without travel.<\/p>\n<p>The impact of COVID-19 not only meant staying at home, but it also meant that, like many people, I missed weddings and funerals. Getting up at 3 am to watch a funeral online back in Australia wasn\u2019t a great experience.<\/p>\n<h2>The luxury of time vs. money<\/h2>\n<p>You often see articles where people pledge to stop flying. One thing these people have in common who pledge low-fly commitments is the luxury of time. They\u2019re usually not American, in jobs where you get 14 days annual leave or year.<\/p>\n<p>Or from Melbourne, 30 hours door to door to get to Berlin.<\/p>\n<p>In case you are wondering, I looked up traveling by boat to Australia (legally). From the Netherlands, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seat61.com\/europe-to-australia-without-flying.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">it takes about 42 days<\/a>. If you want me to write about this, donations are welcome!<\/p>\n<h2>Is it time for a tax on flying?<\/h2>\n<p>There is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iata.org\/contentassets\/4eae6e82b7b948b58370eb6413bd8d88\/iata-position---tax-exemption-on-jet-fuel.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">no tax on jet fuel<\/a> \u2014 the only fossil fuel banned from being taxed by international treaty.<\/p>\n<p>One idea from a campaign called <a href=\"https:\/\/afreeride.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">A Free Ride<\/a> is to tax frequent flyers (yep, that includes me). These are the 15% of flyers who take over 70% of all flights. They assert that the&nbsp; strongest predictors of frequent flyer status are ownership of a second home abroad, and household income of over $135k \u2014 this is not me.<\/p>\n<h2>The dream of Aviation Beyond Borders<\/h2>\n<p>Recently I came across a body that optimistically calls itself&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/aviationbenefits.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Aviation Beyond Borders<\/a>. They have a lofty ambition: to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, \u201csupported by accelerated efficiency measures, energy transition and innovation across the aviation sector and in partnership with Governments around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The usual suspects get a mention in their action plan:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sustainable aviation fuels<\/li>\n<li>A transition away from fossil fuels<\/li>\n<li>Electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft<\/li>\n<li>Greater efficiency at airports<\/li>\n<li>Carbon offset schemes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are great ambitions. I want <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/here-are-the-companies-building-hyperloop-technology-and-who-will-arrive-first\">hyperloops<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/hydrogen-powered-vtol-aircraft-are-the-future-according-to-skai?utm_medium=flipdigest.ad.20211111.carousel&amp;utm_source=email&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_campaign=campaign\">VTOLs<\/a> (hydrogen and electric) developed. But I also want investment in rail in general, including <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/dont-call-it-a-hyperloop-chinese-super-maglev-said-to-be-capable-of-1000-km-h-speeds-in-the-future\">bullet (maglev) trains<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Ways to assuage your guilt in flying<\/h2>\n<p>The David Suzuki Foundation has some&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/davidsuzuki.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">good tips<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Take direct, non-stop flights to avoid high emissions during takeoff and landing.<\/li>\n<li>Choose airlines carefully. Some airlines are better at ensuring they have a full passenger load to fly more efficiently.<\/li>\n<li>Take daytime flights due to the heat-trapping effect of contrails and cirrus clouds at night, sunlight reflecting during the day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I\u2019d also personally suggest:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Prioritize&nbsp;airlines that use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeairlines.com\/biofuel-airlines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">biofuel<\/a>&nbsp;and invest in tech innovations like electric batteries and hydrogen. At the very least, learn about this tech. Follow companies on social media and share their posts. Help build a movement.<\/li>\n<li>Offset your environmental footprint by paying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere. Examples of programs include<span>&nbsp;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sustainabletravel.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>Sustainable Travel International<\/span><\/a><span> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/native.eco\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>Native<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Commit to flying less. There are loads of community groups dedicated to not flying like <a href=\"https:\/\/flightfree.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>Flight Free USA<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/noflyclimatesci.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>No Fly Climate Si<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pledgetoflyless.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>Pledge to Fly Less<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.tufts.edu\/flyingless\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><span>Flying Less<\/span><\/a><span>. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To be clear, I don\u2019t intend to stop flying. I want a future where flying is accessible to all, not just those with the means, whether they\u2019re flying by jumbo jet or VTOL.<\/p>\n<p>But I also want a world where there are very few reasons for flying in personal jets. <span>And for those who do fly like that, <\/span>to use electric batteries, hydronic, or at worst, biofuels should be compulsory. This is a commitment their wealthy users could instigate, especially if they commit to an investment in R&amp;D, to ease their guilt.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/flying-is-bad-for-climate-change-but-we-all-do-it\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The last couple of weeks have been momentous for politicians, community and religious leaders, and activists as they flew to attend COP26 to stop the world imploding into doomsday scenarios. No sector&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8961"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8961\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}