To ask you to stop flying

[Walkingthere]

We are facing a climate disaster. Our children will have to live through it. And yet I overheard two women today discussing how many holidays abroad they had been on this year. Both over 60 years of age. Obviously it will not directly impact on them.
This is also very common in my social group, people jetting off 4-5 times a year. Mini-breaks, weekends away, European trips, long haul, hen do's, weddings, birthdays. It's unbelievable how much people are burying their heads in the sand.

We need to stop flying. Urgently. Now. My family have not flown in over 5 years. We used to travel a lot, before we realised the consequences. I am putting this here, to make people think, we all need to urgently reduce (ideally stop) flying now.

I'll just go and get my pitchfork....

I heard on R4 recently that computer use outstrips flying and everything else for environmental damage. Lucky you, flying around willy nilly. I didn't go anywhere for 10 years due to DS's severe ASD, and now we do usually one European flight and return a year so YABU

But Skype is better than a miserable life in a polluted world ?

If I didn't fly then I'd never see my family again, so YABU

old that is horrific! What the fuck are we doing?

Our grandchildren will never forgive us.

I share your concerns OP. I haven’t flown since 2008. I have an electric car and it’s sometimes surprising how negative people are about them. I am not perfect by any means but I do think about it. But that said, I did not grow up flying and I like the UK and Europe for holidays.

I do take the ferry sometimes and am under no illusions about how bad they probably also are for the environment. I wish trains were less expensive though.

Assume you drive an electric car then? I do - much more of a contribution to the environment that cancelling our one foreign holiday.

No, I go once a year and the aviation industry provides employment

Is seeing your family more important than your children having a future?

Is meeting business partners in person more important than your children having a future?

Is scoring cheap points and refusing to change because the OP isn't perfect in her environmental credentials more important than your children having a future?

Your solution is far too simplistic and naive to be helpful.

Reminding people to do their bit and offering a list of practical and various ways to do it would be a lot more helpful.

-geek again- The Flightradar24 app is absolutely fascinating. You can zoom in on any live flight on the planet and watch it to its destination.

Seeing the sheer number of craft in the sky above anywhere is terrifying though (only because I find it eerie and macabre).

chocolate that's not true. A single long haul flight is worse than a year of petrol over electric car driving.

Yes EleanorOalike that is exactly what many people are saying.

At some point the world will have to reduce travelling to give hugs or talk about the price of fish.

@Walkingthere

I have two DC. Not three. I am not pregnant. I will not be having another one.

My apologies.
But you should be aware that someone is using your MN name to say things about trying for a third baby; having sex without contraception to continue to try; worrying because they may be pregnant (and are "nauseous". I agreed with that but then thought they might mean "nauseated").

But that was days away.

Doubtless they've found another hobby horse.

We travel abroad 6+ times a year for hols plus I do a lot of business flying so no way!

As you’re so concerned with what we all do, can you confirm that you are also:

Vegan
Child free
Palm oil free
Single use plastic free
Car free
Growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs
Not buying anything from Amazon

Basically piss off your righteous so and so

Half my relatives are too poor or too
old to have a computer anyway. The island they live on doesn’t have WiFi!

Missing out on family is a miserable existential in my opinion and there is no way I’m prepared to miss out on ever seeing them again. I highly doubt seeing them once every 3-5 years will save the planet.

I already use a reusable glass bottle instead of plastic, take a collapsible cup with me, metal straws, my own cutlery etc wherever I go, drive a green car (no public transport available to get me to work), make do and mend etc.

I’m single, no kids. What have I got if I’ve no relationship with my family?

Isn’t one of the biggest issues to the climate deforestation?
We can minimise the impact of fossil fuels on the environment by reducing their use and by reforestation.

Lucky for you my DH is scared of flying 😁😁😁

without a flight once a year I wouldn't be able to see my mum ever.

I agree with you OP. Social attitudes take time to change.

I won't commit to not flying, ever. I flew twice last year but that was exceptional. I have hardly ever taken domestic flights. I have no current plans to fly and would prefer to factor in extra travel time and take the train. The environmental impact is definately a factor and always has been for me.

But I could do better and pointing at what others are doing is really no defence.

Curious. I can either take a 2 hour flight with hundreds of others or we can all take our cars on the 9-10 hour road trip, probably longer with necessary breaks. Yes, some will be travel as a group but that's still a long time in the car amd a lot of cars compared to the plane.

Fly less? Sure! Although if I fly less then I'd be seeing my parents and sister once every four or five years instead of every other year. My parents and in-laws would see their granddaughters less. Skype really isn't the same. Maybe its entitlement but it's also part of being a family.

Flying isn't the only issue causing climate change. Before you judge anyone for not doing what you do, are you doing everything you can, op?

People do not NEED to fly...not for work or for family.
They WANT to fly...they feel they DESERVE to fly...but they don't NEED to.

That's not fair. People NEED to see their family. Skype etc is great, but bit shit when your siblings get married, you miss them or you are burying your parent🤷‍♀️

I mean not seeing them every 3 -5 years.

The fact that thee are other things people could also change is not a valid reason to keep doing one of the worse things you can personally choose to do.

The non-logic that no one need change their habits till they are the worst climate offender on the planet is going to literally get us all killed.

DO GROW UP