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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask how many of you are seriously revising whether (or how often) you fly again?

677 replies

Thelowquietsea · 06/01/2020 20:25

We don't fly often (one flight a year tops, mostly to Europe) but reducing my air travel is one of the few differences I can make towards climate change.

And yet, I'm celebrating a big birthday this year. I had an idea to take myself to a retreat quite far away, and now it's 'booking' time, I can't quite bring myself to do it. Especially in light of Australia's tragedy. I'm really torn.

How many of you are making serious sacrifices in this area?

OP posts:
MrsFogi · 09/01/2020 12:30

No. When people like Harry and Meghan stop using private jets and lecturing us then I'll start thinking about my (rare) flights in cattle class.

Pub4Games456 · 09/01/2020 12:32

Discussing holidays with various people

I've never heard anyone complain about flying causing climate change and that we all need to cut down

Especially, people that I know that have never been abroad. They are looking forward to a time that they can take their children on a plane to somewhere sunny

CountFosco · 09/01/2020 13:17

Only 30% of flights from Heathrow are business, 70% is leisure. If we all stopped holidaying abroad it would make a massive difference.

AllChange123Again · 09/01/2020 19:56

So why are airports still expanding &/ or being renovated, if it's so bad for the planet

Some people must be getting rich

Ated · 09/01/2020 22:05

Over the years I have flown many times and did my bit by planting trees, bushes and let land go back to nature. I installed solar PV panels for electricity, solar thermal panels for hot water and installed heat pumps for the heating. My carbon footprint is saving over 16 tons each year so far and my house is warm and cheap to run. Little things can do a lot.

MinesaPinot · 09/01/2020 22:23

No not changing. As a rule we do one return flight a year when we go on holiday and I'm not giving that up.

Devereux1 · 10/01/2020 11:48

Re: original thread question.
Obviously not Harry and Meghan, translatlantic, carbon spewing back and forth, back and forth, back and forth! Grin

Mominatrix · 10/01/2020 14:05

But in H&M's case, is OK because they are Influencers and what matter is not what they do, but what they say.

Devereux1 · 10/01/2020 14:10

In their two little brain cells only, yes.

Pursefirst · 10/01/2020 14:12

No, I'm not planning on reducing the amount that I fly.

I fly long-haul at least once every 6 weeks for work. These meetings have to take place on-site and they are integral to my job.

However, I don't have DC, I eat a plant-based diet, live in an apartment and rarely drive. I'm also looking at getting a heat pump installed. I'm trying to do what I can, but if I had to give up business travel then I would have no job.

Dapplegrey · 10/01/2020 14:24

So why are airports still expanding &/ or being renovated, if it's so bad for the planet

I wondered that. Also the Tories get a lot of blame but why don’t countries with a socialist government or a significant Green presence in government start stopping so many flights?

GhostsToMonsoon · 10/01/2020 14:25

I signed the FlightFree 2020 pledge. Will be going to France on the train and Devon for summer holiday. I didn't fly for five years after having my first child, but that was mainly because going through airports with small children is not fun, to say the least.

I wouldn't like to say I'd never fly again, however; I have some relatives abroad. I'd love to travel more by train in Europe but it is usually much more expensive than flying and takes far longer.

speakout · 10/01/2020 18:28

GhostsToMonsoon

An easier pledge to make if you live in the SE of England. (I am guessing).

I live in Scotland. Summer means a thinner rainjacket. We are starved of sun, vitamin D and warmth.
Travelling to Devon or the SE is very expensive and takes a lot of time.
A "train to Europe" is not a practical option.

GhostsToMonsoon · 11/01/2020 15:30

speakout - as it happens, I don't live in the southeast of England, although I completely agree that train travel to Europe is easier if you do. It was a personal decision for me based on my circumstances at this moment in time. For example, I don't have close relatives abroad.

Based on past experience, Devon in August offers no guarantee of sun or warmth...

BlaueLagune · 11/01/2020 18:18

Based on past experience, Devon in August offers no guarantee of sun or warmth

Absolutely not. I'd rather go to Scotland in May half term (which isn't school holidays in Scotland, so not that busy ,either).

MangoFeverDream · 11/01/2020 20:10

Mango what would your top solutions be?

I am of the school of, we have to make nations richer so they have the resources to deal with climate change. We can’t go back, so it makes sense to prepare for the inevitable.

That means nuclear where appropriate (solar and wind do not power civilisations), I mean, even Iran has a civilian nuclear energy program, so I don’t think the spread is an issue.

India needs a better nuclear program they use a lot of coal so does China but they could expand nuclear if they had the political will. But they import massive amount of coal from Oz so?

African countries and poor Asian economies need cheap fossil fuels. Unavoidable really. If climate change makes natural disasters worse, they need a wealthy economy to deal with it. Plenty of resources to fund stable housing and mitigation efforts. Deaths from disasters goes down as wealth goes up, I think it’s a strong enough correlation.

For developed economies just more push to urbanise so ridesharing and other forms of commute are feasible, also economies of scale wrt resources, rewild more spaces outside of cities.

But large-scale agribusiness are what feeds the planet so hard no to permaculture or urban farming or allotments, these are niche for a middle class market. GMOs to enable plants to survive in more arid climes. Also solid evidence that CO2 allows plants to thrive despite water shortages so could be an upside to all this.

also U.K. is so odd in that secondary cities truly are secondary, more needs to be done to make them attractive places to settle and work.

Hard no to solar and wind farms. Land use for power generated is terrible. Maybe solar on existing build but depends if the productions and decommissioning of panels makes it worthwhile. I’m not convinced tbh

Kazzyhoward · 13/01/2020 11:07

I don't live in the southeast of England, although I completely agree that train travel to Europe is easier if you do

One of the major flaws in HS2 is that it doesn't link directly to HS1 and the Channel Tunnel. What were they thinking when they planned that? Direct trains to France etc via the Midlands and North would have revolutionised travel to the continent in the same way the Channel Tunnel has for those living in London and SE. It's going to be time consuming and inconvenient to have to change trains in London which is a massive missed opportunity that had the potential to move huge numbers of travellers from air to train.

Kazzyhoward · 13/01/2020 11:10

Hard no to solar and wind farms. Land use for power generated is terrible.

Given population increases and all the advice/prodding to move to a vegetarian/vegan diet, it's crazy to waste potential farmland for solar power. We need all the land we can get if we are to massively increase crop production. Covering acres of flat farmland is just about as nonsensical as it gets. If it really has to be done, then the solar panels need putting on the roofs of the huge buildings like supermarkets, warehouses, etc., and on land which is difficult to farm, such as boglands, hill sides, moors, etc - not flat fields!

CountFosco · 13/01/2020 12:22

Hard no to solar and wind farms.

Wind farms and farming coexist all over the UK. The footprint of a windmill isn't that big.

ItIsWhatItIsInnit · 13/01/2020 13:06

Given population increases and all the advice/prodding to move to a vegetarian/vegan diet, it's crazy to waste potential farmland for solar power. We need all the land we can get if we are to massively increase crop production.

Not true. Vast majority of crops are currently grown to feed livestock, so if everyone went vegan, we would use less land and grow less crops.

MangoFeverDream · 13/01/2020 13:06

Wind farms and farming coexist all over the UK. The footprint of a windmill isn't that big

Maybe but the power generated is small compared to other methods. There’s increasing evidence too that they kill insects (not just birds) which has certain implications for farms. I’m just about opposed to any windmills I think they are a waste of resources honestly

Wheresthebiffer2 · 13/01/2020 13:14

I don't think I need to change - I last flew (short haul one way) eight years ago. So it's not MY footprints that are doing the damage.

BlaueLagune · 13/01/2020 13:35

It's going to be time consuming and inconvenient to have to change trains in London

Where does HS2 come into - KX or Euston? If KX it's right next to St Pancras anyway. I agree not having to change at all is better but it's not so bad if it's the same station. Eurostar was far more convenient for me when it left from Waterloo. Having to cross London is a pain and makes Heathrow or Southampton airports a much better prospect.

Kazzyhoward · 13/01/2020 14:01

Where does HS2 come into - KX or Euston?

Euston.

Doubleraspberry · 13/01/2020 14:06

At the moment I need to occasionally fly short haul for work. That will soon change. We have decided that our family will not fly for leisure purposes again. It means we will be limited in our holiday choices but I’d rather some parts of the world survived without me seeing them.