To be pissed off at people who constantly say we need to fly less?

[lockdowncockdown]

I'm probably going to get flamed for this but here goes. Am I being unreasonable to be annoyed by the people who constantly say 'well, we need to fly less anyway'. Well, yes that's ok for you to say at 40/50 years old after you've spent the last 20 years flying all over the world and brandishing yourself as ' well travelled' and cultured. What about those of us in our early twenties like me who has been abroad four times in my whole life, not even to anywhere particularly exciting and I'm just about to finish university and was hoping to finally be able to travel a bit? It's ok to spout nonsense about flying less when you've been lucky and already had your experiences but I find it very hypocritical to want to deny others the same experiences that you were lucky enough to have.

There are benefits and disadvantages to being of any generation. We can all make a list of evidence that we got the shitty end of the stick. The truth is that there are a myriad sticks and picking three or four to moan about is ridiculous.

If you've only flown four times in 20 years, you can still fly consideraly more more and be flying considerably less often than many others.

Being annoyed at facts doesn't make them any less true

I know what you mean, there has been a period of the last 10-20 years where flying has been affordable. But as someone said upthread there’s always things that are better and worse for different generations.

I’d introduce rationing of airmiles . Everyone gets an allocation every year which they can save up. If they don’t want them they can sell them

I think it should take into an account overall emissions of the person🤔 So it's fairer? Like if for example someone wants to vroom around in massive diesel 4x4 and I would drive hybrid that someone should get less miles. Ifyswim

How do you get from UK to go and the gorillas in Rwanda and back in a two week Easter holiday?

Oh yes, think of the millions of parents suddenly unable to take their DC to Rwanda over the Easter holidays. You realise how out of touch that makes you sound?

I think, if we want to help prevent climate change, we will all have to think about travel differently. Less trips, perhaps one long holiday instead.

I haven't done much travel in my life so far and am looking at it this way. OP climate change hasn't just been from flights, but from burning of coal. I think perhaps look at it in a different way.

Rwanda is one example because we went 2 years ago. It pretty much goes for any place out of of Europe.

YANBU, we are solely on this earth to clear up the mess made by the older generation didn't you know? Killed the planet so it's up to us to save it, massive pensions - up to us to pay them, killed the economy, the housing market and still making huge decisions like brexit for us. We have so much to look forward to!

On the other side of the coin, woman can now vote, and we are free to speak our minds... not under Nazi rule... all thanks to previous generations.

We didn't fuck up anybody's future, we shaped it, for good and bad, just like every generation did before us...

If you want to see more of the future as you say, you need to support a reduction in carbon emissions and aviation is one of the worst culprits in this equation

False. Aviation is only responsible for 2-3% of global carbon emissions. Hardly one of the ‘worst culprits’

Just go abroad while you still can.

Everyone here can say yabu and that we need to save the planet. These are the sane people who a month ago were upset about missing out on their holiday abroad later this year thanks to covid.

The older generation that tell you not to fly to save the planet? They think nothing of jumping onto a cruise once a year, which are very environmentally damaging.

The flights will still happen, whether or not you are on them. Because there will be other people on them. And we have screwed up the planet so badly we can't reverse it now. Look at the littering people are still doing during covid, dropping gloves and masks in supermarket carparks. Look at the fly tipping. Someone dropped two tvs into Loch ness. I'd hazard a guess none of the other lakes in Britain are doing any better.

We can't save this planet. You've got 7 billion people on it. The majority don't give a crap about saving it. Really, the majority are focused on living day to day. We are too far gone to save it. Eventually, humanity will probably die out, and that's just life I'm afraid.

Enjoy it while you can.

If you want to travel cheaply and have plenty of time

Before the virus

Megabus, cheapest if you book in advance
Or train with a discount card
Sleep on the overnight bus or train, it saves on paying for accommodation

Same not sane. Damn phone autocorrect.

Omg - that sounds like a plan but would be more difficult to implement.
Emz- sounds like you’ve already used up your allocation of air miles for the foreseeable . Children don’t need to go on safari . Get a grip !

I disagree with the OP.

We may not have much option in the next few years in any case given the loss of airlines or reduction in flights.

Of course they don’t need to go on a safari - but I won’t be made to feel guilty about taking them.

Well, in terms of fossil fuel, the power stations for this country should have been upgraded years ago, would have saved a lot of carbon. There was a plan some years ago to build a number of nuclear reactors that would have enabled decommissioning a number of the fossil fuel burners. But it never happened.

Big mistake, I think, we could have had more power available by now, emitting less carbon. And if anyone can ever get nuclear fusion sorted, that would be a game changer.

Of course they don’t need to go on a safari - but I won’t be made to feel guilty about taking them.

I think you are an incredibly selfish person.

I’m selfish for taking my kids on holiday? I mean really?

I spend a lot each year offsetting my flights with trees planted and rainforest protected.
Could the OP do that and travel? Maybe it is the same amount of travel but people have to offset - no choice....

I understand what you are saying, but you can still travel and see the world without flying! There are some great long-haul adventures to be had by train and boat. Humans have traveled quite prodigiously for thousands of years, long before the invention of aircraft. We are actually planning to do more of this as a family anyway because the journey itself becomes part of the fun.

OP, have you stamped up the stairs now and slammed your bedroom door?

Emz- you’re one of the people who would benefit most from Rationing . Then you could see how normal people live . Those doing the mw jobs and saving for a week in one of the Costas every couple of years .
Increasing the prices of flights doesn’t affect those using them the most .

I don’t have a massive issue with a price increase - and think after this there probably will be one.

My point to the OP was that the last decade it’s never been easier or cheaper to travel.

You shouldn’t feel guilty at all for taking them . They are very fortunate. However moving forward , a more fairer system would be to ration airmiles . You can still have your safari type holiday - just not every year !