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.

I don't think anyone is talking about the people who have to visit family, or people who want to go on a holiday every year/ other year

@Oliversmumsarmy so your solution to global warming would be to let people continue to fly but ask people to live in soulless undecorated houses that have nothing but the bare essentials?

Why not?

It is the people in a house that give it soul. Not a wall hanging saying Bath in the bathroom or ornaments on a windowsill

Tree planting won't reverse climate change, it won't even mitigate existing emissions levels.

Flights are not a human right, neither are overseas holidays, or holidays of any sort.
How quickly we have become entitled, eh.

I don't think it's old people saying it. If anything it's the opposite - e.g. the Greta Thunbergs.

As a professional driver though, I would say that people are often very unaware of many things which have a huge effect. For example, I frequently have to tip literally tons and tons of recyclables (paper/plastic etc) in landfill because of businesses mixing up their general waste and recycling. Often it's basic misunderstanding like thinking any plastic can go in the recycling container, rather than just bottles and cans etc. Any wood, metal, foam, pvf, etc gets in my load by mistake and whole lot is deemed contaminated.

Single biggest issue is probably black bags in the recycling and even hospitals, unis and schools are doing this a lot when these types of big organisation should know better. Worst is when they go to the trouble of segregating it all and then put it in black bags. Due to customer complaints our policy has changed and I can't leave contaminated waste like I could before. I have to collect it all which means that a few black bags from a nursery can literally cause me to tip ten tons of recycling into landfill! This costs £200k annually of lost revenue from recyclables at just our depot - at say £100 value for a massive bale think how much waste that is!

I'm not allowed to rip open the black sacks even if I know they contain recycling due to the risk of needles etc. We are basically causing massive waste just to avoid annoying customers who can't be arsed to recycle properly. Previously they would send out a general waste truck to collect - at say 8mpg fuel consumption that's an incredibly wasteful unnecessary journey and when scaled up nationally is a huge environmental issue. Previously the customer would be charged for the extra collection which I think is fair.

Flights are not a human right, neither are overseas holidays, or holidays of any sort

Aviation companies are willing to offer me a seat on a plane for a reasonable price, why do you feel entitled to stop me?

Don’t say climate change because as I’ve said, the industry is 2.5% of global emissions, so it will hardly make a difference.

Flights are not a human right, neither are overseas holidays, or holidays of any sort.

Ihaventgottimeforthis So? If they’re selling them, I’m buying them.

I feel you OP. I'm early twenties and only been abroad twice. I want to see the world just like so many others already have.

@Oliversmumsarmy but where do you draw the line? do we say each household should only have one table and only enough chairs for the people living in it. Only the number of plates and cups as there is people, baths are now limited to once a week to save hot water and energy, no electronics such as tv, no laptop/tablet or tv all produced in China and not an essential, no books (again think of carbon footprint producing those and the trees). Would it not just make more sense for people to fly slightly less

Would it not just make more sense for people to fly slightly less

Would it not make more sense to let people decide how they will consume? I live in a smaller home and don’t own a car; this is so I can have the funds to travel long haul 5-6 times a year

The 'it's only a drop in the ocean' people, most things are only a drop in the ocean, but if it does something should it not be done to help in some way? If everyone sings to that hymn sheet nothing would ever get done!!!

If it’s only a drop in the ocean there’s no point in voting either as almost no election comes down to one vote anyway

I am 33 and have never owned a passport nor been abroad. I would love to do so some day but it would be a luxury, not a necessity so yea yabu as this planet and the future for our descendants is more important than the over indulgence that has been happening for the last few decades.

The 'it's only a drop in the ocean' people, most things are only a drop in the ocean, but if it does something should it not be done to help in some way?

The point is that even if you cut all flights forever (not happening) you will achieve a negligible reduction that’s essentially meaningless. So why push for it?

If it’s only a drop in the ocean there’s no point in voting either as almost no election comes down to one vote anyway

All votes add up to 100%. All flight add up to 2.5%. Not an apt comparison

We actually should fly less, sorry. Just because you flew a lot doesn't mean that it isn't environmentally wasteful. It is.

Being someone who loves travel, but hasn’t flown a great deal in my life, I have some sympathy. However, if you’ve gotten to your 20s without realising that life isn’t fair, you’ve still got some growing up to do. By your reasoning, nothing can ever change. If you want to get pissed off about something, maybe choose a topic like housing, where older generations have not only fucked your generation, but are too blind to see it (and would be pleased if the fucking carried on forever more).

You can’t have it both ways, the young are claiming credit for reducing air quality etc. Flying is one of the main culprits.

How is flying one of the main culprits when it only accounts for 2-3% of the problem.

lovepickledlimes

Not bothered about how many times people shower or have the heating on but I have described my house before.

It is quite bare of things. We like it like that.
Even dc find it strange how much stuff is on people’s walls and windowsills and wonder what it is there for.

I'm just saying the attitude of the OP is very entitled, if we end up not being able to take flights for holidays or non-essential business, it's no contravention of anyone's rights.

Of course I can't stop anyone taking flights, or pointless car journeys, or wasting energy, or building crappy homes, or messing up their recycling.

It's why we're in the situation we are and we have fucked over future generations with regards to the climate.
Stupid bloody selfish human nature. Most people are absolute greedy shits.

@Oliversmumsarmy but where do you draw the line? do we say each household should only have one table and only enough chairs for the people living in it. Only the number of plates and cups as there is people, baths are now limited to once a week to save hot water and energy, no electronics such as tv, no laptop/tablet or tv all produced in China and not an essential, no books (again think of carbon footprint producing those and the trees). Would it not just make more sense for people to fly slightly less

Limiting the number of bathrooms to say 2 per dwelling?

I absolutely love our U.K. holidays but the cost does need to be addressed. We rented a cottage in the U.K. for February half term. It was a nice cottage, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, well equipped etc. It cost around £1100. In August we have a gite in France booked. We have been before it is lovely. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, private heated pool, massive kitchen, large grounds all just for us. That cost £1000 per week. In February it costs HALF what we paid for the U.K. cottage!

but where do you draw the line? do we say each household should only have one table and only enough chairs for the people living in it. Only the number of plates and cups as there is people

Not quite but I do know people buy too many things.

Everyone I know has wardrobes of clothes that they never use, cupboard upon cupboard of kitchenalia that only see the light of day when they come to move or do a spring clean.
Windowsills and walls with ornaments and pictures

I have what gets used daily or weekly or at least monthly.
Whilst it might be lovely to make ice cream from scratch. I am a realist. It is never going to happen so the ice cream maker will stay on the shelf. It is another thing I don’t have to wipe down once per year

I look at ornaments and pictures as just another thing to dust

I am conflicted about this but, in principle, I have to agree that we should all be flying less (and I have travelled a lot all my life and still want to, not least because I have a tiny property in Greece to go and see). I am certainly going to try to take less flights in the future. It does not mean that everyone will stop flying ALTOGETHER but we have really been doing it far too often. No-one is saying (I think) that you can never in your life fly at all because of climate change. I do think that gap year people (who have more time at their disposal for their trips) could look into doing more of it by train/bus than 'plane (not sure how that works out climate-damage wise though). Yes, my generation were luckier as no-one thought about that sort of thing and we went to a lot of places so it does not seem fair to you but life is not fair - there are lots of situations in life where others are or have been more fortunate than oneself - it is just how it is. Rather than letting these inequalities fester away in you, you just have to make the most of the opportunities that are available to you and enjoy life as much as possible.