No holidays - carbon footprint

[Teacherbee85]

I've noticed recently whenever anyone posts about flying to go on holiday they tend to get jumped on by people saying it's bad for the environment.

I don't think I know any of these people in real life - everyone I know goes on holiday at least twice a year.

But on mumsnet a lot of people seem to have stopped due to environmental reasons.

If this is you, when did you make the decision? How do you deal with family and friends who so still choose to fly regularly?

That’s not true of us or our friends that don’t fly. I never travelled - had to work Uni holidays to fund myself so no travel for me. Grew up poor so cheap camping holidays in UK. I am now much better off and could afford to travel and feel a definite sense of loss that I won’t get to go to some of my bucket list places now. It makes me quite sad actually. But, I can’t waste that much carbon on something that I don’t I need, when I know that our decisions collectively are already killing people. I just can’t add to that.

Me and my partner don’t go on holidays abroad. A few factors but one of them is for environmental reasons. I don’t tend to shout about with friends and family though so doubt many people in our life know this. I just say I prefer holidays in the U.K. without going into the reasons why. My dad is a prolific traveler. Him and his wife go abroad several times a year, every month possibly.

With EVs, even with the battery issue, over their lifespan they are less carbon heavy than ICE cars. I looked into it in depth. If the battery is made using renewables (Scandinavian batteries) then they outstrip ICE cars quite quickly. If you use renewable energy to power it, it’s better too. But even with Chinese made batteries using coal power, all the production carbon and environmental impact and not powering it with renewables, it’s still better than ICE.

I get that. I want to see the world to. But if seeing it also means wrecking it and people dying, I just can’t justify it.

In my most recent job 33 days plus bank holidays - but some of those trips were when I had less. Done with a mix of careful date planning to maximise the value of bank holidays, unpaid leave, working during part of the trip, and travelling between jobs.

Unfortunately all those shut down because of Covid and very few have restarted. None of the long distance, cross ocean ones.

But if they need the employees to fly as part of their job, they will want them to use the fastest way possible so they can be back in the office.

My company (investment sector) has just introduced a train where possible policy for European flights. They're happy to cover the cost of extra hotels and loss of productivity (although we’re all used to remote working so it’s not a huge deal).

They've also introduced two extra days a year for our holiday allowance if employees choose to take the train instead of flying to their holiday destination if they agree to work 80% of the time (but are excused if they have kids to look after).

I like taking the train to Europe but I still fly on holiday at least once a year.

Most of you on this thread are far better humans than me.

I love travelling and going on holiday abroad by plane several times a year - it's one of the things in my life that brings me the most joy.

I won't ever give it up I don't think.

But hunking hotels made of metal aren't supposed to float...!!

Well you are in a very fortunate position to be able to take unpaid leave and still be able to afford your holiday…..also fortunate to be able to work part of your trip…..also fortunate that you can pick and choose when you take your leave to incorporate a bank holiday……and I image you don’t have to take big chunks of leave to care for your children in the holidays? …..unfortunately for the rest us of none of this is the case…..time is more prescious….. so we fly

Can’t wait to see these policies start in the NHS.

I haven't flown for 20 years and my DH has never flown. I don't think a 'holiday' has to mean flying - that idea is as annoying as people who describe a holiday in your home country as a 'staycation'.

Like the OP, I don't think I know anyone who doesn't fly because of their carbon footprint, I've only ever seen it on here! I suspect in many cases people are taking the opportunity to virtue signal while hiding the real reason they don't fly, such as they're scared of flying, can't afford it, have no-one to go with, not interested etc. I agree it's perfectly possible to go abroad without flying and I have done so (Paris by Eurostar for example - easier & more enjoyable) and I too enjoy my UK holidays as much as some of the foreign ones. However, life's too short and I won't limit myself and will go where I want and how I want for as long as I have the time, health & money. For example, Australia from the UK without flying would be a challenge to say the least!

Holidays away from home are not a human right and despite what people here seem to think they are not essential to your well being or your development // your children's as a human

Even if your holiday is costing family abroad that's still not a right

They are a treat , great fun, they can be an easy way to have a break from work, the can be an easy to way to learn about other countries and cultures

And in many cases harmful - be it driving up housing costs for the locals , making it
Difficult for them to manage the water supply , destroying the very beauty of the place with hotels and facilities , or contributing to climate change which will kill millions in the next few years

I don’t talk about it in real life because it seems to piss people off. I love take off on a plane. I don’t like long plane journeys as I find them boring and I like fresh air but I’d happily put up with that to see some of the places in the world that I’ve never seen but would love to. I can afford it. Easily. I don’t fly because I’ve made the link between my carbon out put and people dying. Now I know the facts I can’t I know them. I wish I was ignorant to it all in a way and I could just go for the trips I’d like to and have that joy. But I can’t. Not now I know. But I get joy from discovering new places closer to home too. There is so much of Europe I’m still to discover.

Very true. A new thing to ponder.

Well, you're a better person than me! I can only afford to fly once or twice a year, but if I could afford more I would as I want to see as much of the world as I can before I die......

Agreed!
Everyone i know is taking trips on planes left right and centre.

I average around 20k miles a year in my daily car and a further 4-5K more in my weekend toy, same for my partner and his cars.
We holiday via plane annually and do driving holidays a lot (where we take a car each!) Plus all the miles i do in my horse lorry. The environment never even enters my thoughts, never mind stops me doing anything i love.
I will never have children though, so maybe i offset it that way, but even if i don't, i'm not going to stop.

I know people who don't fly at all and instead use ferries and trains (easier if you live in the south of England than Northern Scotland when it's a day's travel to London nevermind the Eurostar journey). I do fly but only once every 5 - 10 years. I would never take an internal flight within the UK.

I think my biggest carbon footprint is my poorly insulated 1960s house, though. And my carniverous pet.

I fly 6 or 7 times a year, it's what I live for. But I only have one child which I think is probably one of the best things anyone can do for the planet. I also don't drive.

The best thing you can do is to keep your overall carbon footprint really low

And I doubt you are doing that

Saying I could be worse isn't much to shout home about is it?

Globally the UK compare well in terms of carbon emissions so unfortunately what we do is of little consequence, but of course any cuts we make are good cuts. And of course momentum is key, if we all cut SOMETHING it adds up.

I fly all the time for work and pleasure and also because my family live abroad however I don't own a car, never have, always walk, cycle and take public transport and haven't eaten meat for 25 years. My mental health would struggle too much to stay in the UK all the time and as a single parent I can't yet afford to take us all on long train journeys but would love to do this as well as flying.

I do know a couple of families that have taken train holidays to Europe for environmental reasons and enjoyed it but also found it expensive and the next year have ended up flying instead. During school holiday times it is definitely a much more expensive option.

Aircraft and cruise ships fly/float because they are designed along scientific and engineering principles that enable them to do so. They aren’t defying the laws of the universe!

I love going on holiday. We had a long period when we couldn’t travel much because of elderly parent caring responsibilities and we also had an elderly dog we wouldn,t put in kennels or ask anyone else to look after. But since my retirement I’ve seen more of the world than I had in my whole life before. We do fly cruises which will horrify some people, but we love them. They can be combined with a city break either end. They are small ships not the hulking great resort ships which I hate. We are currently on a cottage holiday in Scotland, had a week in Wester Ross and a week in Skye, then catching a ferry to NI and spending a few days there, then driving to Dublin and a few days there, then ferry back to Holyhead and couple of nights in North Wales before driving home.

We are childless and live a modest lifestyle apart from our holidays.

We have cut right down on holidays abroad for environmental reasons. Have flown once in 15 years. Holiday in the UK.

We're not perfect; eat less meat and dairy but haven't given it up, try to buy second hand/repair stuff but still buy new sometimes, drive less often but still have a petrol car etc.

I don't tend to talk about it in RL because I don't want to sound preachy. It's not all or nothing though, doing a little bit is better than doing nothing.