To ask you to swerve vacations abroad on airplanes

[Happyone99]

Inspired by https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5433252-to-ask-you-to-swerve-shein-temu?page=24

As mentioned above, I personally don’t use Shein or Temu because they ARE terrible. However, why only change bad things lower income people happen to be involved with, rather than starting with things higher income people are involved with

Slave labour and poor working conditions are indeed terrible. So is the climate crisis, exacerbated by rich people flying on airplanes for vacations, and poor people in low-lying countries like Bangladesh suffer worst environmental consequences

Who are responsible for the most emissions and who are suffering the most?

You are not being unreasonable to ask, no.

Thanks, I am just genuinely curious to see what people think

YANBU. You don't need to get on a plane to enjoy a lovely foreign holiday. 2018 was the last time I flew and since then all our family holidays have been ferry/ drive or Interrailing.

Maybe in the future I will consider a flight if I want to go travelling in South America or something, but it's not necessary for Europe.

No thanks

@Hoppinggreen mind explaining why please

Lol

It’s not people going on annual holidays that are the main problem. It’s regular flyers.

If they stop, I might consider it.

I like going abroad and a plane is the fastest way

YANBU - we travelled by train rather than plane last summer holiday (to Europe) for this reason.

So your joy is more important than other people’s suffering?

It’s not really a case of who is the worst and who is to blame. We can’t control other countries’ emissions for example. All you can do is control what you do and what sort of life balance you are happy with. Personally the more someone preaches to me and tells me not to do something, the more I’m inclined to go against it, but I’m very contrary!!

i generally buy second hand clothes, keep my home energy use to a minimum, use public transport where possible, buy local and in season produce where I can. Often we take holidays via the train, but we are lucky as we live in London so it’s easy for us to use the train go international transport. But, I don’t feel constantly guilty about flying. I enjoy travelling abroad and it really enriches mine and my family’s life.

YANBU to ask.

Have you also asked the billionaires, businesses and high net worth people using private planes like cars for high frequency, short flights?

Not something I'll be avoiding. I live abroad and would like to see my family a few more times, before we make our second international move and will be even further away.

I avoid unnecessary consumption where I can and will never shop from those shite hole retailers (but can understand why some people need to do so some of the time). I replace my reconditioned smart phone every 7/8 years - or when I inevitably drop it down the loo, which ever comes sooner). We drive one car between us. Only have one child. So yes generally do everything I can to reduce my carbon footprint.

If I want to go on a plane one a year for a holiday I will feel no guilt about it.

So yes I think YABU

Business travel for in person meetings that could be a VC are what bother me. I’ve booked hundreds over the years (for others). Mostly long haul too. I don’t take issue with holidays.

Nah. Emissions from my holidays are trivial. Also, I don't totally believe in man made climate change 😱

You can ask all you like, there's no way I'm not having my sunny holiday!

China currently produces 30% of global emissions (largely driven by coal consumption and manufacturing). Once they and the other big polluting countries get their act together I'll re-consider my travel options.

I go on a plane for holidays once a year. Fuck trying to make me feel guilty about that. Sort the regular fliers and the private jet crew out first but for now my week in October is what's getting me through the current shit weather

I love abroad holidays and won’t stop them, flights within uk etc maybe should be stopped but i wouldn’t even consider stopping flying abroad with my family to be honest

Absolutely not, I’m going long haul twice this year. There is a whole world out there and I want to see it. Why don’t you start with the super rich and their private jets?

I will be flying to my holidays a couple of times a year - I make changes in other ways, like eating local produce, driving when I have to and trying to walk when not etc.

Im not personally going to give up one thing that absolutely makes me happy like holidays whilst giant conglomerates leave office lights on in multi story skyscrapers, pollute water ways with waste disposal etc.

Especially when you look to other countries like in Asia, the amount they emit wouldn’t be cancelled by me not getting on a plane.

Ok OP, no problem.

Now, please could you stop using your device and the internet because the carbon footprint of your gadgets, the internet and the systems supporting them account for more than 4% of global greenhouse emissions. An amount that is higher than that produced by the airline industry globally and rapidly increasing year on year.

There’s a love.

Or is your convenience “more important than other people’s suffering?”

I mean that’s a hilariously sweeping statement that brings fuck all nuance to the conversation and actually is very unhelpful in this discussion

When they ban flying abroad for a half day meeting or 2 day conference - which are not only short trips but could have happened remotely - then I’ll consider giving up flying for a 2 week holiday.

Maybe if you live in the South-East!

Try living in North Scotland where the closest passenger ferry port to Europe is a 7 hour drive away and Dover is minimum non stop 10.5 hours!

For info OP the highest emissions from transport relate to cars.