But Jonathan, Air Travel Is Bad For The Environment
Posted by carrie_roll
A member of the GreenJoyment Community sent this message after getting our 13 simple steps for going green.
One thing that bugs me a little about your article is that you like to travel – Do you know how much fuel goes into an airplain??? Maybe another good way to see the world would be hiking, cycling or dry camping??
If you really like the environment I think you would probably enjoy these things.
I wanted to share my response, because I think it’s important for people to understand, that there are varying degrees to going green. Some people will stop flying, get off the grid (whatever that means in their country), and really develop systems for making their life completely environment netural.
For other people, it will be a big step to spend $4 extra/month to start sorting their trash and have their trash company pick up their recycling.
Whatever level you choose to go to, is the point where you are at. Of course, you can always do more… the important point is that you start.
So even though we’ve done a lot of things in the past few years to make our lives more green, and continue to add more “green” things into our regular routine, here’s were we stand on the air travel issue:
Hey W,
Thank-you for your email, and for being an active contributor to the GreenJoyment community. We do know about the fuel that goes into an airplane, and agree that it’s a big polluter/major environmental impact exerted on the planet.
At the same time we have this understanding, we also know that the only really effective way to get across the ocean (currently) is in vehicles which are powered by oil.
By limiting our car travel, working from our home, and only making car trips when necessary, as well as by driving distances that many people would choose to fly instead, we feel like we actively contribute to offsetting our air travel.
We believe that the only way that true, global change can happen is if some people actually go to other places in the world to educate (and be educated, to build connections and relationships with like-minded people, and to form connections around the world.
That is one of our primary motivators in the travel that we do.
Until another method of travel is practical for traveling distances that would take days or weeks on foot or by bike (they exist, but are not widely adopted yet (Mag-Lev trains are an example)), we believe it’s more important to make these connections than to restrict air travel.
In the future, we will also own an electric car. Currently, the only one that would be viable for us in terms of distance driving is the Tesla Roadster, which isn’t viable because of the price tag it carries. But we’re getting there, and always researching the latest electric vehicles, for the time when we will purchase ours.
Have you seen the Aptera? http://www.aptera.com/
I love to hike and ride my bike. We also spent 8 days living in tents when we climbed Kilimanjaro (although we did have to take a plane to get to Africa), and we picked up the trash on Kilimanjaro on every step of the way up and down the mountain. We enjoy the outdoors in Colorado quite a bit, and when we do drive somewhere, we make a point of staying longer, so that we’re not making more trips than necessary to do the things we like to do.
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3 Responses to “But Jonathan, Air Travel Is Bad For The Environment”
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Hey Wanda! Glad you read the article, and thank-you for commenting!
We love using Skype and GoToMeeting for that very reason. But many of the connections we’ve made, and things we’ve learned, could simply not have happened without our actually being there.
But yes, I hope people (especially frequent air travelers – business people especially) do take full advantage of these services which save money, time, and the environment (i.e. web conferencing instead of flying somewhere for a meeting).
Sometimes, it’s just necessary (in today’s world) to travel by air… but when it’s possible (we’re visiting friends in Montana this week and driving there to meet them), instead of flying we will drive, or simply “meet” someone online via services like Skype and GoToMeeting.
Do you know of other services like this or know of other sites that you think could save people the environmental impact and expense of flying?
Or can anyone else reading this think of some situations where people frequently travel (using oil-powered vehicles) unnecessarily? -
I truly think the most important thing about “going green” is mentioned in this article. Find what it is that you are ready, willing and able to do and start there. You will be amazed at the domino effect it has on both yourself and others. Very few people manage to attain a perfect “green” world, completely self sustained, and eco-friendly. For those who can, I applaud them. But there are some days, when for some, just remembering to recycle is the first step.
Another way to travel over the ocean – without using fuel – is the internet – A great way to educate yourself about other countries, their customs and more – you can even chat on MSN with a live camera.