May you go flight-free?
Thousands and thousands of individuals took to the skies this yr, as COVID restrictions and testing guidelines lastly eased.
It’s excellent news for households and associates who had been cut up up by border closures – however it’s dangerous information for the planet.
An economic system class return flight from London to New York emits round 1.48 tonnes of CO2 per passenger, in accordance with this respected carbon calculator – greater than double the common particular person in Ghana produces in a complete yr.
Shunning air journey is the one largest motion a person can take to cut back their carbon footprint. However when you’re used to flight-hopping, it may well really feel like an amazing dedication.
However individuals in all places are managing to do it – and with out the sacrifice and FOMO you may think.
Euronews Journey has spoken to 4 seasoned flight-free travellers who’ve both minimize out flying or decreased it fully – and nonetheless have superb journey experiences.
Right here’s how one can observe of their carbon free footsteps.
Magdalena Heuwieser, co-founder of Keep Grounded
Magdalena Heuwieser is enthusiastic about local weather justice in aviation.
In Europe, hopping on a flight feels just like the norm. However that’s an phantasm – round 9 out of each ten individuals on the earth have by no means been on a airplane.
Appalled by this flight inequality, Heuwieser co-founded ‘Keep Grounded’ in 2016.
The community is the umbrella for greater than 170 campaigning initiatives world wide.
Have you ever stopped flying fully?
“I finished flying in 2014 as a result of I figured that it most likely is not the perfect factor to do for the local weather. I did not know numbers again then, however it simply felt unusual to be chargeable for so many emissions. I am fortunate to have my household round me – I can attain them inside a couple of hours by prepare.”
Stand-out flight free journey?
“For some years now I needed to go to a detailed good friend on the Canary Islands, however with out flying there. So this spring, whereas pregnant, I took an extended break from work (utilizing collected over-hours and holidays). It took me 4 days to get to Gran Canaria by prepare and ferry. I actually loved the journey! I spent three weeks visiting my good friend and discovering the island, after which took much more time for my manner again, visiting associates alongside the best way in Portugal, Spain and France.”
What’s your recommendation to individuals who need to scale back flying in 2023?
“I would ask myself twice: Is that this actually a visit I have to take? Cannot I take holidays nearer to the place I can get to by prepare? We have now so many stunning spots round… might I take extra holidays in a row in order that the journey could be completed by local weather pleasant means? Travelling means having fun with the journey, not solely the vacation spot.”
Catherine Livesley, former frequent flyer and founding father of No Fly Journey Membership
Catherine Livesley was an ultra-frequent flyer, flying each few weeks for her busy job within the journey sector.
However when COVID hit, she was furloughed – and realised she was fully burnt out.
“It was the break I wanted to re-evaluate,” she says.
“Slowing down gave me the prospect to see my way of life from a brand new perspective.”
She based the No Fly Journey Membership, an organisation devoted to fostering sustainable journey.
“Greater than three brief haul return flights a yr places you within the high one per cent of frequent flyers globally, and this already generates round eight per cent of the UK’s emissions,” she says.
“To be encouraging increasingly travellers into this class looks like insanity.”
Have you ever stopped flying fully?
“For the final 2 years I’ve pledged to not fly in any respect, nonetheless I’ve by no means mentioned I will not ever fly once more. This yr I will be travelling to South Africa to see household – one thing I believed lengthy and exhausting about. Nonetheless I nonetheless will not fly inside Europe (the place trains can be utilized as a substitute) and lengthy haul journeys will now be a really occasional funding for me each 5 years or so.
I might by no means choose anybody for flying or create blanket judgements for when it is acceptable to fly. That’s a person resolution. I might simply hope that folks cease to consider what they’re doing and why, whether or not they actually *want* that flight or whether or not there may be another.”
What’s your recommendation to individuals who need to scale back flying in 2023?
“If your organization is beginning to take sustainability critically, they might be keen to allow you to attend occasions nearly, or to journey by various means the place potential.
There may be additionally a scheme known as Local weather Perks the place group members can achieve two additional days or vacation in the event that they select a low carbon technique of transport.
I might after all advocate individuals take a look at Noflytravel. There are additionally traditional assets like Man in Seat 61 and Interrail.eu that are all the time useful.”
Anna Hughes, the veteran flight-free traveller and founding father of Flight Free UK
Anna Hughes give up flying lengthy earlier than ‘flight disgrace’ turned mainstream.
In 2009, the passionate biking vacationer and traveller had two lengthy haul journeys booked to China and Tanzania.
Then she watched ‘The Age of Silly’ – an documentary that questions humanity’s blind destruction of the planet.
“It actually affected me. I realised it is really quite a bit greater and quite a bit worse than I believed. And I have to do much more,” she says.
“I cancelled each of my flights, and that was it.”
She’s the founder and director of Flight Free UK. Yearly, hundreds of individuals signal the organisation’s signature ‘pledge’ and promise to surrender flying for a yr.
Have you ever stopped flying fully? Will you fly once more?
“I personally will by no means get on a airplane once more. The identical resolution received’t work for everyone, however even when they get midway there or a part of the best way there it’ll make an enormous distinction.
The IPCC recommends that to fulfill our decarbonisation targets we must always exceed not more than 2.3 tonnes of carbon every, per yr. So one flight might expend that whole allowance.
Stand out flight free journeys?
“You do not have to journey far afield to have a real journey expertise. My journey of a lifetime was cycling across the coast of Britain. All the things that you simply journey for – to search out your self, to find out about new cultures, to see new landscapes, to only have a break – I had all of that in that journey. We’re additionally extremely fortunate to have Europe proper on our doorstep.
What’s your recommendation to individuals who need to scale back flying in 2023?
“You can take our flight-free pledge to not take a flight for a yr. Sure, giving up flying could be exhausting. It’s a sacrifice for some individuals. Nevertheless it could possibly be the perfect decision you ever make.”
Flight Free UK additionally supply a ‘free alternative’ pledge, which you’ll be able to customise to your individual way of life – so you possibly can hand over flying for six months, or decide to taking only one flight this yr. On the opposite finish of the spectrum, you possibly can pledge to by no means fly once more.
Sunita Soundur, Social Media Supervisor at Flight Free UK
Sunita was flying from a younger age. Her mother and father are from Mauritius, a tiny island practically 10,000 km – and 12 flying hours – from the UK.
“It’s very stunning, however there’s little choice to get there with out flying,” she says.
“I used to be flying from the age of three, then as I received older flying out of my very own alternative. In my early 20s I used to be a frequent flyer – although I by no means considered myself as a frequent flyer. It’s very straightforward to think about it as a standard exercise within the UK.
Then in 2016, she logged her actions in a carbon calculator.
“I used to be appalled… I made a private resolution to not take a couple of flight a yr,” she says.
“I used to be a type of individuals who was like ‘I’m unsure I can’t fly in any respect’, however that appeared manageable.”
After some time, flying turned “much less fascinating.” As of 2022, Sunita hasn’t flown for 4 years.
Have you ever stopped flying fully? Will you fly once more?
“I didn’t suppose I might do 4 years – however one yr is manageable, it’s a brief time period dedication. Now it’s 4 years on and I haven’t taken a flight.
“I do have household in Mauritius. And so that’s to be sincere, for me, the one cause I might get on a airplane. Does it imply I am going be getting on a airplane to Mauritius yearly? No, after all not. It’s been eight years since I have been again.
What’s your recommendation to individuals who need to scale back flying in 2023?
“Taking Flight Free UK’s pledge is a very good concept. I feel lots of people are fairly apprehensive about it, or hesitant about taking it, they usually’re unsure they will do it. However they really are usually fairly pleasantly shocked. There are such a lot of superb journey alternatives that don’t require flight.
Do you need to go fully flight free?
For some individuals, going fully flight free isn’t an possibility. You will have to journey for work, or to go to sick kinfolk on the opposite aspect of the world.
However any discount within the variety of flights that you simply take is a optimistic step.
