Would you give up flying to save the environment?

Aviation has the fastest rising emissions of any industry and is in the top 10 polluters on the planet. Every flight you take massively increases your carbon footprint. Even if you take measures to live sustainably, a single flight can wipe out all other savings. 

There are many campaign groups that promote reduced flying as a lifestyle choice, but the unique thing about this campaign is the threshold of 100,000 signatures. It’s about inspiring people to feel part of a social shift.

As one person, we often feel that our individual actions don’t make a difference. What good is it us saying we won’t fly if everyone around us continues to do so? But if we can say that we are one of 100,000 who have made the same decision, then our action suddenly becomes far more powerful. 

The campaign is based on the Flygfritt movement that started in Sweden last year, which persuaded 14,500 people to take a year off flying. It has contributed to the general trend away from air travel in that country, with flight bookings down, rail bookings up, and government policy starting to reflect the climate concerns of travellers.

If we can emulate that here, and show that many people are prepared to change the way they live in a bid to save the climate, then perhaps we can influence our own Government’s policy, and industry too.

At the moment, aviation enjoys massive tax breaks, and alternative forms of transport are often prohibitively expensive. If we show there is a social movement that demands low-carbon travel, we can urge the Government to put measures in place to address this.

There are many reasons why people feel unable to give up flying – family on the other side of the world, or work commitments, for example. But there are no two ways about it: one return trans-Atlantic flight emits two tonnes of CO2.

We are told we need to limit our personal carbon footprints to between two and three tonnes annually if we are to stand any chance of avoiding climate meltdown, so that one flight uses up almost your entire allowance, and that’s before you’ve done any of the things you need to do to live, like eat, house yourself, or clothe yourself. 

Climate change is the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced, but is all too often ignored, or not associated with our lifestyle choices, and certainly, government policy does not address its urgency. We all need to take action, and change begins with us. So, think about it. One year off flying to save the planet.

Could you make the pledge to be one of the 100,000?