Why Are People Choosing Not To Fly In 2019?

March, 19, 2019

All over the globe, a movement is starting. No, it’s not the fudge brownie revolution (we wish). It’s a movement to curb air travel in an effort to reduce flying-related greenhouse gas emissions. The need to end global climate change is more urgent than ever, and it’s up to all of us to do our part to reduce emissions.

Why Flying?

The world’s leading scientists say we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions significantly within the next 12 years in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change. That’s a lot of change in a very small amount of time. It’s like our planet is a big bowl of Cherry Garcia ice cream melting very quickly on a hot summer day — we need to act fast if we’re going to save those precious fudge chunks.

And air travel is one of the worst offenders when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions (you know, the gasses that get trapped in Earth’s atmosphere and cause temperatures to rise). So while you should still do what you can to be eco-friendlier at home — switch to energy efficient lightbulbs, bicycle to work, reduce your meat consumption, etc. — cutting back on air travel is one more way to make a difference in the fight against climate change.

Air travel is on the rise; it’s one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, analysts predict that aviation could constitute 50% of the UK’s carbon emissions by 2050. It has never been more important to take note of our flying habits and stay grounded as much as possible.

But Isn’t There Another Way?

But what about electric airplanes or planes that use biofuel? Surely there has to be another solution, right?

Wrong.

While there has been some movement to design electric and fossil-free airliners, it’ll be several decades before they’re flying out of your local airport. And remember how we need to cut emissions significantly within the next 12 years? We simply don’t have time to wait for plug-in planes.

Which means that the best way to tackle aviation emissions is simply to not fly. And that’s exactly what thousands of people have been doing. In Sweden, two mums started a movement to get people to commit to a No-Fly 2019. Celebrities, politicians, and ordinary folk all came on board, and the government even introduced new rules to increase the amount aviation companies pay in tax.

The idea is that once you break the habit of flying, you realize you can live without it. You discover new destinations and new ways to travel. So after the one-year pledge is up, hopefully you’ll be much less likely to get on a plane in future. The movement is spreading all over the world, and even folks in the UK are pledging to stay on the ground.

Other Ways To Travel

But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on great holidays or discovering new places. For one thing, there are plenty of places right here in Britain you can get to by train or coach that are well worth a visit. Lie on a sandy beach in Devon, get some culture in Edinburgh, or go walking in the Lake District — there are endless interesting bits of the UK to explore.

And if you would like to go abroad, trains and coaches go there too! There are plenty of websites to help you plan overland journeys to Europe (try Rome2Rio or Loco2). Plus, no more 100ml liquid limit, stressful security checks, or arriving hours before departure. You can reclaim the romance of train travel, watching the landscape change as you journey to your destination, ice cream cone in hand.

So what do you say, are you ready to stay grounded?

This blog post was written by our climate activist partners at 10:10.