Friday, April 16, 2021
Before Covid, giving up flying was taking off. We need to get that momentum back
Interest in low-carbon living, including pledges not to fly, was high before the pandemic. After lockdown, we must not allow climate action to fall off the radar
It’s hard to remember what life was like before the pandemic hit. A year and a half ago, 2019 was drawing to a close with something like a promise. It had been the year of Greta Thunberg, Extinction Rebellion and the school climate strikes, and the momentum was with climate activism. And 2020 promised to be the year of change.
Helped by Thunberg’s yacht journey across the Atlantic, the spotlight was on aviation’s role in the climate crisis. An airline ticket is about the most carbon-heavy thing consumers can buy, and for those of us fortunate enough to be able to access air travel, our flights can quickly put us among the top polluters in the world. Continue reading...