Take train or bus instead of plane
Earth Points80 
EaseAmbitious
Summary
Air travel contributes significantly to global warming. You can make a difference by opting for trains or buses, saving money, reducing pollution, and inspiring others to follow suit.
Description
The aviation sector is a growing contributor to global warming that is being caused by a relatively small number. Ninety percent of the world’s population has never set foot on a plane. So, if you travel by plane, one of the most important actions you can take to address the climate emergency is to reduce your air travel.
Reducing air travel is even more important given forecasts that the sector will grow wildly unless the world wakes up to the danger. By 2050, air travel is on track to take up a quarter of the world’s remaining carbon emissions budget (i.e. the amount of pollution we need to stay under to stabilize the temperature of the planet and guarantee our future prosperity).
Taking a train or bus instead of a plane reduces your footprint, saves money, and also reduces air pollution. And, most importantly, your leadership sends a powerful message to others to reduce flying and lowers the incentive of airlines to fly more and more planes.
Reducing air travel is even more important given forecasts that the sector will grow wildly unless the world wakes up to the danger. By 2050, air travel is on track to take up a quarter of the world’s remaining carbon emissions budget (i.e. the amount of pollution we need to stay under to stabilize the temperature of the planet and guarantee our future prosperity).
Taking a train or bus instead of a plane reduces your footprint, saves money, and also reduces air pollution. And, most importantly, your leadership sends a powerful message to others to reduce flying and lowers the incentive of airlines to fly more and more planes.
Tips
We know that adopting a new behavior is challenging, especially when it is something you have been accustomed to. Here are some tips to support your journey. We are all in this together!
• Depending on the distance, taking a train or bus might be faster and more relaxing than taking a plane. You avoid the hassle of airport security and the need to get to the airport extra early. Plus seats on trains and buses are generally larger and comfier.
• It is often easier to get work done on a train or bus. Connecting to the internet is generally better. If you have an important reading or report to prepare, experiment working in this less distracted "office" environment.
• Just like websites that search multiple airlines to find the best deals, the same type of websites exist for train and bus travel.
• If you take a longer trip, you might surprise yourself with the benefits of the slower travel. Try taking a window seat and giving yourself permission to enjoy the beautiful scenery on the way: the natural landscape or the cities that you will pass by. This could be a stimulating period for self-reflection.
• Of course, remember to bring your earplugs to avoid distracting noise.
Be inspired by your fellow leaders who are adopting this new behavior and are helping catalyze systemic change:
o Experts think the decline in domestic flights in Germany and Sweden is due to growing awareness of the climate crisis.
o Professor Kimberly Nicholas of Lund University in Sweden is dedicated to reducing air travel, as one of the actions that would have the greatest impact on an individual’s carbon footprint.
o Dr. Peter Kalmus, climate scientist, author, and a co-founder of the Earth Hero app, also started the NoFlyClimateSci initiative.
• Depending on the distance, taking a train or bus might be faster and more relaxing than taking a plane. You avoid the hassle of airport security and the need to get to the airport extra early. Plus seats on trains and buses are generally larger and comfier.
• It is often easier to get work done on a train or bus. Connecting to the internet is generally better. If you have an important reading or report to prepare, experiment working in this less distracted "office" environment.
• Just like websites that search multiple airlines to find the best deals, the same type of websites exist for train and bus travel.
• If you take a longer trip, you might surprise yourself with the benefits of the slower travel. Try taking a window seat and giving yourself permission to enjoy the beautiful scenery on the way: the natural landscape or the cities that you will pass by. This could be a stimulating period for self-reflection.
• Of course, remember to bring your earplugs to avoid distracting noise.
Be inspired by your fellow leaders who are adopting this new behavior and are helping catalyze systemic change:
o Experts think the decline in domestic flights in Germany and Sweden is due to growing awareness of the climate crisis.
o Professor Kimberly Nicholas of Lund University in Sweden is dedicated to reducing air travel, as one of the actions that would have the greatest impact on an individual’s carbon footprint.
o Dr. Peter Kalmus, climate scientist, author, and a co-founder of the Earth Hero app, also started the NoFlyClimateSci initiative.
Additional Resources
https://www.theccc.org.uk/publications/
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/research-centres-and-groups/icept/Behav-Change-report_10.10.19_Final-for-upload.pdf
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/07/boeing-ceo-80-percent-of-people-never-flown-for-us-that-means-growth.html
https://peterkalmus.net/books/read-by-chapter-being-the-change/being-the-change-chapter-10-slow-travel/
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/german-swedish-flight-shame-train-environment/
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/a-hard-look-in-the-climate-mirror/
https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_chapter8.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/climate/air-travel-emissions.html
https://doi.org/10.1088%2F1748-9326%2Faa7541
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/research-centres-and-groups/icept/Behav-Change-report_10.10.19_Final-for-upload.pdf
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/07/boeing-ceo-80-percent-of-people-never-flown-for-us-that-means-growth.html
https://peterkalmus.net/books/read-by-chapter-being-the-change/being-the-change-chapter-10-slow-travel/
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/german-swedish-flight-shame-train-environment/
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/a-hard-look-in-the-climate-mirror/
https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_chapter8.pdf
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/climate/air-travel-emissions.html
https://doi.org/10.1088%2F1748-9326%2Faa7541
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Photo Credit
Photo by Josh Nezon on Unsplash