This time of year, airlines and travel companies are frantically pushing cheap flights and holidays to pad out their annual revenue. However, what is this costing the environment?
Why do we need sustainable flying alternatives?
The aviation industry is responsible for 5% of global warming. As a result of this, and the repercussions that this will lead to, the “flight shame” movement has emerged. This plays on the guilt of flying, particularly short-haul, when it is having such a detrimental impact on the planet.
So, any suggestions?
Naturally, to be a more sustainable traveller, the first thing that springs to mind is to stay local and avoid flying.
Adopting a ‘slow travel’ attitude was certainly how Greta Thunberg managed her trans-Atlantic journey in 2019. Choosing to sail from the UK to New York on a 14-day trip to attend a climate summit, Thunberg’s climate-neutral journey was praised by climate activists. However, sailor Nikki Henderson (who accopanied Greta) mentions the impracticality of it, and how “more sustainable options” need to be made available to the “everyday person”.
If ‘slow travel’ doesn’t float your boat (ha!), new high-speed rail lines have been shown to reduce aviation transport on the same routes by as much as 80%.
See also: Why You Should Travel In Your Twenties
Why is this so difficult?
Time
With limited holidays and poor holiday pay rates, arranging time off work and school is hard enough. Two extra days holiday to catch the train to France instead of flying would be difficult for a lot of people. And as amazing as the experience would be, it’s already evident that not everyone can commandeer a crew in two days and undertake a three-week trans-Atlantic flight.
Money
Even if you did sail, or wanted to catch the train, it is often more expensive. On a festive trip from Cardiff to Edinburgh, not only was it going to take me 21 hours by train, but it was also going to be triple the price of an 80-minute flight. As a student, getting the time and the money simply wasn’t doable.
Practicality
The bottom line is, slow travel is rarely a practical option, although many would like it to be. Luggage, time, finances, travelling with elderly relatives or young children, the list goes on.
It is time now, to put pressure on the government to create more sustainable travel options. If we don’t, our planet will suffer.
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