BBC Science Focus - 10.2019

REALITY CHECK

passengers who f ly more, pay more. Yet so fa r,

governments a nd politicia ns a re relucta nt to go

a ny where nea r a ‘f lying ta x’ – despite t he huge

revenues that could be generated and used to fund

lower carbon transport alternatives.

The single best way to reduce one’s own carbon

footprint is to f ly less, as a growing movement of

non-flyers is finding out. I’m one of them. Having

pledged to give up flying in 2019 and 2020, I’ve found

other ways to have holidays and do international

work, even travelling by train from Southampton to

China to conduct fieldwork earlier this year. It took

almost two weeks each way, but contributed only 10

per cent of the carbon emissions of equivalent flights.

Such individual actions often seem small, but can

lead to collective change. If we want politicians to

make brave choices and regulate aviation properly,

then travellers can signal their support by skipping

f lights where possible and supporting campaigns

to tax f lying properly, rather than simply passing

the buck by buying carbon offsets.

by D R R O G E R

T Y E R S

Roger is a post-doc

research fellow at the

University of

Southampton, whose

work focuses on

consumer aitudes to

green regulation of the

aviation industry.

REALITY CHECK COMMENT

passengers who f ly more, pay more. Yet so fa r,
governments a nd politicia ns a re relucta nt to go
a ny where nea r a ‘f lying ta x’ – despite t he huge
revenues that could be generated and used to fund
lower carbon transport alternatives.
The single best way to reduce one’s own carbon
footprint is to f ly less, as a growing movement of
non-flyers is finding out. I’m one of them. Having
pledged to give up flying in 2019 and 2020, I’ve found
other ways to have holidays and do international
work, even travelling by train from Southampton to
China to conduct fieldwork earlier this year. It took
almost two weeks each way, but contributed only 10
per cent of the carbon emissions of equivalent flights.
Such individual actions often seem small, but can
lead to collective change. If we want politicians to
make brave choices and regulate aviation properly,
then travellers can signal their support by skipping
f lights where possible and supporting campaigns
to tax f lying properly, rather than simply passing
the buck by buying carbon offsets.

by D R R O G E R

T Y E R S

Roger is a post-doc

research fellow at the

University of

Southampton, whose

work focuses on

consumer aitudes to

green regulation of the

aviation industry.

COMMENT