ABC Unleashed continues to dispense helpful advice to us all from those with greater wisdom and knowledge of the world than we have.
Simon Chapman the sociologist who made his career campaigning against tobacco suggests that we all set ourselves a travel reduction target to reduce our carbon footprint. He mentions an invitation he had a couple of years ago to travel, all expenses paid, to Geneva to speak for 15 minutes at a conference. He declined because “the carbon footprint involved and the derisory speaking time”.
Now, most of us would reckon it’s a pretty dopey idea to go all that way for 15 minutes of talking, whether or not we cared about our carbon footprint. About two minutes’ thought would be enough to convince me that it was all a very foolish idea.
Long distance flights are no fun and they need a pretty good purpose before we consider putting ourselves through the discomfort and jetlag. Perhaps Chapman is getting to the age where flying has lost its excitement and is using his carbon footprint as a more worthy reason to stop than simple discomfort?
He is now sending video presentations of his thoughts instead of going there. Great idea and a good use of modern technology. Of course carbon emissions will only be reduced if airlines cut their schedules which is unlikely even if all the sociology conferences in the world are replaced with Skype chats.
Of course carbon emissions will only be reduced if airlines cut their schedules which is unlikely even if all the sociology conferences in the world are replaced with Skype chats.
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But if all the conferences in the world are replaced?
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It’s interesting isn’t it that those full of the fervour to reduce carbon footprints don’t seem to give much thought that it might precipitate the passing of an era where we could travel anywhere in the world within a day or two.
Adrien
23 Jan 10 at 11:03 am