As the keynote speaker for the #flyingless initiative’s organizing webinar, held on Oct 27, Dr. Ruth Wood summarized several activities of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in the UK relevant for academic communities that are taking steps to reduce flying.
Wood is an author of the Tyndall Centre’s 2015 working paper, “Towards a Culture of Low-Carbon Research for the 21st Century.” In connection with its research program, the Centre has developed a travel strategy, including a code of conduct for researchers. An accompanying online travel tracker tool provides a mechanism for recording progress toward institutional goals.
“To be credible and maintain our integrity,” Wood said, “we should limit our emissions, from travel and from flying.”
In its second half, our organizing webinar also provided an opportunity for approximately 18 participants to meet each other, ask questions, share resources, and catch up on activities and efforts at universities around the world.
We discussed:
- Ways of increasing our growing list of academic supporters. Current supporters are encouraged to reach out directly to at least 2 new colleagues.
- Efforts to enhance the visibility of aviation in “Scope 3” emissions reported by universities using a framework coordinated by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
- Improving the climate impact particular major annual conferences, such as the American Geophysical Union or the American Academy of Religion (which is contemplating a proposal to do something different from the usual conference in 2021).
- Increased social media activity through the Twitter hashtag #flyingless and handle @flyingless.
- News coverage in major media.
- Building bridges with related movements (runway opponents, fossil fuels divestment, environmental justice, simple living).
- And more!
Flying Less: Reducing Academia's Carbon Footprint 