Field studies are a fantastic way to learn and connect to the world outside school. I’ve gone on a two field studies to Loon Lake, a short 45ish minute drive from Seycove. Generally however, field studies are to places far away that require plane travel to get there. Although I would love to go on field studies, I strongly believe that climate change is the most pressing and urgent issue we are facing currently, and flying has been shown to be one of most polluting ways individuals in fist world countries contribute. This quote from Greta Thunberg in “The Climate Book” effectively summarizes why I’m choosing not to fly:
“Flying is in many ways about privilege. Our remaining carbon budget is rapidly disappearing and – within the timeframe of us staying below 1.5° or 2°C of warming – there are no solutions in sight for air travel. Air travel is a growing sector. Today it accounts for about 4 per cent of our total climate impact, but that is expected to grow rapidly in the future. A recent study showed that the emissions for the entire tourist industry make up around 8 per cent of our global emissions. Around 80 per cent of the world’s population have never set foot on an aeroplane, whereas the richest 1 per cent are responsible for 50 per cent of all aviation emissions. … So, if you live in the Global North, giving up your privilege to fly has been proven to be a very effective way of highlighting these inequalities. It is not remotely enough to solve the crisis, but it sends a clear message to people that we are in one.”
Travelling as a class by bus still isn’t perfect (an electric bus or train would be better), but it would still be less polluting than flying.
I’m hoping we can do some field studies that are more local. After all, we do live in “beautiful British Columbia” and I think it would be beneficial for us to learn more about the place we live and possibly even contribute to our local communities.
Some people have a hard time “believing” that their one or two flights a year can cause that much harm, however the science says otherwise. Two of my favourite videos from Nerdy About Nature (aka Ross Reid), explain why you can’t “pick and choose” between what science to believe in when it comes to climate change. Give them a watch:
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So that’s why I choose not to go on long-distance field studies. Feel free to explore the topic more, I’ve put some links below for you to check out.
Thanks for reading,
Fraser 🌲
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More information on the impacts of aviation:
- flightfree.org/flightfacts
- stay-grounded.org/get-information/
- sustainableamerica.org/blog/should-i-keep-flying-if-i-care-about-the-planet/
- sustainabletravel.org/our-work/climate-change/
- climatechoice.co/change-how-you-travel/
- www.yesmagazine.org/issue/life-after-oil/2016/02/11/how-far-can-we-get-without-flying
- sustainabletravel.org/our-work/carbon-offsets/calculate-footprint/
- flightfree.org/
- drawdown.org/news/insights/the-powerful-role-of-household-actions-in-solving-climate-change