Emily Cunningham

... my commuting is minimal w/a higher fuel mileage car. I buy local & extend the life of my consumer goods or rent. W/flying I’m researching carbon offset tools & fly some of the most carbon-efficient flights, most with @AlaskaAir. So, I focus on net carbon instead of 1 source

But because we’re in a climate emergency I don’t know if that is enough. We’re low carbon in similar ways: I’m vegan, don’t have children, live close to work and grocery stores so I can walk, etc. And yet... 1/n

I also know the world is in great peril right now. Don’t I want to be doing everything I can to help it? I have 4 nieces and nephews - 3 of them under one year. I want to see them grow up. 2/

Right now my policy for flying is to see family, and for work and activism. But even then I do my best to limit and think about each trip and weigh value/cost. I don’t see my family as much as I want to, for instance. It’s hard to figure out, especially with the privilege I have

/end

There is a limit to what one person can do. I have 5 kids and am vegetarian. I run a community energy company as my personal way to "offset" but also my activism is the way to pay it forward. I don't believe in not flying at all, but do believe in not flying unnecessarily.

In Europe that means taking trains and public transport which are generally very good in most places but may mean a day or two traveling instead of a few hours flying. But there's no good way if I need to get to North America to avoid flying. It's simply too long away from family

So there are trade offs. We each make our own. What I've found is that individual actions only make a difference in concert. There's no value in "me" doing it, but there *is* value in me saying "I'm not coming to the US unless you 50x or 100x offset my flight" or something.