Jon Pretty

I do think about it, though I have a much longer answer (which I should probably write about some time) which doesn't justify my carbon footprint so much as argue that it's not going to make a difference to the end-result... :(

Well, my argument was going to be that individual mindset doesn't work. It gives people an artificial sense of satisfaction that they've taken responsibility for themselves, and that that is somehow enough. But large-scale political change has the potential to make a difference.

You're already doing more than most people if you realise that stopping one other person taking a flight is exactly as good as stopping yourself taking it. I think most people feel a lot happier knowing that they've made the sacrifice than if someone else has.

Note that I've not done either of those things, so I have no moral high ground here...

But there's s further problem which is that choosing not to take a flight doesn't stop the plane, and doesn't cancel the route, and it needs a huge amount of amortization before any individuals' action actually reduces the number of planes in constant operation...

Maybe we could be satisfied knowing that the airlines are making smaller profits. But even that isn't a clearly-positive outcome: those airlines may keep older, more-polluting aircraft in operation for longer because they can't afford newer, cleaner jets...