Beyond Flying

Rethinking air travel in a globally connected world

Chris Watson, Chris Brazier, Rob Hopkins, Saci Lloyd, John Stewart, Kevin Anderson, Kate Andrews, Tom Bennion, Susan Krumdieck, Ed Gillespie, Adam Weymouth, Lowanna Doye, Nic Seton, Chris Watson, Chris Watson

• Publisher: Green Books
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9780857842107
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Travel

Is flying an irreplaceable part of 21st-century life? Can businesses succeed in a globalised world without international air travel? What about 'love miles' – visiting friends and family overseas? Architect and writer Chris Watson grew up in an airline family, passionate about aviation and how it allows us to explore the world, share knowledge and create more diverse communities. But this freedom has come at a cost for the environment. Aviation is a significant factor in climate change - and one that's been steadily growing in both developed and undeveloped countries, burning fossil fuels and emitting harmful greenhouse gases. Flying is never zero-carbon, so can we reduce it, or even do without it? Fourteen remarkable travellers from around the world share their stories with Chris about how they came to the conclusion that reducing their air travel was necessary to lower their personal emissions. From backgrounds as diverse as commercial, professional, academic, NGOs, literature and science, they have found easy and better ways of living and working, saving what few flights they do take for emergencies and 'love miles'. Their stories look at how our modern, globalised world offers more alternatives to keep in touch with people around the world without contributing to the aviation industry's ever-increasing emissions. Filled with success stories and practical guidance to help people make more informed decisions, this book is a must-read for any frequent flyer - or for anyone involved in a global business. Beyond Flying demonstrates that even the toughest of environmental challenges can be addressed.

Table of contents

• Front cover
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• Dedication
• Friends of the Earth: rethinking travel
• Foreword
• Preface
• Introduction
• PART 1: THINKING BEYOND FLYING
• Chapter 1: To fly or not to fly?
• Chapter 2: Deciding never to fly again
• Chapter 3: Young people and climate change
• Chapter 4: Waking up to the downsides of flying
• Chapter 5: Slow and low – the way to go: a systems view of travel emissions
• PART 2: BUSINESS BEYOND FLYING
• Chapter 6: A green travel experiment
• Chapter 7: Trains versus planes: building a low-carbon travel agency
• Chapter 8: Going cold turkey: a law practice without any flights
• Chapter 9: The no-flying conference: Signs of Change
• Chapter 10: Slowlier than thou: why flight-free travel is about better, not less
• PART 3: SAVOURING THE JOURNEY
• Chapter 11: The human engine: bicycling to Beijing
• Chapter 12: Walking distance
• Chapter 13: bike2oz: the world going through you instead of around you
• Chapter 14: A small matter of distance: trying not to fly to climate talks
• Chapter 15: Travel on a hot planet: exploring the global tourist industry overland
• How to fly less
• Index
• Other Green Books titles
• About Green Books