Flight or fight

I’m definitely going to be flying less than Blair this year so I’m feeling smug – but I know I’m hypocritical.

Apologies to Jean whose comment on my last Global Gossip newsletter slipped down page and out of sight last month. I wondered if I should be encouraging a communal blog about places people are likely to reach by plane. Here is her reply.

I made a decision to fly less – after a flight to Dinard last September. it was an enjoyable trip and it’s an appealing small airstrip – but It was an easy decision to make as I knew I hadn’t a holiday planned for the foreseeable future.

Retirement helps with flying less. There’s more time for taking and planning leisurely trips by road or rail – and having travelled long haul a lot during my working years – I have no wish list left of places to visit.

I’m definitely going to be flying less than Blair this year so I’m feeling smug – but I know I’m hypocritical.

It’s easy for a household of two retirees to conserve energy. We light only one or two rooms at a time, manage without the tumble drier and dishwasher – drive to local producers for veg and meat. We’ve arrived at this way of life for ourselves – on a whim really – deciding for ourselves what we can manage without.

No-one is restricting my carbon footprint or anyone else’s – but this can’t continue. Indiviuals shouldn’t be deciding for themselves. I think we need an imposed target each for reducing our emissions and conserving energy – and soon.