Our Obligation to the Earth

Whether or not it is ethical to fly during a climate crisis raises a very important conundrum. There are, for instance, times when people need air travel for work or even for emergencies. So, in these cases, it should be generally acceptable for people to fly, and the ethics for doing so can be rationally explained. However, I believe the main ethical concern would be flying for leisure. While it has been proven that air travel contributes to pollution, driving global warming, there are ways to fly responsibly, and therein lies our ethical question.

We have a moral obligation to the Earth to take care of our planet while we are here and preserve it for future generations. Therefore, making ethical choices when we do have to fly (even if it is for leisure) is critical. Unfortunately, it is not a simple yes or no answer, but a personal decision for which we should consider with both responsibility and accountability in mind. This means making sound choices before we make the decision to fly that will not add to the environmental burden of global warming. This could be flying with a greener airline that participates in a carbon offsetting program, using lighter carry-on luggage to reduce so-called "fuel burn" by airlines, minimizing in-flight waste, and choosing direct flights, among many other decisions we could make. Even more importantly, we can choose alternatives to travel that have lower or even no carbon emissions — such as trains, boats, or electric vehicles whenever possible.

It is important to keep in mind that flying is a necessity for many people. It is also very accessible, making other options less attractive. Additionally, the air industry will only keep growing, given increasing demand and a surging world population that is expanding and connecting globally. Nevertheless, I am hopeful that technological advances will make flying even more sustainable and fuel-efficient. In the meantime, we can do our part to minimize its impact on the Earth by making ethical, individual choices.

Written By: Jesse