Some people have decided to reduce the number of times they fly every year or to stop flying altogether. Do you think the environmental benefits of this development outweigh the disadvantages for individuals and businesses?
Benefits
- Environmental pollution mitigation will alleviate disorders and disease
- Noise pollution will be reduced
- Destruction of ecologies will be prevented
- Save money spent on climate control will be saved
Drawbacks
- People are foregoing the privilege of visiting their loved ones and acquaintances in person, especially those living overseas; weakening bonds
- This propensity is also causing people to circumvent opportunities for receiving better medical care, education and employment opportunities,
- Cultural exchange will stop
- This will hamper business in several ways: tourism will come to a standstill, causing unemployment in the biggest commercial sector: tourism
- Technology transfer will stop
Undeniably, relinquishing flying, or minimizing it, can fetch a few short-term gains, it is likely to have severe ramifications not only for people but also for society at large.
The lobby supporting eliminating reliance on air travel assumes that it would force airlines to decrease the number of flights, resulting in less fuel being burnt. Consequently, the release of pollutants and greenhouse gases would be mitigated in great proportions: airplanes are considered to be the most polluting vehicles on this planet, and with fewer aircraft getting airborne will mean reduced pollution. However, this presupposition lacks substance and proponents of this trend are barking up the wrong tree; air travel contributes a miniscule fraction to the ecological complications.
In contrast, this tendency will certainly cause several problems, both at micro and macro level, and the world will resign to the pre-aviation era, wherein travelling overseas will become onerous. Many will be deprived of opportunities to meet and reunite with their loved ones, and satisfy themselves with virtual calls, gradually weakening their bonds. Similarly, those seeking better education, medical intervention, employment, and so forth, will be unable to access these.
Additionally, the domino effect at a broader level will be far greater as this proclevity will jeopardize the global efforts aimed at promoting cultural exchange, creating bonhomie between different communities, and preventing conflicts. Moreover, multiple economic sectors will be severely harmed, especially the tourism and hospitality industries, because the lesser number of travellers will cause closure of numerous businesses, engendering joblessness and lack of business.
To conclude, although intentions driving this behavior are benign, the aftermath will result in unwarranted circumstances, and hamper commercial activities, as well as lives of individuals. Therefore, it can be said that the challenges resulting from this attitude overwhelm any advantages gained.
