California forest fires prompted a Berkeley parent to connect climate impacts to daily life. Her child learned that climate change harm could become permanent by 2030, leading her to take stronger personal action. She stopped flying and helped found Flight Free USA with her husband, linked to Sweden-based We Stay on the Ground. At rallies, she emphasizes that aviation contributes a small but significant share of greenhouse gas emissions and that offsets offer limited benefit. She argues that electric aircraft are not soon enough, so the best flight is one that never takes off. Similar behavior is spreading in Europe, supported by taxes that raise flight costs and lower train costs, alongside extensive rail networks.
"Flying accounts for 2 to 3 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, not counting the extra damage done by burning fossil fuels at 30,000 feet. Carbon offsets don't help much. Capable electric aircraft are decades away. So the flight-free folk argue that the only good flight is one that never takes off."
"Granett rode her bike, ate little meat, composted food and garden waste. But faced with an alarmed tween, she resolved to take more drastic action. That summer, she quit flying. Soon after, with her husband, she cofounded Flight Free USA, a satellite of Sweden-based We Stay on the Ground."
"Across Europe, this movement is gaining traction. "Denmark to Japan by train-what is the cheapest option?" asks Tobias H. on a Tripadvisor forum. Maja Rosén, who cofounded We Stay on the Ground in 2018, has reined in her wanderlust and now vacations by ferry and train, mostly in Sweden, where she lives."
"Climate-conscious European governments have helped by imposing new taxes. Germany has been especially aggressive, nearly doubling its per-passenger tax on short-haul flights while slashing taxes on train travel. The head of the EU Commission is pushing for a jet-fuel tax that could boost fares 10 percent. Such moves are easier on a continent with a robust rail network, including high-speed trains that zip from London to Paris t"
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