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TAFF
I've been asked if I'd like to be a candidate for TAFF and I'm seriously considering it.
It's an odd situation for me as I haven't flown since 2001 (I used to go regularly to US conventions and I went to Eclecticon in New Jersey shortly after 9/11 because I was damned if terrorists were going to stop me visiting my friends in America)
Not long after that, I became aware of the carbon footprint of a typical flight - and I made the decision to give up overseas travel.
However, in the case of TAFF, someone is going to go in any case, so the carbon footprint does not change if I go instead of someone else.
I have mixed feelings about TAFF, largely because it involves people flying. On the other hand, it's the only way I'll ever see America again. (having looked into carbon offset schemes, I concluded that a lot of them were pure greenwash and none of them could actually absorb carbon here and now. Trees are all very well, but if you plant trees now, it'll take them around thirty years to absorb your carbon - and a lot of damage will have been done in that time.)
Should I stand? Am I betraying my principles by doing so?
It's an odd situation for me as I haven't flown since 2001 (I used to go regularly to US conventions and I went to Eclecticon in New Jersey shortly after 9/11 because I was damned if terrorists were going to stop me visiting my friends in America)
Not long after that, I became aware of the carbon footprint of a typical flight - and I made the decision to give up overseas travel.
However, in the case of TAFF, someone is going to go in any case, so the carbon footprint does not change if I go instead of someone else.
I have mixed feelings about TAFF, largely because it involves people flying. On the other hand, it's the only way I'll ever see America again. (having looked into carbon offset schemes, I concluded that a lot of them were pure greenwash and none of them could actually absorb carbon here and now. Trees are all very well, but if you plant trees now, it'll take them around thirty years to absorb your carbon - and a lot of damage will have been done in that time.)
Should I stand? Am I betraying my principles by doing so?
no subject
Or you could get British fandom to sponsor a tree planting for you? That would be cool.
no subject
eg. Planting a tree soaks up carbon over a thirty year timescale. That means the carbon has 30 years to do damage in - and the next 30 years are going to be absolutely critical.
Also, the tree merely replaces carbon lost through cutting down tree cover in the first place - my carbon is additional to that lost natural carbon. In other words, planting a tree (which I do anyway through several charities I support) doesn't remove the amount of carbon from fossil fuels.
Thirdly, I can't guarantee the tree will remain long-term. Much carbon offsetting involves trees that are not cared for after planting, or in unstable areas (where the trees might get felled again) or in areas where climate change might make the area unsuitable for trees. There's also a frequent problem with double-accounting whereby the same tree gets counted against paid offsets, and national carbon targets as well.
I'd so much love it to work, but I looked into it quite deeply when I was first looking into my feelings about flying. If there was a form of off-set that reliably soaked up carbon tomorrow and locked it away for ever, then I'd buy it like a shot.