Dear Ecologgers, I think the keyword here is "time". None of us have enough of it because we are generally overcommitted, and the internal dynamics of the career structures in which we work makes us that way. So the fact that we do not have the time to take the (admittedly slow) train from, say Calgary to Vancouver becomes a key element in the sustainability crisis.
Now, call me naive, but suppose that we were able to maintain our academic careers without performing the prodigious feats of workaholism that are currently expected. If so, we might have the time to think more about our transport options, and yes, take that train, and enjoy it more. Of course a lot of other things would have to change, comparitive cost and the like. But the biggest thing that would have to change is the carre structure in which we work, in which achievment is conflated with sheer quantity of output. As for meetings, I suspect that they are usually more about networking (careerism again) and less about achieving progress in a particular field. That's why I do not go to them these days unless I am presenting something specific. Ciaou Andy
