Wil, I don't have a solution to the conference travel problem but please - let's not kid ourselves about offsets! As you must know, they are at best a guarantee of *certain* emissions in exchange for very *uncertain, *hoped-for emissions reductions or emissions prevention. They merely shift the burdens of coping with climate change from richer, more powerful people and places to poorer and weaker ones. Popular tropical forest offsetting (REDD+, etc.) schemes have been particularly disastrous.
On Mon, Jul 8, 2019 at 8:00 PM Wil Burns <w...@feronia.org> wrote: > So, the Swiss are pledging to not fly to venues within 240 miles or so. > Most of us who trek, for example, from Chicago to Peoria probably already > fulfill that pledge đ And, yes, I remain wholly unconvinced that meeting > people on Zoom is more âconnectiveâ than a happenstance discussion in the > hallway at a conference that leads to new collaborative opportunities. > > > > While I think itâs salutary to avoid wholly frivolous academic travel, I > think itâs disheartening to encourage everyone to interact with their > colleagues wholly via their smartphones. Itâs a bit soul-draining, > actually. Moreover, there are some excellent offset programs that can help > us justify our (limited) travel to convene with our colleagues at meetings. > wil > > > > [image: Institute for Carbon Removal Law & Policy] > > *Wil Burns, Co-Director & Professor of Research* > > *Institute for Carbon Removal Law & Policy | American University* > > Phone: 650.281.9126 > > Web: www.american.edu/sis/centers/carbon-removal > > Email: wbu...@american.edu > > Skype: wil.burns > > Address: 2650 Haste Street, Towle Hall #G07, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA > > Follow us: > > [image: > https://img.mysignature.io/s/v3/7/c/f/7cf1bbde-db4e-51b2-ac59-ab19344bad51.png] > <https://www.facebook.com/Institute-for-Carbon-Removal-Law-and-Policy-336916007065063/> > > [image: > https://img.mysignature.io/s/v3/c/8/9/c897a27d-c2c0-5e72-b299-b784e320fe4d.png] > <https://twitter.com/CarbonRemovalAU> > > > > > > *From:* gep-ed@googlegroups.com <gep-ed@googlegroups.com> *On Behalf Of > *HARRIS, > Paul [SSC] > *Sent:* Monday, July 8, 2019 7:23 PM > *To:* gep-ed@googlegroups.com; as...@u.washington.edu > *Subject:* Re: [gep-ed] fyi > > > > Dear Aseem, > > > > About a decade ago I tried hard to convince scholars, including many on > this list, that we needed to stop encouraging air travel to conferences. > Even then technologies existed to allow collaboration online that was > vastly more connective than face-to-face collaboration at conferences. I > suffered a severe backlash, including ad hominem attacks (a few from > members of the ISA's ESS section). The business model of many academic > associations, not least ISA, demands big centralized conferences. Things > are slowly starting to change, as you highlight in your message, but my > guess is that most older scholars (over, say, about 40?) will continue to > dig in their heels and defend their air travel (everyone who flies seems to > think that their doing so is worth the environmental cost). History won't > judge this behavior kindly. The future is in the younger scholars who are > accustomed to collaborating online -- after all, nowadays many people > collaborate using their smart phones even when those people are on the same > campus, even in the same building, and sometimes even in the same room. > > > > All best, > > > > Paul > > > > *PAUL G. HARRIS* > > Chair Professor > > Global and Environmental Studies > > EdUHK <https://www.eduhk.hk/ssc/pharris> > > *www.paulgharris.net <http://www.paulgharris.net>* > > > > LATEST BOOKS > > *+Climate Change and Ocean Governance* (Cambridge University Press), here > <https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/climate-change-and-ocean-governance/DEFCBADE5A6BEE13EED457B8C54F108D>. > > > *+Global Ethics and Climate Change*, 2nd. ed. (Edinburgh University > Press), here > <https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-global-ethics-and-climate-change.html>. > > > +*Ethics, Environmental Justice and Climate Change* (Edward Elgar), here > <https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/ethics-environmental-justice-and-climate-change>. > > > +*Routledge Handbook of Global Environmental Politics* (updated paperback > edition), here > <https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Global-Environmental-Politics/Harris/p/book/9780415694209>. > > > +*More books* here <https://paulgharris.net/books/>. > > > > LATEST JOURNAL ARTICLES > > +âEmerging Responses to Global Climate Change: Ecosystem-based > Adaptation,â *Global Change, Peace and Security*, here > <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14781158.2018.1475349>. > > +âCascading Biases Against Poorer Countries,â *Nature Climate Change*, > here <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0152-7>. > > +âCompliance with Climate Change Agreements: The Constraints of > Consumption,â *International Environmental Agreements*, here > <https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s10784-017-9365-x?author_access_token=6s3vYy6-vHVydK0LnmiTyfe4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY5EiV3cL-LE2uukQzOc9UKK5mMJDGn4cRkEvWCuqlh4hd41bv-hCLmFDLp4byVTsOHIIQBRsO2A5JWP4lCMn_rJtYB1TdKWiDdbmR2TP9EYtQ%3D%3D>. > > > +âPolitical Science and Severe Climate Change: A Case for Transformational > Research into Adaptation,â *St. Antony's International Review*, here > <https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/stair/stair/2017/00000013/00000001/art00008>. > > > +*More* *articles* here <https://paulgharris.net/articles/>. > > > > Š2019 This e-mail, its contents and attachments are confidential and > subject to copyright protections. All rights reserved. > > > ------------------------------ > > *From:* gep-ed@googlegroups.com <gep-ed@googlegroups.com> on behalf of > Aseem Prakash <as...@uw.edu> > *Sent:* Tuesday, July 9, 2019 1:18 AM > *To:* gep-ed@googlegroups.com; stacy.vandev...@umb.edu > *Subject:* Re: [gep-ed] fyi > > > > Hi Stacey: > > > > Agree; we need to speak up. Universities must be leaders in climate policy > and as scholars who study climate change, we should become role models. > > > > I think GEP should take the lead in greening the ISA ('i'll be happy to > share my correspondence with various organizations on this count). > > > > Some of us may have heard of the FlyLess initiative (there is a[etition to > universities on change.org -- pls consider signing it). > > > > I received an email from them with the following information > > > > ( > https://click.e.change.org/f/a/m6MI0hVmC7eo6yzuiw1pzQ~~/AANj1QA~/RgRfA48uP0ROaHR0cHM6Ly9hY2FkZW1pY2ZseWluZ2Jsb2cud29yZHByZXNzLmNvbS8yMDE5LzA2LzE4L3VwZGF0ZXMtb24tdmFyaW91cy1mcm9udHMvVwNzcGNCCgAeLgohXYF0JzFSF3ByYWthc2guYXNlZW1AZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAC > ): > > > > > > > *Exciting Initiatives in Academia and Beyond* > > > > [image: Image removed by sender.] > <https://academicflyingblog.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/unine.jpg>The > UniversitĂŠ de Neuchâtel in Switzerland is encouraging its academic > personnel to decrease its flying > <http://www.unine.ch/durable/deplacements-avion> and has devised a chart > <http://www.unine.ch/files/live/sites/durable/files/CO2/UNINE_Arbre_decision.pdf> > to > help them do so. In response to the efforts of the three PhD students at > the French-speaking university, the institution is asking researchers, > faculty, and graduate students to commit themselves to reduced flying > <http://www.unine.ch/files/live/sites/durable/files/CO2/Engagements%2003%20juin%2007h00.pdf>ârenouncing, > for example, all flights within Switzerland and taking ground > transportation to all destinations within 450 kilometers of Neuchâtelâby > publicly signing a document > <https://neuchatel.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_efUvxoF0glSUHS5>. As of > May 29, 166 individuals had signed. > > > > [image: Image removed by sender.] > <https://academicflyingblog.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/european-citizens-initiative.png>Students > in Europe have launched a European Citizensâ Initiative > <https://www.endingaviationfueltaxexemption.eu/> to get the European > Union to end the privileged status of air travel by imposing a tax on > aviation kerosene or fuel. The hope is that, by making flying more > expensive, the tax will lead to a reduction in air travel and spur greater > investment in sustainable modes of transportation. The initiators of the > petition ask that *FlyingLess* supporters from EU member-states consider > signing. You can do so here > <https://eci.ec.europa.eu/008/public/#/initiative>. > > [image: Image removed by sender.] > <https://academicflyingblog.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/aag.png>In April, > the Council of the American Association of Geographers (AAG) received a > petition signed by 234 AAG members > <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vJk8ICBwB4HO2wz1b_wk1YEXQnv5kZBVeTuS37Nr9Zo/edit>. > The document called upon the AAG Council to take far-reaching action to > reduce CO2 emissions related to the Annual Meetingâone which sees about > 9,000 attendees from the United States and abroad, the vast majority of > them flying to and from the host city and producing thousands of tons of > CO2 emissions > <https://www.academia.edu/8422269/_Academic_Jet-setting_in_a_Time_of_Climate_Destabilization_Ecological_Privilege_and_Professional_Geographic_Travel_The_Professional_Geographer_Vol._66_No._2_2014_298-310> > in > the process. Responding favorably to the petition, the Council is now in > the process of setting up a task force charged with redesigning the AAG > meetings and reducing their associated emissions at a depth and scale > suggested by climate science and bodies such as the International Panel on > Climate Change. Given the size and influence of the AAG, this development > could have impacts well beyond the organization. > > > > [image: Image removed by sender.] > <https://academicflyingblog.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/concordialogo.gif>On > May 31, 2019, the Department of Geography, Planning & Environment > <https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/geography-planning-environment.html> at > Concordia University in Montreal adopted a âFlying Less Policy > <https://www.concordia.ca/content/dam/artsci/geography-planning-environment/docs/Flying_Less_Policy_GPE_June1_2019.pdf>â > that grew out of the work of its Climate Emergency Committee > <https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/geography-planning-environment/climate-emergency.html>. > The policy requires, among other things, that all faculty members in the > department disclose their annual flying activity (the results of which have > already been made public, collectively and anonymously, for 2018-2019 > <https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/geography-planning-environment/climate-emergency.html>). > The policy also commits faculty to prioritizing travel-free meetings and > video conferencing over physical travel and, when travel is needed, > collective forms of ground transportation for destinations within 12 hours > of Montreal. Moreover, it commits the Department to promoting a Flying Less > policy at the University as a whole, and within Quebec and Canada as well > (by encouraging external funders, for example, to work to decrease flying). > In addition, the new policy requires that the Department encourage students > to participate in activities that do not involve flying and provide > financial support to make such participation possible. > > > > [image: Image removed by sender.] > <https://academicflyingblog.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/stay-grounded-1.png>Concrete > initiatives and strategies to reduce air travel will be the focus of a > flight-free conference in Barcelona from July 12-14. Organized by the Stay > Grounded <https://stay-grounded.org/> networkâin conjunction with various > civil society groups and the Institute for Ecological Sciences and > Technology (ICTA) in Barcelonaâthe âDegrowth in Aviation > <https://stay-grounded.org/conference/>â conference will bring together > social movements, non-governmental organizations, and scientists. To > register, go here <https://annek517312.typeform.com/to/A5jlKC>. > *In the Media* > > > > Efforts to reduce flying within the academy and far beyond are receiving > heightened attention in the media. A May 22 article in *The Guardian* (âCould > you give up flying? Meet the no-plane pioneers > <https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/may/22/could-you-give-up-flying-meet-the-no-plane-pioneers?CMP=share_btn_tw>â), > for instance, mentioned *FlyingLess* and linked to our website, leading > to a huge spike in visits. Meanwhile, TRT World, an international news > channel, recently broadcast a roundtable discussion addressing the > question, âCan we stop flying?â > <https://academicflyingblog.wordpress.com/www.trtworld.com/video/roundtable/no-flight-movement-can-we-stop-flying/5cfe6a82b9fa6764a9a53ccf> > Among the four participants was Milena BĂźchs > <https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/see/staff/1183/dr-milena-buchs>, as > Associate Professor in Sustainability, Economics and Low-Carbon Transitions > at the University of Southampton (and a *Flyingless* petition signatory > <https://docs.google.com/document/d/14NZh0bZW2jB0qXjt-pl5A2_JfHtErQhxq06ZFd61sN8/edit> > ). > > The coverage manifests the growing movement in Europe critical of flying > and its impact. As *POLITICO Europe reports > <https://www.politico.eu/article/the-popular-revolt-against-flying-climate-european-airlines-carbon-emissions/>*, > âIf it were a country, aviation would be the sixth-largest carbon polluter > in the world, eclipsing Germany.â The same article, whose title refers to a > âpopular revolt against flying,â asserts that âcampaigns to reduce air > travel emissions are gaining tractionâ in Europe. > > > > This is especially evident in Sweden (see â#stayontheground: Swedes turn > to trains amid climate âflight shameâ > <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/04/stayontheground-swedes-turn-to-trains-amid-climate-flight-shame?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other>â), > where the number of domestic air passengers has dropped eight percent (8%) > in recent months, after a three percent (3%) decrease the previous year, > while train travel has increased by similar figures. In response, the > Swedish government has stated that it would like to reintroduce overnight > trains > <https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/06/sweden-has-invented-a-word-to-encourage-people-not-to-fly-and-it-s-working/> > to > cities throughout Europe. (Elsewhere on the continent, there are other > favorable signs of the resurrection of night trains > <https://academicflyingblog.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1088&action=edit> > .) > > > > In France, the national government is considering a proposed ban on > flights within the country > <https://atwonline.com/eco-aviation/french-politicians-want-ban-internal-flights-cut-emissions> > on > routes traveled by train in less than five hours. Regardless of what the > government decides, it will push for an aviation fuel tax at the next > meeting of the European Commission, according to Franceâs Environment > Minister Francois Rugy > <https://pointmetotheplane.boardingarea.com/environment-flying-impact/>. > > > > Such developments have not gone unnoticed within the aviation industry. At > the meeting in Seoul, South Korea of the International Air Transport > Association in early June, airline executives expressed worry that > anti-flying sentiment will âgrow and spreadâ if they donât win what one > executive termed the âcommunications battle.â (See ââFlight shameâ: How > climate guilt is the newest threat to airlines > <https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/flight-shame-how-climate-guilt-is-the-newest-threat-to-airlines-20190606-p51v3w.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1559960946> > .â) > *Recent academic articles* > > An article by researchers in the Department of Geography the University of > British Columbia, one based on a sample of 705 academics at their home > institution, found no relationship between the amount of professional air > travel and academic productivity. They also found, using a smaller sample > size, no significant difference in total air travel emissions between > researchers they characterized as âGreenâ (those who study topics related > to environmental sustainability) and âNot-green.â (See Seth Wynes, Simon > D. Donner, Steuart Tannason, Noni Nabors, âAcademic air travel has a > limited influence on professional success,â *Journal of Cleaner > Production*, Vol. 226, No. 20, 2019: 959-967 > <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652619311862#!>.) > > > > Another just-published article by a team of researchers at the University > of Adelaide studied academic air travelâalso among academics at their home > institution. The authors were particularly interested between institutional > pressures for academics to fly and their universityâs formal commitment to > sustainability. Drawing on a one-year qualitative study, they found that, > while many academics are worried about climate change, only a small number > are willing to fly less for fear of damaging their careers. The authors > conclude that institutional and political shifts are needed to bring about > individual changes in behavior on a large scale. (See Melissa Nursey-Bray, > Robert Palmer, Bride Meyer-Mclean, Thomas Wanner, & Cris Birzer, âThe Fear > of Not Flying: Achieving Sustainable Academic Plane Travel in Higher > Education Based on Insights from South Australia,â *Sustainability,* Vol. > 11, No. 9, 2019: 2694 <https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/9/2694>.) > > > > > > ________________________________________________ > > Aseem Prakash > Professor, Department of Political Science > Walker Family Professor for the College of Arts and Sciences > Founding Director, UW Center for Environmental Politics > University of Washington, Seattle > https://faculty.washington.edu/aseem/ > > > ------------------------------ > > *From:* gep-ed@googlegroups.com <gep-ed@googlegroups.com> on behalf of > Stacy VanDeveer <stacy.vandev...@umb.edu> > *Sent:* Monday, July 8, 2019 10:09 AM > *To:* Aseem Prakash; gep-ed@googlegroups.com > *Subject:* Re: [gep-ed] fyi > > > > It looks like AAUP and NEA â large unions to which some of us belong â > remain silent about the GND idea. Might be time to do some speaking up. > > -sv > > -- > > Stacy D. VanDeveer > > Professor & Graduate Program Director > > Global Governance and Human Security > > McCormack Graduate School of Policy & Global Studies > > www.global.umb.edu > > > > *From: *Gep-Ed <gep-ed@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Aseem Prakash < > as...@uw.edu> > *Reply-To: *Aseem Prakash <as...@u.washington.edu> > *Date: *Monday, July 8, 2019 at 12:56 PM > *To: *Gep-Ed <gep-ed@googlegroups.com> > *Subject: *[gep-ed] fyi > > > > > > > > This commentary might interest some GEP members: > > > > Labor Unions And the Green New Deal: Love, Hate, Or Indifference? > <https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fprakashdolsak%2F2019%2F07%2F06%2Flabor-unions-and-the-green-new-deal-love-hate-or-indifference%2F%23357a86c26b83&data=02%7C01%7Cstacy.vandeveer%40umb.edu%7C2599190248c34f555ef108d703c54390%7Cb97188711ee94425953c1ace1373eb38%7C0%7C0%7C636982018098582292&sdata=Dj3uukmygNWei8AqjT8RQHxHGEuHkyHvJYXrNTNcfeY%3D&reserved=0> > > > > thanks, > > > > Aseem > > > > ________________________________________________ > > Aseem Prakash > Professor, Department of Political Science > Walker Family Professor for the College of Arts and Sciences > Founding Director, UW Center for Environmental Politics > University of Washington, Seattle > https://faculty.washington.edu/aseem/ > <https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Faseem%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cstacy.vandeveer%40umb.edu%7C2599190248c34f555ef108d703c54390%7Cb97188711ee94425953c1ace1373eb38%7C0%7C0%7C636982018098592288&sdata=hSfGIuBHPUtz7yi%2Fu1dAJvx%2BingyEftG8WvsyHlmiMs%3D&reserved=0> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "gep-ed" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to gep-ed+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/BN8PR08MB5778AA002532FADC00E5CE3FDDF60%40BN8PR08MB5778.namprd08.prod.outlook.com > <https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fd%2Fmsgid%2Fgep-ed%2FBN8PR08MB5778AA002532FADC00E5CE3FDDF60%2540BN8PR08MB5778.namprd08.prod.outlook.com%3Futm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dfooter&data=02%7C01%7Cstacy.vandeveer%40umb.edu%7C2599190248c34f555ef108d703c54390%7Cb97188711ee94425953c1ace1373eb38%7C0%7C0%7C636982018098602292&sdata=vn820KlWF0eAAOHYAFcsHZNQoS9Ruk2%2B1VpOLt6%2BQeY%3D&reserved=0> > . > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "gep-ed" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to gep-ed+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/E609A6FE-DF62-4EE6-A7D6-B93858084D82%40umb.edu > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/E609A6FE-DF62-4EE6-A7D6-B93858084D82%40umb.edu?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "gep-ed" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to gep-ed+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/BN8PR08MB5778E0C819A6E2542EAB2ADDDDF60%40BN8PR08MB5778.namprd08.prod.outlook.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/BN8PR08MB5778E0C819A6E2542EAB2ADDDDF60%40BN8PR08MB5778.namprd08.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > > > [image: EdUHK_logo] > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "gep-ed" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to gep-ed+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/HK0PR06MB320119A81F4C4B4C3A47309DC3F10%40HK0PR06MB3201.apcprd06.prod.outlook.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/HK0PR06MB320119A81F4C4B4C3A47309DC3F10%40HK0PR06MB3201.apcprd06.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "gep-ed" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to gep-ed+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/BN7PR04MB4258D10D30B5BDEFB81B4092A4F10%40BN7PR04MB4258.namprd04.prod.outlook.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gep-ed/BN7PR04MB4258D10D30B5BDEFB81B4092A4F10%40BN7PR04MB4258.namprd04.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- Kathleen McAfee Professor, International Relations San Francisco State University kmca...@sfsu.edu -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "gep-ed" group. 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