Spoiler alert: I don't know the answer. But it's a question I think on as I enjoy a travel-heavy life while also feeling intense, existential concern about global warming and all that stems from it. I recognize that governments and large corporations bear the brunt of blame for carbon emissions, pollution, and a host of other evils--and that I, as an individual, am not influencing that much by using a paper straw--but it's about the principle. I recognize that I am probably operating with a certain sense of cognitive dissonance: keeping separate these two pillars of my identity, one being the joy for travel, the other being a keen sense of progressivism that encompasses environmentalism. I am curious to hear from others how they have navigated this tension in their own lives. Can you actually describe yourself as someone who cares about the environment if your actions do not totally align? What if you're very cognizant of your effects on the environment in most areas of your life (you recycle, you buy clothing secondhand, etc.), but are still taking flights? Is to criticize someone for flying a form of environmentalist purism that is completely unrealistic? Are you off the hook because your contribution to climate change is so negligible in relation to the impacts of Big Oil, the American government, etc? There's a lot to unpack here. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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