I took the plane for journeys as a young person, discovering some distant countries like Morocco or Ireland. I avoided “carbon emitting” research topics up to PhD (physics) but still, the plane was the way to go to the “famous” Gordon Conference. Once I realised the little scientific output of such mundanity, I felt ashamed that scientists travel so much for frivolous reasons. Wasting time with ‘wannabees’ is just insane.

Avoiding plane travel in personal life is perfectly doable; it’s just about rethinking from the ground up what we value. Meeting people in person if we do not call them really often does not make sense! Enjoying nature and free time in a nearby region is big enough for a lifetime. Others’ culture can be accessed through the internet, right? Night trains and buses are a real alternative from Paris to Iceland for me, and across Europe is doable, if we are really willing to get there.