I am regularly invited to present papers or keynotes at international conferences. I also have to travel for business. Lastly, my family lives in Germany. I am now declining many invites to reduce my footprint or encourage that the conference be held on-line. I was once pleased to be upgraded as an elite frequent flyer. This has changed to a feeling of achievement when my frequent flier privileges are being canceled.
This means I am away from home less, which is beneficial to my family life. As I am regarded as a leader in my company I believe/have hope that my actions may inspire others. I cannot stop flying, as this would mean no longer seeing my family. However, no longer flying with them to warm locations in winter and having reduced my business-related flying has led to a significant reduction of my family’s CO2 footprint.
I am geomorphologist by training and have worked on applied research aspects in the fields of landslides, floods and periglacial environments.