Most of my career has been helping Namibia and South Africa understand biodiversity, society, and climate vulnerability, and recently supplementing scientific work with co-producing films with my groovy filmmaker husband. I decided to return to the USA in the Obama administration, but only managed to arrive a week before the inauguration of Trump.

During my time on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment board, my ‘hypocrisy angst’ about ‘flying around the planet to save the planet’ became chronic and we instituted teleconference meetings thereafter. I am now something of an activist on this issue and yet search for some mechanism to reduce the inequities and ethical conundrums involved for the many people who face family, humanitarian, or experiential challenges. Should there be a lottery to award flight credits? What’s the most appropriate, palatable and feasible balance of regulatory, consumer-boycott, and technological strategies? Thank you Peter for organizing this group!