Using airplanes as an common form of transportation is a perfect example of how our society has prioritized billable time efficiency in lieu of resource efficiency. The COVID-19 pandemic provided society as a whole the opportunity to reflect on its overly consumptive practices and consider alternatives. It appears that most have “moved on” and gotten right back into line consuming resources at an unsustainable rate.
If flying across the country can be replaced by a reasonable alternative (i.e. using local labor, attending conference virtually), I will not make the trip. Air travel should not be recreational.
I am a noise control engineer involved in modeling and measuring community noise sources. My particular expertise is monitoring and modeling sound emissions from renewable energy development, e.g., large-scale wind and solar projects.