Why I Dont Believe In Flygskam
Coined by Sweden singer Staffan Lindberg, flygskam literally translates to “flight shame.” The anti-flying movement shames people who fly and encourages train travel in an effort to lower carbon emissions.
"Flygskam: (noun, Swedish) the feeling of climate guilt associated with airline travel, literally ‘flight shame’"
The movement took off thanks to the public backing from Swedish Olympic medalist, Bjorn Ferry, and opera singer, Malena Ernman who is also the mother of environmental activist, Greta Thunberg.
If you remember, Greta Thunberg took a zero-carbon boat across the Atlantic to boycott air travel on her way to the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York. An impressive feat to say the least, but obviously this mode of transportation isn’t readily available for the rest of us!
Thunberg and the rest of the flygskam movement has a solid point. Flying has contributed to 2% of global annual man-made emissions with airplanes releasing CO2 emissions, nitrogen oxide and contrails (white water vapor lines behind planes)
In other words, flying releases some bad shit into the air with not much technological advancement in sight. So, to combat this problem, Flygskam promotes taking less flights and more trains. The movement has taken off in Sweden with a noticeable decline in air travel and a boost in train ticket sales.
While this makes total sense, especially for Europeans who have access to alternative transportation options, I can’t help but find flygskam problematic.
My personal disclaimer
First off, I support any and every way people decide to help the environment.
If flygskam resonates well with you, I 100% support you and totally encourage you to follow the movement!
I believe positive environmental change comes from a variety of efforts, not just one. So, if you want to follow flygskam, then I congratulate you! While I respect the sustainable effort, I don’t agree with the shaming, and here’s why:
Why I Don’t Agree With Flygskam
So, I have a few problems with flygskam.
It favors countries with strong public transportation systems
It focuses solely on air travel and not on other transportation polluters
It underplays the importance of travel
Sustainability is complex and so is flygskam, so let’s break this topic down into more digestible parts.
Flagskam favors countries with strong public transportation systems
This anti-flying movement has taken off significantly in Sweden, which makes total sense. They have an impeccable public transportation system for both domestic and international travel.
From Sweden, you can take a train to Berlin. From Berlin, you can pretty much go anywhere in Europe, from London to Rome. Even if there isn't a direct route, there’s plenty of bus and train options to eventually get you to where you want to go.
There’s no surprise here. We’ve always known Europe to be an interconnected continent. If you live in Europe, then you have plenty of travel options that don’t require flying.
But, what if you live in the US? Or, Australia?
While we have a transcontinental railroad system in the US, it isn’t the most practical.
According to the Amtrak website, you can book an “All American” tour starting from $2749. This 15 day tour visits Chicago, New York City, New Orleans, San Francisco and Denver, giving you one to two days maximum in each destination. I don’t know about you, but paying $3000 to spend two days in New York isn’t very affordable or practical.
Sure, maybe I’m making excuses. Maybe this is just the price to pay for the environment.
Or maybe not, considering Amtrak trains run on electricity only in the Northeast of the United States, with the remainder running on diesel.
Across the board, transportation emissions are a complex issue. Whether you fly, take a train or drive, you’re emitting greenhouse gases. Sure, taking a train may lower your emissions while you’re on holiday, but what happens when you arrive home and get back to your morning commute? One in two Americans drive an SUV, amounting to 60% of all US greenhouse gas emissions in 2017.
Which brings me to my next point…
Flygskam focuses solely on air travel and not on other transportation polluters
While flying is part of the problem, SUVs and heavy duty trucks commit their fair share of pollution, too. This doesn’t mean we should deflect and ignore emissions from air travel. On the contrary, this means that lowering emissions is far more complex than giving up flying.
What if you drive an SUV, never carpool, but also never fly? To flygskam standards, you may be a model citizen because you never step foot on a plane. However, you're just as much as a polluter as a jetsetting vagabond.
Moral of the story: SUV drivers and jet setters are both greenhouse gas emissions contributors.
Sustainability isn’t a one-size-fits-all program. While flygskam may work in Sweden, it may not work in other parts of the world, and that’s totally ok. Combating our current climate crisis takes a variety of efforts including flying less, but also making daily sustainable lifestyle choices.
In any realm of life, you cannot generalize a rule for every single person. Back in university, I learned this lesson in my buddhism and environmental class.
Let’s look at an example outside of sustainability, but definitely closely related. We know veganism as the most sustainable diet, which is achievable in the West due to our access to produce. With this information, we are given a choice: do we remain ignorant and continue to eat meat, or change to a more compassionate lifestyle both environmentally and to sentient beings? I went through this dilemma and because of this debate, I switched to a plant-based diet.
Now, because a plant-based diet is readily available to us in the Western world, do we expect those living in the mountains of Tibet to follow the same sustainability effort? Keep in mind, produce in this region is scarce, so meat consumption is their main source of nutrition.
Obviously we have two different situations here. And, to add to the mayhem, there’s a huge difference between factory farming in the US and killing animals to feed your small village or tribe. Obviously the latter is far less environmentally harmful.
My point here is that we can’t expect everyone in the world to act the same way. Just because eating plant-based is accessible in the West doesn’t mean we can expect everyone in the world to get on board. The same goes for flygskam. Kudos to Sweden for creating an impact with flygkam, but that doesn’t mean it’ll work for all of us.
Flygskam underplays the importance of travel
Travel, even though it creates emissions, has led to so many positives.
On a personal level, traveling opens our psyche, reduces stress, allows for reinvention and self discovery, boosts happiness and self-fulfillment, strengthens adaptability and overall mentality, inspires creativity, educates us on the state of the world and all that Mother Earth has to offer, and introduces us to the most amazing people! I didn’t even mention the food and cultures either!
On some levels, traveling is selfish. We set off for an experience that will benefit us and give us a broader perspective on life. However, tourism has also created huge conservation benefits, like making an elephant 76 times more valuable alive than dead. While we shouldn’t put a commodity value on animals in general, ecotourism has helped save elephants from ivory poaching. This same concept applies to tigers, sharks, manta rays and gorillas.
Sure, the travel industry isn't anywhere close to flaw-free. But, it has saved some animals from becoming rugs and jewelry. Even after travelers arrive home, their travel experiences carry on, creating a domino effect of positive change
“WWF has the data to prove that ‘travelers contribute [money] at significantly higher levels to our conservation work, on the order of 27 times more compared to those who don’t travel.’”
Travel also contributes to the development of human consciousness, making us more loving, empathetic and compassionate people. In a world that is becoming consumed by hate more and more everyday, increasing our capacity for love is critical. Opening our hearts is the best way to prepare for the 143 million people projected to be displaced by climate change.
Of course, travel and tourists don’t always create a positive impact. There’s so much we can do to be better travelers, which is my intention behind this blog. Traveling has the potential to be incredibly positive, but we must adapt to a higher level of consciousness when we travel.
How to be a conscious and sustainable traveler
Achieving sustainability, while traveling and in our everyday lives, comes down to making small yet impactful lifestyle decisions.
Choose budget airlines that carry more people, cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions per passenger
Choose newer plane models that create less pollution
Choose alternative modes of transportation when possible (train, bus, carpool)
Opt for slow travel by visiting one country for a longer period of time. This is more sustainable than flying to multiple destinations over a two-week period
If traveling internationally, ask yourself if it’s worth it. Why are you going there? Is it for the photos? Is it a transformational experience? What do you hope to gain?
If you only have one week or a weekend to travel, opt for a staycation instead. You'll have more time to enjoy your travels instead of squeezing in an international trip.
Assess your own lifestyle emissions and make changes in other aspects of your life to lower your carbon footprint.
You can also lower your carbon footprint by eating a plant-based diet, shopping second-hand, recycling the proper way, minimizing your energy consumption, and driving your car as little as possible (bike and walk when you can!).
Flygskam: closing thoughts
It’s easy for someone who has traveled and seen the world to tell other people not to travel.
But, what about those who have never set foot on a plane? Or, those who have dreamt their entire lives of seeing an elephant or diving the Great Barrier Reef?
Imagine the courage it takes to finally turn their dreams into a reality only to be shamed by other experienced travelers.
We can’t expect everyone to drive electric cars, eat 100% vegan, never fly, power their homes with renewable energy and make their own clothes. While some sustainable superstars can check off all these boxes, that’s just not a reality for most of us. AND, that doesn't mean we should shame each other! On the contrary, we should be supporting and encouraging each other in the ways we are helping.
Of course, we can always, ALWAYS, try harder and improve. Growth in all aspects of our lives should be the end goal. But, shaming each other won’t get us anywhere. If Flygskam works for you, then congrats and keep it up! If you still want to fly, then figure out how to be sustainable in other aspects of your life.