"flygskam"

The Earth is at a tipping point, and half-measures might not be enough.  So, would you be willing to join the growing ranks of those who eschew flying?  To wit:

"Paul Chatterton, a professor of urban futures at the University of Leeds, also hasn’t flown since 2004. 'I think every academic has to justify why they are flying to that particular "must-go" conference. If we have something really important to say, say it in a different way.' He travels to European conferences by train. 'One of the privileges of being a middle-income professional – and this is a direct plea to other middle-income professionals – is that you can negotiate with your boss and you have a bit more money to get the train. I’m not talking about people who can’t afford to do that, because I know trains are more expensive.'

As for Chatterton’s no-fly family holidays, the best ones have been taking the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam and cycling around the Netherlands. 'You travel light, you make it an adventure with your kids,' he says. 'Who wants to sit in a departure lounge? You get the excitement of travelling through places, figuring out what the next journey is. I think we have to get back into the idea that travelling is special; it’s a privilege.'”

I'd be happy to do this if I lived in Europe.  Here in South Korea, it's incredibly easy to get anywhere with a bus or train as well.  But thinking about moving back to America, this would be really tough in such a de-centralized country.

Then again, I'm still amazed that more conferences and meetings can't take place through remote measures like Skype.  Then again, I've always been more of a "send an e-mail" guy than a TED Talk one.