Did you know that long international flights are climate-killers, worse than driving all year? I recently heard from Anirvan and Barnali Chatterjee, a Bay Area couple that is spending a Year of No Flying -- basically, spending a year trying to live aviation-free, traveling across continents, and talking to people who are exploring solutions to transportation and the climate crisis.
In this day and age, avoiding aviation ain't easy, but Anirvan and Barnali have been finding creative ways to hop the globe, old-school. To make their way through Asia from San Francisco, they found a freighter to Japan, a ferry to China, then a train to Vietnam, while interviewing climate change activists along the way.
In Hanoi and Saigon, they recently came across an amazing scene of young urban activists who are self-organizing a new environmental movement. Oh, to be young and green in Vietnam. It's an amazing look at passionate, home-grown leaders who are trying to save their country from the impending ravages of climate change: Young green activists rise up in Vietnam.
To follow along with Anirvan and Barnali's adventures, head over to Year of No Flying. I'd start with this entry, which explain what they're doing, and why they're doing it. As someone who takes my fair share of flights, it's definitely given me something to think about (I also recently watched Up in the Air.)
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