Then a pilot, now a climate activist. Photo: Dillon Parsons @dillon.p_photography
After years of hard work and huge financial investments, Todd Smith (@plantbasedpilot) finally got the job he had dreamed of since he was a child - he became a pilot for a major airline. Last year, he decided to leave his longed-for career, and instead become an activist for the climate with Extinction Rebellion. This is his story:
Growing up on a council estate in Greater London; Essex, my Dad (a respected builder) always told me to do a job I’d enjoy. After taking me to watch Southend Airshow as a young boy, I was instantly inspired by the @rafredarrows and wanted nothing more than to be a pilot.
Having overcome many adversities, and finally achieving my dream career as an Airline Pilot following 7 brutal years of training and building hours (during the 2008 financial crash), I could have never imagined finding myself outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the 27th of February this year [2020], ecstatic at the news that the 3rd runway at Heathrow had been blocked in a landmark ruling due to the project falling short of our government's obligations as signed in the 2015 Paris Agreement. This was the first legally binding case of its type, and it will undoubtedly have sent shockwaves throughout the carbon-intensive industries.
My passion for aviation still remains as strong as ever, but flying should not be at the cost of people’s lives or our planet. The bottom line is; aviation growth is not sustainable and does not satisfy the actions required to avoid catastrophic climate change. There is only a 50/50 chance we will develop the carbon reduction technology required by 2050 to avoid climate breakdown. Our planet has not seen this rapid a change in its climate for some 50 million years. Our whole society and ecosystems are at risk of collapse if we do not treat the Climate and Ecological Emergency with the urgency that’s required.
“The bottom line is; aviation growth is not sustainable and does not satisfy the actions required to avoid catastrophic climate change. ”
You would not get on one of my flights if you knew there was only a 50/50 chance of the plane going down, so why are we taking such risks with our precious home? It’s primarily cognitive dissonance, our evolution has meant that as a species, we only fully react to danger if it’s perceived to be an imminent threat to life. It’s similar to our current Covid Crisis, world governments knew the risk of global pandemics but did not act until the very last second. Unfortunately, given the 30 year lag of heating built into our weather system, that reactive form of response is just simply not viable.
Furthermore, only 1 in 5 people globally have ever stepped foot on an aircraft, yet of that 80% of people, they are already being hardest hit by the weather extremes we are facing. However, this is not just a distant problem, this year [2020] we have already had an unusually mild winter, record-breaking floods in February one of the brightest Aprils on record and multiple days in May reaching 25 degrees C! Our recent warmer UK weather has meant Lyme Disease (spread from infected ticks) is becoming much more prevalent and I was subsequently infected last year following a stroll in a busy London park.
“Given the 30 year lag of heating built into our weather system, that reactive form of response is just simply not viable”
Please search current campaigns at @greenpeace and #SavePeopleNotPlanes to put a stop to unconditional airline bailouts. Money should only be paid to airlines that protect its workers and enforce strict climate obligations. Currently; the industry is forecast to triple its emission by 2050 and double it’s passengers to 8 billion per annum by 2037. This growth has to be curbed, and tax levies should be added to passengers who fly more than once a year instead of rewarding the privileged few. 15% of the UK population are responsible for 70% of flights and less than half the UK go on more than one flight per year. Additionally, per capita, Brits fly more than any other nation on Earth (double the amount of Americans).
Lastly, even though I have spent my entire life striving to become a pilot; it’s just a job title at the end of the day. I believe, highly skilled workers in carbon-heavy industries should be re-educated into green sectors if they desire as part of a Just Transition. This crisis is much bigger than my pride and the joy of putting on my gold epaulettes in the morning. I have over £100k in training debt and received no help in the form of student loans or subsidies. I have a lot to sacrifice but the UK government has declared and climate emergency and enshrined 2050 net-zero in law, it’s time they start acting like it and addressing this crisis wholeheartedly.
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You can follow Todd’s story via @plantbasedpilot on instagram - click below for five well spent minutes with this movie by Dillon Parsons and Frances Robson:
Links:
For more information about a just transition for the aviation industry as mentioned in Todd’s story, the global network Stay Grounded just released a paper on the topic: www.stay-grounded.org/just-transition
Another pilot choosing to quit his career for environmental reasons, is former US pilot Kai.
And as always, if you’d like to join the Flight Free movement and haven’t yet taken the Flight Free pledge - welcome to do so here - and remember to tell you friends and family about it!
Globally we are now over 7000 people who have pledged to be Flight Free in 2021 (or for life!), and the more people we gather, the quicker the flying norm will change - an important part in the bigger picture that is halting climate change.