Janie Katz-Christy took the time to reply to our questionnaire while pledging to be Flight Free - for as long as the climate needs! Here are her answers:
Janie on a cross country train somewhere in New Mexico. Photo: Private
Why did you pledge Flight Free this year?
What they all said! I pledge to be flightfree for as long as the climate needs for all the reasons so many others have said:
It's not fair to fly.
I am able to avoid flying.
I want to feel proud when I talk to my future grandkids (g-d willing!) about what I did and did not do, once *we knew* about climate change and the impact flying has on our shared environment.
I am inspired by others who have taken these pledges and like to compete with them! I only flew once (round trip), for an emergency, in the last 12 1/2 years.
I don't want to contribute in any way to the polluting airline industry or culture.
I live in a gorgeous area, and think that we all do, if we take the time to explore it.
I want to inspire others, and have them inspire still others, per what the Flight Free campaign shared earlier: "an academic survey that found that 50% of respondents flew less when they knew someone who chose not to fly because of the climate. 75% of respondents thought differently about the climate because of knowing this person."
What are your travel alternatives to flying?
Our family has been car-free since Oct 2007. I adore long distance trains because the views are amazing and it's so much fun to talk with people from all over (I wish they would re-instate their dining cars post Covid-19). I also love biking around my city of Boston and taking short and long distance trips by bike. Someday, I would like to explore long distance sailing to Europe and Israel.
If you pledged last year how was it? What are your expectations for this year?
It was no problem last year, as very few were traveling due to Covid. I wish that would continue, as I understand a lot fewer greenhouse gasses were emitted last year and we need that trend. It has been difficult in past years not to fly, because my peers typically do, and I worry about my children feeling on the outside because of my influence. Other than that, I have had so much fun exploring more locally or by other means.
Janie Katz-Christy, Massachusetts
Do as Janie, and pledge to go Flight Free - for a year or for as long as the climate needs: www.flightfree.org