Michael Winkler served 12 years as a member of the Arcata City Council and as Mayor, and was an outspoken opponent of subsidies and other support for the expansion of our local airport.

Why did you pledge Flight Free?

There is a strong connection between oil consumption and war. Eliminating air travel is the single greatest GHG reduction that an individual can make.

What are your travel alternatives to flying?

Bus, train, online meetings.

When did you stop flying?

I stopped flying 20 years ago in the run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq and, with very rare exceptions, don't ever plan to fly again.

Anything else you want to share?

Carbon offsets are largely a guilt-reduction gimmick that does little to reduce the extreme climate-change impacts of air travel. Development and deployment of electric trains, buses, cars and trucks powered by renewable energy in place of air travel. We should make flying as socially unacceptable as smoking.