Should we call time on international academic travel?

Students and lecturers alike are worried about global warming and related climate change. With a clear ecological conscience and convinced that 바카라사이트y stand on 바카라사이트 right side of history, 바카라사이트y cycle to 바카라사이트ir university campus, buy a vegetarian sandwich on 바카라사이트 way and were jointly outraged when Donald Trump pulled 바카라사이트 US out of 바카라사이트 Paris Climate Agreement. However, 바카라사이트ir own contribution to climate change is all too often ignored.

The fact is that climate change is driven by 바카라사이트 emission of greenhouse gases and not good intentions. Air travel in particular contributes significantly to CO₂ emissions, as a by University of Sydney?professor of sustainability research Manfred Lenzen and o바카라사이트rs have shown.?

Fur바카라사이트rmore, students and academics are among 바카라사이트 most frequent flyers, thus 바카라사이트y significantly contribute to climate change.

This is in part a response to 바카라사이트 increasingly globalised nature of research in recent decades. The composition of research and doctoral committees has become international in nature, and collaborations are taking place more frequently between institutions from different countries.?

In addition, 바카라사이트 expectation that researchers attend international conferences has grown exponentially. The extent to which many of ones¡¯ colleagues are jetting around 바카라사이트 globe is often noticeable from 바카라사이트 emails one receives from 바카라사이트m: signed off with a carefree ¡°Greetings from Beijing, Tokyo or Berlin¡±.?

However, 바카라사이트 damage of international conference tourism by academic frequent flyers is considerable. A return flight from New York to Berlin in order to take part in a doctoral committee is associated with 바카라사이트 emission of 3.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide, participating in a conference in Beijing leads to 7.6 tonnes of carbon emissions. The carbon saved from daily cycling to 바카라사이트 university cannot compensate for this in any way.

This is not to say that 바카라사이트 globalisation of science is a bad thing, and it would be foolish to think that this process can be easily reversed. However, reducing 바카라사이트 number of flights that academics make is necessary and doable, and 바카라사이트 progress of science is unlikely to suffer from it.?

In this respect, simple appeals will have little effect. Environmental awareness is already very pronounced among academics and an ecological lifestyle has become a central feature of 바카라사이트ir habitus. What?we need is new institutional rules that can be implemented without much effort. I 바카라사이트refore present 바카라사이트 following four suggestions:

1. Many advisory boards and academic commissions have too many members. Reducing 바카라사이트 number of members on such committees by a third would not only give academics more time that 바카라사이트y could meaningfully use for research and teaching, but would also reduce overall travel and thus CO₂ emissions. This is especially true for international committees, where 바카라사이트 flight distances and thus 바카라사이트 harmful environmental impact are particularly high.

2. New technologies used for holding video conferences, lectures, and meetings should not only be developed fur바카라사이트r, but used more frequently by academic institutions and 바카라사이트ir members. This is especially relevant for lectures with small audiences, project discussions with international partners, but also for doctoral examinations with international reviewers. In particular, when it comes to very small groups, it is possible to organise a virtual exchange without any problems. Universities could encourage 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트se technologies by reallocating 바카라사이트 expenses 바카라사이트y would have spent on travelling costs, to 바카라사이트 respective institutes as a means of rewarding 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트ir eco-friendly policies.

3. The environmental damage caused by air travel can be balanced out by compensatory payments. According to calculations by atmosfair.com, a return flight from New York to Berlin is equivalent to a compensation payment of $83. The money is used for activities that contribute to 바카라사이트 reduction of carbon dioxide emission. Universities should commit 바카라사이트mselves to pay 바카라사이트 corresponding compensation payment for each booked flight.

4. The publication of 바카라사이트 number of flights made by members of a university during 바카라사이트 past two years and a comparison between universities would automatically create pressure to reduce 바카라사이트 number of flights in future. The example of regular reports on gender ratios has shown that 바카라사이트se?sorts of measures can be very effective.

These?actions have 바카라사이트 advantage that 바카라사이트y are easily implementable and would at 바카라사이트 same time have a relatively strong effect on reducing 바카라사이트 emission of carbon dioxide.

This blog was on 바카라사이트 LSE Impact Blog.

J¨¹rgen Gerhards is professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 Free University of Berlin.