Can we have an honest conversation about this? As a prof, who has had 16 years of being able to fly all over the place, I sure feel shit about saying “don’t travel by plane anywhere!”.

But the frigging state of the planet. We are all going to have to rethink what we do. https://twitter.com/thetroutpouts/status/1351654628249763842

My fear - after the last year - understandably - lots of academics are going to want to be flying everywhere at the drop of a hat. It’s one of the key ways we connect with other scholars, and one of the few perks. BUT

***We just cannot fucking do that. We just can’t. ***

https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/environment-and-conservation/2019/11/climate-change-driving-entire-planet-to-dangerous-tipping

I can see the exchange schemes/initiatives all piling up and the people scrambling to put themselves on the list. I feel a sense of total dread. Even people in areas where environment is central encouraging this. No! Do you not suffer sleepless nights because of climate change?

There is so much that’s unsustainable about HE. Workload/Understaffing: OUTRAGEOUS. But this messing with the top soil runs through everything. We are complicit in it too. Do I think online alts are as good? No. But having a planet fit for human habitation is now bloody serious.

Is this virtue signalling? Who the eff knows. What I do know is that I’ve just turned 48 (so yeah, old) and I’m shit scared about what the next decade will bring for me and mine, and you and yours.

We need, as academics, to focus on this.

Bring on the scholarly exchange.