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  • CAREER COLUMN

As a climate researcher, should I change my air-travel habits?

Sofia E. Kjellman grapples with her carbon dioxide output resulting from her work as a scientist.
  1. Sofia E. Kjellman

    1. Sofia E. Kjellman is a PhD researcher at the Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø.

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A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to some people about my work, and a friend of a friend called me a hypocrite. How can I, as a PhD student in climate science at UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, justify flying, sometimes several times a month? It is true that I travel a lot through work, as do many of my colleagues. Many climate researchers advocate minimizing your carbon footprint1,2 knowing that air travel is an activity that contributes some of the highest emissions on an individual level3 (see also go.nature.com/2wgnrbw).

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-01652-2

This is an article from the Nature Careers Community, a place for Nature readers to share their professional experiences and advice. Guest posts are encouraged. You can get in touch with the editor at naturecareerseditor@nature.com.

References

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  2. Stohl, A. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 8, 6499–6504 (2008).

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  3. Gössling, S. & Upham, P. (eds) Climate Change and Aviation: Issues, Challenges and Solutions (Routledge, 2009).

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  4. Attari, S. Z., Krantz, D. H. & Weber, E. U. Climatic Change 138, 325–338 (2016).

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  5. Pidgeon, N. & Fischhoff, B. Nature Clim. Change 1, 35 (2011).

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