I’m quite troubled by calls for scientists to stop flying. There’s a clear implication that travel is something scientists do on a lark and we could just say “no” with zero adverse consequences. 1/
That’s not true — going to meetings is an import part of being a scientist. It’s how you meet people and how people know what you’re doing and how you know what other people are doing. 2/
Many of these calls to reduce travel are from full professors and other senior scientists who have established careers — established, I should add, by flying a lot as younger scientists. These senior scientists have the luxury of being able to reduce their travel. 3/
I am worried that a grad student/postdoc is going to feel pressure not to travel and that this may well impact their career in a negative way. If I told someone not to travel and they didn’t get a postdoc/entry-level job/tenure, that would be awful. 4/
I fully support scientists who make the decision for themselves not to travel, fully aware of the consequences. But we should not bully younger scientists to commit career suicide in return for a de minimus contribution to the climate problem. 5/
If we want to tackle the issue of travel in science, we need to change the culture of science. Meetings should routinely have options for virtual participation. For example, it’s unconscionable that @theAGU does not record ALL talks and post them on-line. 6/
Finally, this is absolutely true. 7/7
True story: I got an email from a program manager at gov't agency sent to people who get funding from the program (including me). It said he's convening a session at upcoming national meeting and this would be a good way to highlight the work we're doing for the program. 8/
I had not been planning on going to the meeting, but I sure was after I got that email. Funding from that program is key to my research efforts and if the program manager says jump, I ask "How high?" While I doubt I'd be defunded if I didn't go, not going would be dumb. 9/
This is just one example of the real-world issues that make the decision to travel/not travel a lot more complicated than simple exhortations to not travel would suggest. 10/10
