For about 10 years, my yearly secret candle-blowing birthday wish has been that the airline industry would collapse; that people would realize the carbon cost for regularly flying long distances was unconscionably high; that families and businesses and salespeople would realize that telephones and the internet and teleconferencing had been invented and could replace carbon-costly in-person meetings and conferences; that runners would realize it was silly to fly 3000 miles and back only to run 26.2 miles and fly 3000 miles back home again; that vacationers would realize there were hundreds of cultures and sites to visit within 100 miles of home. In short, I wished for the end of the regressive carbon insult that air flight represents as an environmental nose-thumbing by those with upon those without.
I guess I got what I wished for, but not in the way I wished it to happen. Flights are down over 90%--the airline industry has been crippled. Teleconferencing is booming. Virtual marathons are a thing!
When I made those birthday wishes every year, I didn’t mean for it to happen this way. Sorry, everyone.
My fear now, and my expectation, is that when the VID bubble pops the skies will fill up again.
But I can still wish
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