

So, why I have given up flying? - harwoodleon
https://medium.com/p/ac613de8f329

======
DanBC
This is a really depressing article.

People use exactly the same justifications for homeopathy or intelligent
design or other nonsense. It isn't okY just because you're right.

In this specific example some people will give up flying but replace that with
other forms of long distance travel - what should they chose? Cars, trains,
coaches?

I know that you explained the haze might not have been anything, and was just
a trigger to you taking action. But a lot of very dangerous pollution cannot
be seen. And by dangerous I mean "kills many people, today". Traffic pollution
is responsible for thousands of deaths, even in first world cities with tight
emissions regulations.

Not having science leaves you open to harm. See for example knee arthroscopy
for arthritis. This is a medical procedure carried out by trained qualified
rational professionals. It has a credible explanation. DRs really thought it
was beneficial to their patients. It was only when placebo controlled trials
were carried out that we found out that it wasn't effective.

Gut feeling has caused many very serious miscarriages of justice.

There are so many examples of the harm caused by gut feeling.

Sorry for the entirely negative response.

~~~
harwoodleon
Your choice is up to you. I am not into homeopathy, or blind faith of any kind
really. I am not criticising science, just saying it is not very useful at
making predictions of bad things that have no past occurrence.

Science is about discovering truths, when the truth of a disaster has not
occurred, how can you predict it?

We can model climate change, but what we can't say is for sure how bad things
will get or if you are a stupid climate 'sceptic' \- how they will stay the
same. Air travel in my layman's opinion has to be a massive contributory
factor, of which I don't want to be a part of. I am not saying you shoudl not
fly, in fact I don't care what you do.

My article was more about how we make choices as individuals, sometimes
waiting too long for science to back us up (we don't really hear the proper
science in the media anyway - is mostly marketing noise and frivolous
arguments) - when really we just need to make the decisions ourselves, do what
we feel.

Gut feeling may well have caused miscarriages of justice. But gut feeling is
also quite useful at self preservation - like saying: prove to me that the
light there is a freight train is coming down the track, instead of just
moving out of the way.

And as James Lovelock says - you are on your own.

~~~
mortyseinfeld
_...but what we can 't say is for sure how bad things will get or if you are a
stupid climate 'sceptic' \- how they will stay the same._

Oh, I thought you called people that didn't believe in your religion
"deniers".

~~~
harwoodleon
My religion? what the hell?

------
plantain
What you saw was probably a temperature inversion, (temporarily) capping
pollution. Ask anyone who lives in the mountains what they see once every few
days when descending to work etc.

~~~
harwoodleon
Could be, it was at cruising height though and lasted for most if the flight,
which I guess is around 27-35k ft. It was over France, so it might have been
French onion smog! I kind of remember seeing it when I flew to Iceland
recently too, (North Atlantic) which I know is a popular route for big
carriers. Definitely no cities there.

