I grudgingly took a flight last year. I intend for it to be my last, to travel less (I've already traveled so much in my life, like a child of wealthy parents in the 1800s might spend a year or two exploring the world before they settle down), and when I do go more than a few hundred miles I'll go by train or car with my family (I know I know, driving is less safe, but we also don't really like to drive long distance, so that's a damper). Ideally Amtrak gets more federal funding, rails are maintained better, and the cost of family cabins is reasonable for an annual trip (we have a young child). We'd travel by bicycle if the roads accommodated that (I know I know, bicycling isn't for everyone, but it was a great way for me to cover thousands of miles as a tourist and about the same as a commuter. My spouse, too, until she needed a vehicle for work). For us to have a smaller ecological footprint we have to be okay with converting less energy for selfish reasons. Easy for me to say, having benefited so much already.
