Should Travel Writers Discourage Flying to Reduce Global Warming?

Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 02.08.07 | 1:36 PM ET

Or do the benefits of world travel—namely greater understanding across cultures—outweigh the damage air travel causes to the environment? A number of writers have been debating the issue in an interesting thread on Travelwriters.com. Wrote “Petra” to kick off the discussion: “I myself, being based in Britain, have decided that I will write about travel in the UK from now on (and believe me - I enjoy overseas travel). I know that rail and automobile travel within our shores will add to the problem, but not to the extent that air travel does. How do you, as travel writers, salve your conscience with regard to the effect air travel will have on global warming?”