I reached out and pulled a cable tie from the bunch around my wrist, holding the fragment of Acropora coral to the metal frame as I fiddled with the cable tie through my gloves, finally threading it together and pulling it tight to secure the coral to the ‘reef star’. Ten more to go and I would have covered the whole structure, but it was a work in progress to perfect my buoyancy in the water, keeping myself steady against the swell so I could secure the corals in place without kicking and damaging those already ‘planted’. Four other divers worked alongside me, and it really did feel like being a team of gardeners, just underwater.
When we had finished tying down the fragments we had with us, we swam over the existing reef structures, plucking off sponges that were trying to take hold of the corals, swishing off encroaching algae with a flick of the wrist, and removing dead corals to make space for healthy ones. Gently kicking my fins to glide over the coral garden, I noticed the abundance and diversity of fish increase as we got to the older parts of the restoration site. Only six years, and you could barely see the metal frames anymore; it looked like a thriving young reef, complete with resident reef shark and turtles. It truly is amazing how, with a little helping hand, nature can thrive again, despite all odds.
This month, I volunteered to restore corals with the amazing organisation Living Seas Asia, based in the town of Padang Bai in Bali. It was a way that I felt I could help ‘give back’ to an incredibly beautiful island where I had spent some time travelling. Yet, when I was invited by a couple of friends, it was not an easy decision for me to go. It was the ocean’s incredible biodiversity which inspired me to complete my marine biology degree and create Another Way, but I have spent many years putting my dreams of seeing marine life on hold due to my commitment to not flying. Indeed, up until this point, I had not flown for eight years, except to attend Climate Week.
The dilemma over whether or not to fly is one that many of us face, and of course, the answer is never black and white. As conservationists, or simply people who are in love with this planet, I want to ask: how should we view flying, and what thought processes can we undertake to help us decide?
Well, just thinking about it is a good start. Flying is one of the worst things we can do for the climate, emitting many tonnes of carbon dioxide high up in the atmosphere, but too often, the status quo is to jump on a plane without pause. Exploring your personal reasons and the planetary consequences is important if we are to be compassionate global citizens. Considering these, and even better, talking about it with family or friends, can certainly help to bring about a more ethical world, and help others to face these decisions too.
There is absolutely no question that we all need to massively reduce air travel to reach net zero – no matter airlines tell us about Sustainable Aviation Fuel, offsetting or boosting efficiency. Research suggests that to reach UK targets, we could probably all fly once per year1 – but currently, a sector of the population is using way more than their fair share. Reducing the frequency you fly is a way to reduce your personal footprint an enormous amount. Whatever you choose, I do think picking a goal helps to motivate you to stick to your principles!
In order for the UK to reach net zero, it is estimated that each individual will have to live a lifestyle that emits 3-5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year2. Our current average is around 10 per person3. A large portion tends to go towards heating, transport and diet, but a carbon calculator can help you keep track of exactly how you are spending your carbon ‘budget’. One way to use this data is how you might look at your savings – if you’ve got some carbon left over after covering the essential parts of your life, can you ‘use’ it how you like? By keeping the heating low, house-sharing, taking mostly public transport and being vegan, as well as my tendency to shop second-hand, I have found that I generally have a little bit leftover each year. However, flying can eat into this FAST. A return flight to Bali, for instance, is around 4 tonnes per person.
A little note about offsetting is perhaps in order. The principle behind this is intrinsically flawed, if it acts as an excuse to keep on flying as much as we currently do. Most offsetting projects offered by airlines are not nearly impactful enough to make up for your flight4. Because of this, I chose to donate a larger sum of money to an organisation which I know will make significant carbon savings – whilst acknowledging that this is not a justification for my flight.
That’s the negatives. Of course, there are also some profound benefits to travel, and many important reasons to visit other countries. Whether it is to visit family, partake in conservation projects, attend international conferences, or to boost your own knowledge and awe of the world, it may be that you decide the positives outweigh the carbon consequences. In this instance, I felt that I needed to re-motivate myself, learn more about marine conservation in situ, experience the wonder of the ocean, and have fun with friends after a winter of pretty poor health and teetering on the edge of burnout.
During my amazing three weeks in Indonesia, I learned as much as possible about the rich indigenous culture and history of the people there, as well as about the conservation success stories and problems they are experiencing. I tried to leave a positive impact, clearing up plastic from dive sites and beaches, even spending a whole dive disentangling a beautiful lobster from discarded fishing wire. My time on Gili Air, learning about the issues with anchoring and dynamite fishing, irresponsible divers, plastic pollution and solutions such as a solar farm, organic garden and eco-tourism, will feed into our Marine Protected Area board game currently being produced for secondary school workshops in the UK. I also spent a couple of days teaching Another Way workshops in local schools, helping the children to find their passion for the ocean and learn how to protect it. While so many conservation projects do rely on scientists from the global North flying out, perhaps it is time to shift power and resources to local people, ultimately making these projects more sustainable too.
I will be sticking to my train travel for the time being, whilst being very grateful for this experience. I’m still not convinced that my decision to fly was the right one, but I certainly know that I have returned having made the most of every opportunity, and re-energised to fight for our beautiful ocean.
Written by Amy Bray
While my thoughts continue to evolve, I would love to hear yours too! Have you made a difficult decision to fly or not to fly? Email hello@another-way.org.uk
References:
[1] We Are Possible. (2023) What needs to happen to get flights on track for the climate? Available at: https://www.wearepossible.org/our-reports/get-flights-on-track (Accessed: 29 May 2025).
[2] Berners-Lee, M. (2020) How bad are bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything. London: Profile Books.
[3] Scientists for Global Responsibility. (2023) Fair Lifestyle Targets. Available at: https://www.sgr.org.uk/projects/fair-lifestyle-targets-additional (Accessed: 29 May 2025).
[4] Carbon Market Watch. (2023) Does carbon offsetting do more harm than good? Available at: https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2023/07/06/does-carbon-offsetting-do-more-harm-than-good/ (Accessed: 29 May 2025).
Images of aeroplane wing, coral reef restoration, and CO2 footprint taken from Canva. The rest were provided by Amy.
