A blog about sustainability, ethics, politics and philosophy.

Flying is just one of many examples of excesses from which the wealthy benefit at the expense of the most vulnerable. Fortunately, travelling doesn’t need to be put on hold until green aviation comes along. Given the acute need to tackle the climate crisis, and the ability to increase rail capacity using existing technologies and adding to existing infrastructure, train travel requires greater investment and support. Until then, and even in geographies where there are no sustainable travel options, flying must remain a luxury we forgo if we are serious about doing our part to tackle the climate crisis.

The Banality of Evil is a phrase coined by Hannah Arendt, one of the most influential political philosophers and historians of the 20th century. Arendt argues that Adolf Eichmann, a key figure in the Nazi Party and participant in enabling the Holocaust, was not psychotic or particularly anti-semitic in his personal beliefs.If the empirical claim that many meat eaters know that animal agriculture is unethical but fail to become vegan due to weak appeals to culture, comfort and convenience, those who eat meat should be seen through the same lens as those who participated in the Holocaust without any particular ideological motivation.

"Who is sustainability for?" is a great question, but I am consistently disappointed with the answers from academics and activists alike. Environmental, ethical consideration has already been extended to individuals without regard for geography, sex, race and age and should now be extended to all sentient beings regardless of species.

When thinking about the actions necessary to limit the disastrous effects of climate change, few things come to mind before electric cars. By focusing on tailpipe emissions and marketing electric vehicles as environmentally friendly, electric car companies have convinced individuals that car dependency is okay, so long as the vehicles are not (directly) powered by fossil fuels.

Cars are terrible. They are loud, dangerous, expensive, take up far too much space, are socially inequitable, and damage our health and environment. Yes, even the electric ones. Car dependency is an urban planning choice. Ultimately, individuals will make environmentally harmful transportation choices so long as the infrastructure around them supports harmful transportation as the most convenient.

The 2022 United Nations Emissions Gap Report states that “there is no credible pathway to 1.5°C in place.” Each individual must have an equal right to use an equal share of resources and contribute their share of pollution if we are to create a just society. The actions needed might seem like drastic action but is insignificant when these actions hinder lifting billions out of poverty and suffering in a sustainable manner.

2022 has been an eventful year filled with learning. For me, 2022 has been shaped around two main events: full-time work and full-time university. The obvious question is: why would I subject myself to this?

Agriculture can be a powerful force for good. It alleviates hunger, provides jobs and allows for productive, healthy individuals and societies. Despite the positives it brings, agriculture also undeniably negatively affects the planet. The challenge is to reduce this impact to the minimum possible whilst meeting nutritional demands sustainably and equitably.

Traditional hotels can be expensive, and unreliable, negatively affect local residents and can have a significant impact on the urban environment. CityHub aims to solve these issues. Whilst we might not always stay in a pod, we will be returning to CityHub for many of our shorter stay journeys where we want to save money whilst enjoying the beautiful cities where CityHub exists.