Eco-anxiety and the flight shaming movement: implications for tourism

Mkono, Muchazondida

doi:10.1108/jtf-10-2019-0093

Cited by 67 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…All these factors might have increased both knowledge of CC and emotional involvement. Currently, the Swedish word for "flight shame" and the social media movement "Flight Free 2020" has spread internationally [57,79]. Our interviewees may thus be seen as front runners in a rising global movement.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Tipping to Staying on the Ground: Internalized Knowledge of Climate Change Crucial for Transformed Air Travel Behavior

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Air travel accounts for a major share of individual greenhouse gas emissions, particularly for people in high-income countries. Until recently, few have reduced flying because of climate concerns, but currently, a movement for staying on the ground is rising. Sweden has been a focal point for this movement, particularly during 2018–2019, when a flight tax was introduced, and air travel reduction was intensely discussed in the media. We performed semi-structured interviews with Swedish residents, focusing primarily on individuals who have reduced flying because of its climate impact. We explore how such individual transformation of air travel behavior comes about, and the phases and components of this process. Applying a framework of sustainability transformation, we identify incentives and barriers in personal and political spheres. We show that internalized knowledge about climate change and the impact of air travel is crucial for instigating behavioral change. Awareness evokes negative emotions leading to a personal tipping point where a decision to reduce or quit flying is made. However, the process is often counteracted by both personal values and political structures promoting air travel. Even individuals with a strong drive to reduce flying feel trapped in social practices, norms and infrastructures. Hence, we argue that personal and political spheres interact complexly and to reduce flying at larger scales, interventions are needed across spheres, e.g., change of norms, effective policy instruments and better alternatives to air travel.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…A vivid debate about individual responsibility and air travel exploded and spread across mainstream and social media. The word "flygskam", "flight shame" in English, was established and spread internationally [56,57].…”

Section: The Rising Fly-less Movement In Swedenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tipping to Staying on the Ground: Internalized Knowledge of Climate Change Crucial for Transformed Air Travel Behavior

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The emissions of these few international tourists in relative terms affect the entire population of the planet. In this context, a new concept known as "flygskam" [55] appeared in 2018 in Sweden and which could be translated as "flight shame", whose main exponent is Greta Thunberg. The results of this are diverse political or social proposals, still diffuse and dispersed, tending to aim to drastically reduce the use of airplanes as a means of transport.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tourism, Transport and Climate Change: The Carbon Footprint of International Air Traffic on Islands

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Many small islands base their economy on tourism. This activity, based to a large extent on the movement of millions of people by air transport, depends on the use of fossil fuels and, therefore, generates a large amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this work, these emissions are evaluated by means of various carbon calculators, taking the Canary Islands as an example, which is one of the most highly developed tourist archipelagos in the world. The result is that more than 6.4 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 are produced per year exclusively due to the massive transport of tourists over an average distance of more than 3000 km. The relative weight of these emissions is of such magnitude that they are equivalent to more than 50% of the total amount produced by the socioeconomic activity of the archipelago. Although, individually, it is travelers from Russia and Nordic countries who generate the highest carbon footprint due to their greater traveling distance, the British and German tourists account for the greatest weight in the total, with two-thirds of emissions.

show abstract

“…Uncertainty and unpredictability extend into social relations: people do not necessarily know what social norms they should follow in relation to environmental behavior [123]. For example, for middle-class people, it used to be socially accepted and even endorsed to fly; now in many countries there is a discussion about "flight shame" [124]. There are social kinds of eco-anxiety, or as sociological and psychosocial research shows, there is a social dimension in eco-anxiety dynamics.…”

Section: Anxiety Theories and Eco-anxietymentioning

confidence: 99%

Anxiety and the Ecological Crisis: An Analysis of Eco-Anxiety and Climate Anxiety

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Eco-anxiety and climate anxiety are widely discussed in contemporary media and are subjects of growing research interest. However, there is a lack of research about the definitions and variations of these phenomena. This article analyzes various views of eco-anxiety from a wide range of disciplines. Insights from various anxiety theories are used to discuss empirical studies about forms of eco-anxiety. The article points out that uncertainty, unpredictability, and uncontrollability seem to be important factors in eco-anxiety. Most forms of eco-anxiety appear to be non-clinical, but cases of “pathological” eco-anxiety are also discussed. Other relevant terms and phenomena are scrutinized, such as ecological grief, solastalgia, and ecological trauma. The relationship between studies on eco-anxiety and research about ecological emotions and affect is probed. Eco-anxiety is found to be closely connected to fear and worry, but several disciplines include discussion of its character as existential anxiety. Psychosocial and sociological perspectives point out that social dynamics shape forms of eco-anxiety in profound ways. While paralyzing forms of eco-anxiety emerge as a problem, it is noted that eco-anxiety manifests itself also as “practical anxiety”, which leads to gathering of new information and reassessment of behavior options. This variety of forms of eco-anxiety should be taken into account in healthcare and public discussion.

show abstract

Eco-anxiety and the flight shaming movement: implications for tourism

Cited by 67 publications

References 15 publications

Tipping to Staying on the Ground: Internalized Knowledge of Climate Change Crucial for Transformed Air Travel Behavior

Tipping to Staying on the Ground: Internalized Knowledge of Climate Change Crucial for Transformed Air Travel Behavior

Tourism, Transport and Climate Change: The Carbon Footprint of International Air Traffic on Islands

Anxiety and the Ecological Crisis: An Analysis of Eco-Anxiety and Climate Anxiety

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About