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Hi all, You may find the following useful for this discussion: a paper published in 'Area' (2007) presenting a calculation of the (substantial) carbon emissions of the 2006 RGS Annual conference, and suggesting alternative arrangements for future conferences (inc. greater use of virtual technologies). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-4762.2007.00732.x/abstract Cheers, Ed. Dr. Edward Hall Geography School of the Environment University of Dundee Dundee DD1 4HN Tel: 01382 388073 Email: [log in to unmask] Webpage: www.dundee.ac.uk/geography/staff/ehall.htm<http://www.dundee.ac.uk/geography/staff/ehall.htm> New paper in Social Science and Medicine Andrews, G., Colls, R., Evans, B. and Hall, E. (2012) 'Moving beyond walkability: on the potential of health geography' www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027795361200617X?v=s5<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027795361200617X?v=s5> ________________________________ From: A forum for critical and radical geographers [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Sophie Wynne-Jones [sxw] [[log in to unmask]] Sent: 16 November 2012 11:32 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Take the Train - but if you do have to fly Thanks for this Noah Just to remind people of the debates we had on the potential for video conferencing some years back - and to note that the RGS have been very proactive in this regard enabling participants to present via Skype etc and pay a reduced conference fee as they would not be able to attend the whole conference. Thanks to Catherine Souch for being so pro-active on this! Clearly this does not work as a model for transforming the whole conference event - but does offer an option to some who might want to present at international conferences without the travel. Is this something the AAG could consider? Elsewhere it is worth noting a variety of virtual conference arrangements that New Zealand and Australian geographers have alerted me to whilst I was investigating this some years back... Posting presentations online and having open-acces on conference papers after the event is also really useful in terms of maintaining participation in conferences whilst also enabling people to make a considered choice about travel. Again this does pose some threats to our current model of conferencing but maybe it is time to start working out a low carbon alternative....? Cheers Sophie Research Associate Wales Rural Observatory IGES Aberystwyth University SY23 3DB 01970622595 http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/iges/staff/research/sxw/ ________________________________ From: A forum for critical and radical geographers [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Noah Quastel [[log in to unmask]] Sent: 16 November 2012 00:14 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Take the Train - but if you do have to fly Hi all, For those still debating how to take the train across water to the AAG, Kevin Anderson at the Tyndall Centre has a recent talk in part on the subject. First, he re-iterates his view that we are heading very quickly towards a 4 degree world. Second-- critical geographers take note--there is a vast silence in the science and (more shocking) climate community on how serious the numbers and projections are --think 10% loss of agricultural production worldwide per 1 degree celsius to start. Third, he has some rather pointed remarks concerning academics who don't themselves internalize this and make changes in their own lifestyles. Could the next AAG not consider video-conferencing technologies? Commentary and partial reporting of the talk here -- http://www.ecoshock.info/2012/11/kevin-anderson-what-they-wont-tell-you.html An audio version is here http://www.indymedia.org.uk/media/2012/11//502497.mp3 and partially edited to be under an hour--here -- http://64.250.116.201/downloads/Kevin_Anderson_radio_edit.mp3 On Tue, Sep 4, 2012 at 7:37 AM, Kelvin Mason <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote: I try not to fly and so have only once been to the AAG... But when I do I have to take a plane, I use this site, Atmosfair https://www.atmosfair.de/en/about-us/ and add the offset to the cost of the flight. I am well aware that offsetting is no 'cure' for climate change but this is an option that some people may be intersted in given that the green revolution seems more distant than ever. It is a few years ago, but when I researched offsetters Atmosfair came out best - maybe someone has an update on that? Out of interest, Atmosfair calculate that a return trip London - Los Angeles emits 6080 kg of carbon dioxide, more than 3 times the emissions of driving for a year, which at 12000 km/annum = 2000kg). The cost of offsetting the London- LA fare is Euro 141 (that is £112 in old money or US$178 in Imperial currency) Dr Kelvin Mason Cardiff School of Planning and Geography Cardiff University Glamorgan Building King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff CF10 3WA Wales, UK Tel/ffon +44(0)20 2087 4850 Mob 07817 596 285 http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/cplan Ysgol Cynllunio a Daearyddiaeth Caerdydd Prifysgol Caerdydd Adeilad Morgannwg Rhodfa Brenin Edward VII Caerdydd CF10 3WA Cymru, Y Deyrnas Gyfunol Can we imagine Wales as consisting of a plurality of experiences, cultures and identities? Can we rethink Welshsness as heterogenous, as inclusive of difference? (Jordan, 2005) -----A forum for critical and radical geographers <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote: ----- To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> From: Ryan Katz-Rosene Sent by: A forum for critical and radical geographers Date: 08/31/2012 07:04PM Subject: Re: Take the Train Thanks Susan, for raising the question about train travel to the AAG. I've spent many hours on the train here in Canada, largely as part of an effort to cut down on carbon-intensive air travel. The Amtrak line from Montreal to New York (which I took for last year's AAG) is a relatively comfortable 11 hour trip, though the wireless internet is extremely spotty through the Adirondacks. Unfortunately, as others have hinted in their replies, long-distance passenger rail travel in North America is not very practical these days (mostly because it is extremely slow). What's worse, if you look into the figures, it turns out long distance rail travel can actually produce more emissions than air travel (at least this is the case with VIA Rail once you leave the Quebec City - Windsor Corridor; and I assume it is also the case with Amtrak's cross-country service). The problem stems from low occupancy on VIA's long haul trains and the archaic diesel-electric technology used. Whereas airplanes and buses cram as many people in as possible, the long distance trains in Canada typically feature numerous 'upper class' cars with 'spacious' cabins. There is a very interesting table on page 167 of Volume 2 of the 1992 Royal Commission on National Passenger Transportation by Louis Hyndman (here's a link to the publication record: http://publications.gc.ca/pub?id=13805&sl=0) comparing the per passenger emissions on various modes for both short haul and long haul trips. The table points out that within the Quebec City- Windsor corridor (where there are no 'upper class' cars), rail travel is quite efficient relative to automobiles and airplanes. Yet on a long haul trip, the train actually produces more Carbon Monoxide, Volatile Organic Compounds, Nitrous Oxides, and Carbon Dioxide than buses and airplanes. It even produces more Carbon Dioxide than an automobile trip of the same distance! Admittedly the data is from 1989, and fuel engines have become much more efficient since then. Yet this is the case across the modes (particularly where airplanes are concerned - as airlines are trying desperately to save on fuel costs). All this to say, depending on the scenario, it is quite possible that air travel to next year's AAG would be more efficient than rail travel (in terms of both time and fuel consumption). Perhaps the real question - as others have noted - is whether it is sustainable to travel such long distances for a conference in the first place? -- Noah Quastel LLB LLM PhD Candidate UBC Geography 1127 Semlin Drive Vancouver, BC V5L 4K3 Phone; 778 709 4496 The University of Dundee is a registered Scottish Charity, No: SC015096