A new study by climate change researchers about climate change researchers found that, ironically, they are more likely to travel than other academics.
Of course, some of that may result from needing to examine the evidence of climate change in different parts of the world—someone has to collect the data and physical evidence—but some of it may be due to long-ingrained habits.
A study, published in the journal Global Environmental Change, and written by researchers at the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research, investigated the habit of flying by academic staff, relative to their seniority and whether or not they worked in the field of climate change.
Their upfront conclusion: “Our research makes clear that knowledge alone is insufficient to change workplace travel choices, and in fact those with arguably the most knowledge of all – climate change professors – fly more than any other group.”
They do point out, however, that climate change experts were more likely to believe that flying for work is more justifiable than flying for pleasure, and that 44% of them said they at least sometimes try to offset the carbon impact of flying, compared to 26% of those in other fields.
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