Flight Shaming: # stayontheground

For the environmentally conscious, boarding a flight can be a source of mild stress or guilt, considering the large amounts of carbon footprint that comes with it. 【小题1】

Flight shaming, or flygskam, is a movement that originated in Sweden in 2017. Back then, singer Staffan Lindberg declared his intention to give up flying to and from his concerts in favor of travel by train, bus, car, or boat. 【小题2】 Before long, a substantial portion of the general public had happily jumped on board. The following year, the hashtag # jagstannarpamarken — which translates as # stayontheground started gaining popularity on the Internet, and by 2019, annual air travel in Sweden had fallen by 5%.

Although “shame” has a relatively negative meaning associated with it, the overall outcome of the flight shaming movement has been undeniably positive. No longer restricted to Sweden alone, the trend has spread throughout Europe. 【小题3】 Besides, the movement is less about shaming other people out of flying than it is about changing one’s own travel habits for the benefits of the Earth.

An interesting side effect of the flight shaming movement is that those who observe it often rediscover the novelty of slow, purposeful travel. When traveling by land, one can take in the variety of sights, sounds, and smells along the way. 【小题4】 Without doubt, travelers willing to take on the challenge of flygskam have the opportunity to experience local culture in ways that passengers flying thousands of miles above could only dream of.