Zero Altitude: How I Learned to Fly Less and Travel More | Helen Coffey

 

In recent decades, private jets have become status symbols for the world’s wealthiest, while quick and easy flights have brought far-flung destinations within the reach of everyone. But at what cost to the environment? Around the world, flying emits around 860 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, and the aviation industry continues to be one of the planet’s fastest-growing polluters.

Part climate change investigation, part travel memoir, Zero Altitude follows Helen Coffey as she journeys as far as she can in the course of her job as a travel journalist – all without getting on a single flight. What I liked most about this book is that it is full of the joys of travel, the excitement of discovery and gratitude for the opportunity to see the world in a different, more rewarding way. In the final chapter Coffey argues that ‘slow travel’ is not just better for the planet – it really can change how you see the world. ‘Keeping both feet on the ground can provide the most exhilarating opportunities for adventure.’