Click here to access the Google Doc of these resources.
If you haven’t done so already click here to read about the Who? What? and Why? maps and graphics.
Here is an excellent article describing recent research that has revealed Sweden’s changing attitudes to going to far flung places for a holiday.
| Activity | Resource link | Action |
| Calculate the carbon dioxide emissions associated with a recent flight you took – school trip / family holiday. How does this compare to the average annual total carbon emissions of a person in the UK? | carbonfootprint.com | Choose to travel low carbon and actively. Could you travel by train instead of plane? Could you cycle instead of driving? |
| Could you live without flying? Explore the Flight Free campaign and discuss the pros and cons of a campaign like this. Why do people sign up to public campaigns like this? How effective do you think the campaign is? Discuss as a class. | flightfree.co.uk | Investigate if your school or family would commit to living flight free. Post their commitment on social media. |
| Should people be allowed to continue flying? Should a frequent flyer levy be introduced? Explore the proposals for a Frequent Flyer Tax and the arguments for and against the suggestion. | stay-grounded.org afreeride.org | Organise a school wide debate for an assembly. Use “This house believes flying should be banned” as a motion. |
| Investigate carbon offsetting which is often seen as an alternative so that people can continue to fly. What is carbon offsetting? Does it work? | greenpeace.org.uk | Discuss with your school’s senior management whether all school trips should be carbon offset. |
| Investigate the Flightradar24 website. Where are there lots of planes? Where are there few? Why might this be the case? Find the night/day divide. Explore your local area, can you see the planes on the map in the sky outside you? | flightradar24.com | Tell all your friends and family about the Flightradar24 website. Tell your friends or family where a plane in the sky you can see has come from and where it’s going. |
| What are contrails? How do they form? How do they impact the climate? Use the linked article to research the impact of contrails on climate change. | yale.edu | Record an information video explaining what contrails are and how they contribute to climate change. |
| How many people fly? Which countries have the most people travelling by plane? Explore the information about which countries fly the most. Read the news article about how many people fly in England. Are you surprised? | ourworldindata.org theguardian.com | Create a school wide survey of flying habits and knowledge about the impact of flying. Share the survey digitally and then share the results in an assembly. |
| Why don’t we have electric planes yet? Watch the video about the future of electric planes. How likely do you think electric planes are? How soon will they be widespread? | youtube.com | Send an email to an airline or your local MP asking them why there aren’t more electric planes. |
