Grounded: This pilot quit flying to help the aviation industry change, for the better

Mongabay Newscast

Todd Smith wanted to be a pilot since the age of 5, but an epiphany spurred by seeing a retreating ice cap in Peru revealed that his love of flying conflicted with the planetary harm his industry was causing.

“That was the first seed that was planted, and I was witnessing in that moment climate change and mass tourism firsthand,” he says.

Today, Smith is co-founder of Safe Landing, an organization dedicated to advocating for sustainable aviation reform to adapt to the realities of climate change and ensure the future employment of airline workers. On the latest Mongabay Newscast, he details his journey to leave the industry, and shares what he thinks the airline industry needs to change to in order to adapt to our new climate-changed reality.

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Image: Private jet flights account for a small fraction of aviation’s overall emissions — around 4% — though the burden is up to 10 times more per passenger compared to a commercial flight, according to a recent report. Image by lillolillolillo via Pixabay (Public domain).

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Timecodes

(00:00) Introduction: Todd Smith

(02:10) From airline pilot to climate activist

(12:10) The origins of Safe Landing

(24:04) The future of aviation on a limited carbon budget

(37:10) The inequities of flying

(45:53) Credits