--- title: "Climate Researcher Fired for Refusing to Fly" description: "Gianluca Grimulda, an Italian social and climate scientist, prefers \"slow travel\" to cut down on his carbon emissions. That means no flights." date: "2023-10-15" modified: "2023-10-15" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/climate-researcher-fired-refusing-fly" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "airplanes" - "carbon emissions" - "climate change" - "the digest" --- # Climate Researcher Fired for Refusing to Fly ![Gianluca Grimulda, an Italian social and climate scientist, prefers "slow travel" to cut down on his carbon emissions. That means no flights.]() *A Cathay Pacific Aiways plane flying over the smoggy Tung Chung town. 10 September 2002 (Photo by OLIVER TSANG/South China Morning Post via Getty Images) \Image: South China Morning Post/Getty Images\* ## Regret Free Gianluca Grimulda, an Italian scientist, decided to take a circuitous but low-carbon route from Kiel, Germany, to Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, where he was conducting research on climate change's impact on the region. Chiefly, that meant not taking a commercial flight — a vow he had long made to himself as a climate researcher, and one that his employer, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, knew about. But now, Grimalda says he's losing his job because of his climate conscious decision. Two weeks ago, he claims, the German think tank ordered him to return to Kiel within five days or be fired. It was impossible for him to get back in time without giving in to the convenience of an airliner — and still, he didn't give in. "Many people asked me if I regret not catching a plane to go back," Grimalda [told *The New York Times*](). "And my answer is no." ## Slow and Steady Grimalda's research trip, which started earlier this year, was lasting longer than planned. It had hit a few snags, to say the least. A volcano erupted. He was kidnapped by bandits. Even though Grimalda says the Kiel Institute had supported his slow travels before, this time they lost patience. More than a little harsh, given what would seem extenuating circumstances. By Grimalda's calculations, his climate-friendly route, which had him travel over 14,000 miles, emitted approximately 925 lbs of CO2. Taking a direct flight on the other hand, would have emitted over 5.8 tons. In this case, "slow" travel is 12 times more efficient. What his slow travel looked like, as summed up by the *NYT*, was taking "five trains, nine buses, two ferries, two taxis, one shared car, one police convoy and, when there were no other options, two flights." Not an easy endeavor — but one that Grimalda was absolutely committed to. "I have been practicing conscientious objection to flying for more than 10 years," Grimalda [wrote in *The Guardian*](). "Aviation is the biggest contributor to climate change of all forms of transport." ## Standing His Ground Slow traveling wasn't just about a promise to himself, however. Grimalda had also promised all the locals in Bougainville who helped with his research that he would keep his return trip low-carbon. "White men (of whom I am one, as I am frequently reminded here) are often referred to as *giaman* — liars, fraudsters in Tok Pisin — probably with good reason given the country's turbulent colonial past," he wrote in *The Guardian*. "I do not want to be seen as *giaman*." Above all, from the way Grimalda puts it, airplane abstention might just be the sane thing to do. "Many people tell me I’m crazy, that I’m not going to change anything," he told the *NYT*. "To me it’s crazy to go on like a herd of sheep going toward the cliff without trying to sound the alarm." **More on climate change:** *[Scientists Perform “Health Check” on Planet Earth, Alarmed by What They Find]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()