Ideally, we should reduce flying, but in the short term, it is not something I get overly concerned about if there is not a reasonable alternative (taking the train for example). Yes, you could always choose not to make the trip, but that comes with varying levels of pain points (maybe you miss out on visiting family, for example).
The reason I take this position is because there is so much low hanging fruit that doesn't require significant lifestyle changes that we should be doing those things first and NOW before we get too worked up about lifestyle changes. I drive an electric car; for most purposes it is an exact replacement for a petrol/gasoline car. In many ways it is better (cheaper fuel, cheaper maintenance, quieter, better for air quality). In some ways, it is worse (lower range between fueling, though I find that is rarely a practical issue). My point is that, financial considerations aside, most people could easily replace their car with an electric one without seriously impacting the way they live their lives. There are many things like this which would have a huge impact without forcing people to change their habits too suddenly. Once these changes are well underway, we can look at whether and what major lifestyle changes are still needed.
The reason I take this position is because there is so much low hanging fruit that doesn't require significant lifestyle changes that we should be doing those things first and NOW before we get too worked up about lifestyle changes. I drive an electric car; for most purposes it is an exact replacement for a petrol/gasoline car. In many ways it is better (cheaper fuel, cheaper maintenance, quieter, better for air quality). In some ways, it is worse (lower range between fueling, though I find that is rarely a practical issue). My point is that, financial considerations aside, most people could easily replace their car with an electric one without seriously impacting the way they live their lives. There are many things like this which would have a huge impact without forcing people to change their habits too suddenly. Once these changes are well underway, we can look at whether and what major lifestyle changes are still needed.