Sweden has seen a four-percent drop in the number of international air passengers. The air travel was down further, by nine percent. Meanwhile, the number of passengers who traveled by train jumped to a record 32 million last year.
The changes come as the Swedish-born action of "flight shaming" is getting support. More than ever, people are worried about climate (气候) change. They feel ashamed to use any kind of traffic that depends on fossil fuels (化石燃料). Nearly 23,000 Swedes have promised to go flight-free. They have, instead, shown interest in "climate-smart travel."
"Flight shaming" has put pressure on airlines (航空公司) to cut down on their greenhouse gas emissions (温室气体排放). Some of them have stopped using old and fuel-thirsty planes. The models they use now are lighter. Some airlines are also asking passengers to pre-order food. This helps to further cut down the weight of planes. As a result, much less fuel is being used now.
Richard Gustafson is the C.E.O. of a Swedish airline. He also supports the "flight shaming" action. However, he doesn't believe putting an end to flying is the only way out. Instead, airlines must take action to cut pollution. "The journey toward a cleaner world will be long," Gustafson said. "One day, a scientist will invent jet engines that don't depend on fossil fuels. I think those planes will appear in, say, 20 years' time."
