Welcome aboard flight EW9340 from Dusseldorf to Manchester. Today’s destination is not only a new country but also a new perspective.
Please fasten your seatbelts and stow your baggage. We also ask you to open your mind. Prejudices can be left behind, they won’t be necessary at our destination.
During the flight please take a careful look outside the window. Clouds know no borders, the oceans belong to nobody, the atmosphere is shared among all of us. Our route today takes us across cities, forests and oceans. We kindly ask you to leave these intact for future generations and communities that depend on them. Please also take care of your fellow travellers. A safe journey is only possible if no one is left behind.
As our journey continues, you might encounter unfamiliar habits: people who cycle by choice, avoid food waste, buy second-hand items or use resources sparingly. Small habits alone won’t change the world, but they shape the way we treat it. So, if your perspective on sustainability is thrown off balance, stay calm. Although change sometimes feels unusual, the reason for our travel is not just the discovery of new places but also returning home with new ideas.
We have reached our cruising altitude. Remember: a journey does not end with the landing. We wish you an inspiring stay and hope you collect not just memories, but new perspectives.
Thank you for travelling with us today, have a nice flight.
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Have these announcements always been this long?
I fasten my seatbelt and as I put my headphones on, I try to recap what has been said: take care of the planet, keep in mind that your actions will have consequences. A little ironic to remind plane passengers of that while sitting on one of the most carbon-intensive forms of transport.
I feel guilty and selfish for choosing a semester abroad but I remind myself why I even applied and how lucky I am for this place. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I don’t plan to waste it: not the chance, not the resources it costs.
After arriving in Manchester, I’ll take the train to the University of Hull, the first of many small choices. During my stay, I want to rely on public transport, buy second hand whenever possible, reduce food waste and learn from the everyday habits that make sustainable living feel rather normal than exceptional.
I’ll study computer science, and will be doing research in artificial intelligence. I know that every line of code comes at a hidden cost: electricity, water and natural resources for modern data centres. AI has enormous potential, but only if we learn to build it responsibly. I want to build AI ethically and sustainably, making technology part of the solution rather than the problem.
The announcement fades away with the music in my headphones, but one sentence stays in my mind: change sometimes feels unusual.
Resources
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
https://www.hull.ac.uk/research/making-a-difference/sustainable
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
https://www.thredup.com/
https://www.toogoodtogo.com/en-gb
https://www.happycow.net/
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/
