| 英文摘要: | Has the time come for researchers to take the lead and accept responsibility for emissions generated in the course of their research? Today's climate change researchers travel the world to attend conferences, while calling for society to cut emissions. It represents a large carbon footprint, which is at odds with the research and policy message they are trying to deliver. Corinne Le Quéré, of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, emphasizes “if we want to maintain [society's] trust and credibility, the science community has to align the way we do research with what we think society has to do to have a sustainable planet.” International flights and the associated emissions continue to increase, despite the knowledge that a reduction is needed if warming is to be limited to the much discussed 2 °C policy target.
A working paper 'Towards a culture of low-carbon research for the 21st Century' released by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research (http://go.nature.com/sJbj9f) outlines a plan to move towards a low-carbon research culture and details their online travel tracker, which allow users to calculate and monitor individual travel emissions. The travel tracker is currently in testing phase and only available to Tyndall Centre members, who have been asked to provide travel information back to the start of this year; however, the aim is for the tracker to be made available globally and encourage organizations such as the Future Earth community to use it. Data will be made publicly available and the Tyndall Centre aims to set guidelines, to be adopted at their Assembly in September this year, for travel emissions reductions that they hope will be implemented by its members. The emissions are calculated by considering mode of transport and the number of hours travelled, so users will be able to consider if the travel is needed and the best mode to minimize emissions with consideration to time constraints.
© ELLY WALTON / ALAMY |