Zero Altitude

How going flight-free can save the planet - and change how you see the world. In recent decades, quick and easy flights have bought far-flung destinations within the reach of almost everyone. But at what cost to the environment? Around the world, flying emits about 860 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year, and until the outbreak of Covid-19, the aviation industry was one of the planet's fastest-growing polluters.

Now is the perfect time to pause and take stock of our toxic relationship with flying. Part climate-change investigation, part travel memoir, Zero Altitude follows Helen Coffey as she journeys as far as she can in the course of her job as a top travel journalist all without getting on a single flight. On trips by train, car, boat and bike, she meets climate experts and activists at the forefront of the burgeoning flight-free movement. Over the course of her travels, she discovers that keeping both feet on the ground is not only possible but that it can also an exhilarating opportunity for adventure. Her book is brimming with tips and ideas for swapping the middle seat for the open road.

About the Author

Helen Coffey is deputy travel editor of the INDEPENDENT, following stints as a travel reporter at the DAILY EXPRESS and online editor of the TELEGRAPH's ski and snowboard section.