how to solve global warming

[Yppej]

freeing up their current job for someone that doesn’t live an hour away.

Not realistic. My site has trouble finding qualified people. Customers have said to me, "Where did they find you?"

[Rogar]

If I quit my job the reduction in carbon footprint would be nonexistent. My employer would simply hire someone else to do the same job and my work carbon footprint would just transfer to them.

That's sort of like trading in a big SUV to get a hybrid or EV, when you know someone will buy the SUV and drive it any way.

[ApatheticNoMore]

When I was house hunting I took the point of a compass and drew a 10 mile radius around my work place on a map (remember paper maps). That was my maximum bike commuting distance. It's too bad cities are not better designed so that more people can do that or something similar with public transportation. Or that people don't consider this more when house hunting.

consider the average time at a job. My *maximum* time at a job was 8 years. My average is under 4 years (sure I count a contract job, it was one of the ones I did an hour commute for). So you are really arguing for renting. Which is ok of course. But people tend to stay at rentals longer than you'd think too. Why? Because if you have been there any period of time you are paying below market rent, even more so if there's rent control, but quite often EVEN when there isn't much rent control. Plus one is always rolling the dice on a new rental.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Flying because a job makes you is different than flying on vacation. Noone has to go on vacation. Working is not optional (although some of the flying that businesses do could probably just as well be done on zoom).

But I've never had a job I had to fly for, and when I was once sent out for something in San Francisco I took the train.

[JaneV2.0]

When I was house hunting I took the point of a compass and drew a 10 mile radius around my work place on a map (remember paper maps). That was my maximum bike commuting distance. It's too bad cities are not better designed so that more people can do that or something similar with public transportation. Or that people don't consider this more when house hunting.

Not everyone has the knees or derring-do to bike to work. I certainly don't. I spent years sitting on public transit, expanding my travel time to just about double what it would have been by car--years I'll never get back. Basically 12-hour days.

Were I job hunting now, I wouldn't take a cubicle job unless absolutely desperate.

[Yppej]

Flying because a job makes you is different than flying on vacation. Noone has to go on vacation. Working is not optional.

But I've never had a job I had to fly for, and when I was once sent out for something in San Francisco I took the train.

There is also a difference between required business travel (customer mandates in person meeting) and optional (I'm going to party with my coworkers out of town, or go to optional conferences, because the company will pick up the tab). Some folks like to max out their professional development money every year on this type of thing vs say using tuition reimbursement to improve their skill set, because that's work not fun.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I spent years sitting on public transit, expanding my travel time to just about double what it would have been by car--years I'll never get back. Basically 12-hour days.

that's admirable and a realistic option (I do not consider buying a house based on betting on long term job security a particularly realistic option). But yes public transit takes twice the time - so 1/2 hour each way commutes become an hour or more, 1 hour each way become 2 each way.

[Rogar]

consider the average time at a job. My *maximum* time at a job was 8 years. My average is under 4 years (sure I count a contract job, it was one of the ones I did an hour commute for). So you are really arguing for renting. Which is ok of course. But people tend to stay at rentals longer than you'd think too. Why? Because if you have been there any period of time you are paying below market rent, even more so if there's rent control, but quite often EVEN when there isn't much rent control. Plus one is always rolling the dice on a new rental.

I guess my generation was spoiled by longevity on a job with a pension and good insurance. Most of my similar age associations have stayed in the same job for years and years once they settled into a long term career. I can't imagine spending a large portion of my day commuting and for that matter can't picture a job where I sat at a computer and phone all day, at home or any other place, either. I rented a lot. I have been fortunate.

[jp1]

Many employers these days are pushing for people to come back to the office. My employer is sort of one of those but acknowledges that more than half the staff, like me, don't live near an office and are full time work from home. And were before covid. Their answer to that is to enthusiastically embrace "away days" where the entire staff of a team get together for a few days. So much so that the travel budget for away days is from a general corporate account separate from our team's regular travel budget. Sure, I can miss one because I was a covid contact. Can I skip them all and still be considered a "team player"? Absolutely not. That would be as unrealistic as expecting my employer to simply let my position go unfilled if I quit. The region I'm responsible for will bring in $15 million in insurance premiums this year. It's laughable to think that my leaving would change their desire to have that income. All that my leaving would do is force my boss to start making a bunch of trips from his home in Dallas to the west coast to make sure that my departure didn't derail that goal.

[JaneV2.0]

that's admirable and a realistic option (I do not consider buying a house based on betting on long term job security a particularly realistic option). But yes public transit takes twice the time - so 1/2 hour each way commutes become an hour or more, 1 hour each way become 2 each way.

I didn't mean to be admirable; it all depended on hours, availability of parking, and other considerations. I would hate to be accused of virtue signaling.