Meteorologist Eric Holthaus Quits Air Travel - Business Insider

AP/John Minchillo

Flooded streets in New York City during Hurricane Sandy.

Most New Yorkers probably know the name Eric Holthaus thanks to his incredible coverage as the Wall Street Journal's meteorologist during Hurricane Sandy. Holthaus now writes for Quartz and works on an app called Weathermob.

This week Holthaus made a big decision, one that immediately prompted a huge amount of debate on Twitter. The decision reflected his deep knowledge of extreme weather patterns and how global warming is changing them, he explained.

Holthaus is giving up flying, forever.

To a lot of people, that sounds crazy. How can someone live the rest of their life without getting on a plane?

Holthaus explained his decision in a series of tweets yesterday. It's hard not to find it compelling.

Holthaus went on to explain his decision in a series of responses to tweets from his followers:

Holthaus says that his decision to stop flying was prompted by news of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report that found 95% confidence human-emitted greenhouse gases are responsible for most of the Earth's warming since 1951. It's certainly a disturbing report.

"Without jumping up and down on the desks of their computer terminals, this forum of scientists has done about as much as they can do," Holthaus wrote for Quartz. "With this report, they have proven humankind’s impact on the climate, and confidently projected dire consequences should world governments fail to act immediately."

Finally, Holthaus also gave an interview to Eric Berger of the Houston Chronicle about his decision, which you can read here. As Holthaus tells Berger, his experience as a meteorologist during events like Hurricane Sandy convinced him of the dangers of climate change.

"I’m considered an expert in my field," he says. "I have to do something big, right now."