No-fly climate scientist faces sack over long trip home

A climate scientist whose pledge not to travel by plane - leaving him with a long trip back to Germany from where he's been working - has put him at odds with his employer.Dr Gianluca Grimalda is a senior researcher at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) and has spent most of the year in Papua New Guinea studying the relationship between globalisation, climate change and social cohesion. He started his journey to PNG in February overland and by sea and had intended to go back the same way - a 22-thousand kilometre trip that he calculated would create four tonnes of greenhouse gases by plane, but just 400 kilograms by rail, bus and ship. While he was due back in the office last month, his research was delayed - at one point he and his assistants were hostage under machete threat. He's also had his belongings taken and held for ransom. But his employer now says he's due in the office Monday - and if he's not there - his job won't be either. Dr Grimalda joins Kathryn from Papua New Guinea.