One of the most prominent members of the Inuit community is pleading for an end to the expansion of London’s third airport at Stansted. Aqqaluk Lynge will present evidence of the increasing loss of Inuit villages and hunting grounds across the Arctic and link it to Britain’s cheap flight culture. His testimony will be given … Read More
aircraft travel
Ryaniar Fries the Planet for Free
Budget airline Ryanair pushed the economics of cheap flying to its limits yesterday when it offered one million free flights, paying for customers’ taxes, fees and charges. The move has sparked an unprecedented rush of “binge flyers” clambering to book tickets for close to nothing.
Flights Soar to Record Levels
Aviation growth is soaring to an all-time high, adding to a huge increase in the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. For the first time, more than 2.5 million commercial flights will be made around the world in a single month, with 2.51 million scheduled for May, says the flight information company OAG. This … Read More
O’Leary Plans $12 Tickets to Cross Atlantic
There may be unprecedented news about how flying affects climate change, but try telling that to Michael O’Leary, the controversial boss of Ryanair. O’Leary said he was planning to bring his no-frills approach to transatlantic flights, offering one-way tickets from $12. The market is poised for significant changes in the wake of the recent “open … Read More
Think-Tank: “Put Warnings on Adverts for Flights”
As thousands of people get ready to fly off for the Easter break, a leading British think-tank is arguing that adverts for flights, holidays and cars should carry tobacco-style health warnings to combat the public’s “addiction” to polluting transport and reduce climate change. The Institute for Public Policy Research said highly visible warnings, such as … Read More
Open Skies Plan Will Worsen Climate Change
Plans to be agreed today at the EU to open up transatlantic aviation and generate an extra 26 million air passengers over five years will undermine Europe’s push to combat climate change, campaigners have warned. The “open skies” agreement is being hailed as a revolution by officials who say it will deliver more competition and … Read More
Branson Offers Millions to Save Planet
Irony number two. He owns a global airline that pumps out millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide. He also wants to introduce incredibly polluting space travel, but now Sir Richard Branson, is offering $25 million to the scientist who can extract that carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Together with the former US president Al Gore, … Read More
U.S. Airlines Prepare for Battle Over Growing Emissions
When British Environment Minister Ian Pearson accused U.S. airlines of being “completely irresponsible” about climate change late last year, they are said to have responded with a shrug. So far climate change has been way down their list of worries. Staying financially afloat is far more important. But that’s changing fast.
Blair: The Climate Change Hypocrite
His environment minister may have branded Ryanair the “irresponsible face of capitalism” for its reckless disregard for climate change, but maybe Blair should be called the “irresponsible face of politics” after his recent comments on flying. The British Prime Minister has said that he has no intention of abandoning long-haul holiday flights to reduce his … Read More
Ryanair: The Irresponsible Face of Capitalism
The British government has launched an outspoken attack on major airlines for refusing to take climate change seriously, targeting Ryanair “the irresponsible face of capitalism” and describing the attitude of major American airlines “a disgrace”.