Who should bear the burden of global warming?
22.03.2007
If Technorati's Where's the Fire? is anything to go by, global warming is one of the hottest topics on the web - right up there with Britney Spears' shaved head and the death of Anna Nicole Smith. People on the web really know what's important in life, don't they?
But back to global warming.
Much has been said about the environmental impact of the aviation industry. Though flights only emit 2% of greenhouse gas emissions, the number of flights has steadily increased over the past few years. The introduction of low-cost airlines has made flying an affordable way of getting around, putting overseas travel within reach of people who previously could ill afford it. And just last week, the EU and US outlined plans for an "open skies" deal. As prices become more competitive, that means we could see up to 26 million more passengers crossing the Atlantic by plane. More passengers, more flights, more greenhouse gas emissions.
It's enough to make some people lament the very introduction of budget airlines. As Travellerspoint member Niels (bentivogli) puts it:
The concept of pricefighter airlines has done incredible damage to the environment by bringing regular flying in reach of the masses. Personally, I think that if you go fly, you should bleed financially. That's about the only thing that makes the average consumer think twice.
On the opposite end are people like Darren Cronian from Travel Rants. About the UK government's move to increase air passenger duty earlier this year, he writes:
I feel that increase in taxes isn’t going to solve anything, all it’s going to do is widen the gap between social classes, and end low cost flights as we know it.
No doubt. Imposing higher taxes on flights means that the poor can't afford to fly, while the rich just pay the tax - turning overseas travel into a luxury of the elite.
But should those with less wealth be the ones to bear the burden of global warming? Or does the responsibility to combat climate change rest elsewhere?
Posted by dr.pepper 21:52 Tagged ecotourism
