Meanwhile, look what's just flown into my in-box

Bearing in mind one tends to read these 'newest first', I do often ask for a little backflip for context, as in this case.

Because, just as I was helping put the boot into airport expansion (and an increase in our flying culture in general), look what cropped up (an emailed press release, and while I'm sure there is a URL I can't be fagged in this heat to go and find it, sorry):

From the office of the South-East England’s Green MEP Caroline Lucas

 

July 4th,

2006                                                                        

                        

AIRLINES REELING AFTER EU CLIMATE CHANGE VOTE

MEPs ADOPT GREEN PROPOSALS TO CUT FLYING’S IMPACT ON CLIMATE 

AIRLINES have been left reeling after a vote in the European Parliament

called for a raft of measures to tackle their growing contribution to

climate change.

Euro-MPs in Strasbourg voted by 439 to 74 to adopt proposals drafted by

Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas to introduce a range of measures including an

airlines-only CO2 Emissions Trading Scheme and emissions charges to tackle

their non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions. There were 102 abstentions.

Dr Lucas told fellow MEPs the EU must take action to curb airlines’

greenhouse gas emissions if we are to stand any chance of avoiding

devastating climate change: “Doing nothing just isn’t an option”.

"The aviation sector is growing fast – aircraft movements are predicted to

double by 2020 and triple by 2030 - and technological efficiency gains just

aren't enough to counteract the massive increases in emissions that this

will generate.

“We simply have no choice but to clip the airlines' wings and force them to

reduce their impact on the climate, if we are to stand any chance of cutting

our emissions by the level that’s needed to halt the deadly march of climate

change. 

"Airlines currently enjoy a complex array of tax breaks and hidden subsidies

- worth more than £9 billion in the UK alone - which are long outdated and

totally incompatible with global climate goals. International progress on

removing these and getting the industry to pay its way has been pitifully

slow, which is why we must ensure the EU really paves the way for global

action by introducing the most effective legislation possible.

 “Emissions trading has the potential to play a role in reducing the climate

change impact of aviation - but only if it is accompanied by other measures

to tackle the fact that aircraft emissions are two to four times more potent

than those from other industries (because of the altitude at which they are

emitted, and the effects of non-CO2 emissions like condensation trails and

nitrogen oxides) – and, crucially, only if it doesn’t allow airlines to

carry on business as usual by gobbling up the emission rights of other

sectors.”

MEPs have been intensively lobbied by the airlines in recent weeks – with

most calling for air travel to be included in the EU’s existing Emissions

Trading Scheme: a measure which will do little to deter airlines’ future

emissions growth. Even Andrew Sentance, BA’s head of environmental affairs,

openly admitted as much last week.

Dr Lucas’s report will now form the Parliament’s submission to the EU

Commission’s forthcoming legislative proposals – which could be on the EU

statute book by 2008.

“At a time when few now deny the urgency of addressing climate change, the

rapid growth in flying threatens to throw all efforts to reduce dangerous

emissions off course,” added Dr Lucas, who is also an MEP for South-East

England and Green Party Principal Speaker.

“We must work together to find ways of making the aviation industry reduce

its social and environmental impact, rather than draining tax payers’ cash

as it continues to generate pollution, noise, congestion – and climate

change.”

Moves are afoot, one suspects.