Money=?

Google Founders' Ultimate Perk: A NASA Runway

I think I'm boring most when I point out that it's hard to have a ton of cash and not spend it on stuff like toys and going places (or how all media, no matter how eco-sensitive, can resist reporting such excess in the awed terms accorded celeb lifestyles). I guess they just managed a neat combo.

Here's hoping we don't end up being lectured on going green from this quarter too overtly.

But I'm sure they offset like billy-o.

Guardian - Is black the new green? - Gotta love 'em though. Nice reply. IT feedback also noted.

Stuck on a rut

As readers of the last few blogs will gather, there seems to be a new form of thinking to solve all our problems: stick a label on it and it will go away. Or at least become someone else's to deal with. I have my doubts.

Labels will tell passengers the damage their flights do

OK, this is possibly an effective piece of guilt-tripping, but effective in any other way? Hmnn.

And in light of the report on the effectiveness of offsetting schemes, this airline-endorsed (and why not?) solution seems a very dodgy form of compensation. But I bet Mr. Blair will trumpet all the ways he's working with his big City mates to deal with the 700-ton consequence of his ('not really practical not to, well, you know, for guys like ME') latest jolly.

To boldly reprint a press release...

I know it's just business, but...

Virgin planning elite fleet with business-only flights to the US

Is Richard Branson still part of Virgin? That's the Richard Branson
who is doing all he can to address climate change, with his good mate
Al and others. The Richard Branson who is listed in the top ten of a
recent survey as an environmental champion?

I don't know too much about the fine details of aeronautical
engineering, so there may be some mitigation in the reduced weight,
but on a passenger miles/fuel basis, might this not suggest a pretty
darn retrograde step on the old emissions side of things? But I'm sure
we can plough over what's left of Brazil to compensate with magic
hydrogen plants.

If one concedes there is a problem, the only real solution is doing
less that causes exhaust fumes. But if we have to, I'd suggest cramming
the most folk in to one flight is better than having a crew, four
passengers and a mile high bowling alley.

Personally whoever thought up such a scheme should be given a
rocket. Oh... what am is saying... they have.

I used to be ethical, but now I'm not it's all ok

Has flying been unfairly demonised?

So I watched the cause of reduction being simply being played with for a year, and then figuratively as well as literally get dropped into the bin at the end.

Now, having waded through a lot of interesting, useful, worrying and frankly gob-smackingingly scary stuff here, I think the most potentially damaging thing to the environment I have read is in the original post: '...now that I’m not Ethical Man'.

You can do a lot more damage from within. Ask any Trojan.

Hope the ratings were worth it.

Beans there. Heard that. Ad nauseam.

Beans are bad for Greens...

Not too terribly sure what the point of this commentary is.

It's a done deal, so may as well give up? We're doomed, so let's go out with a bang... in Benidorm rather than Bali (or vice versa, as advocated)?

Just a wild guess, but I'm guessing the job would not be too much fun, or the paper getting to sell too many more issues, if you restricted your function to cycling around your home and work base reporting on low [mode of transport here]-miles camp sites around London.

It all rather smacks of the regular self-flagellation and rather hypocritical pontification that the media engages upon to show it's up there on the concern front with green issues, but 'please would everyone else change their ways first as we have jobs.... very nice ones, too... to do.'

Will you not be trying out the largesse that follows these press releases? And sharing it? 'As I savoured my first real lamb kebab, courtesy of Tikka Air and Hotel Payola, I could only reflect on how cheap it was...'.

Only yesterday I watched BBC news solemnly advise the latest from the IPCC, with correspondents in Brussels, Mexico and even Antarctica specially flown there to share the anguish of those who are losing tourists... because of the tourists and media going there.

The whole thing would be ironic if it were not slightly more tragic, and an indictment of those who talk a lot, but do very little, especially as whacking a fir in the firmament in compo is now accepted as pretty pointless.

Have a nice Easter . That was something to do with a guy who suffered so others would not, right?

Ask. Don't Tell.

I'm on a ro... mission:

Noted that Declan asked the 'enviro question' of the BMI boss regarding the impact of increased flights as a result of new regulations.

And noted that the airline industry takes this issue very seriously (where have we heard that before.. ad nauseam).

But as to the answer that he (the BMI guy) doesn't think it will adversely affect the contribution of greenhouse gasses to climate change, [MY QUESTION:] does the BBC think leaving it at that is adequately dealing with this as a major aspect of news issue, on the day the budget is discussed for its green influence?

The rich are different to you and I. They can better afford to cope with (knee) jerks.

I suspect that I will be adding links from elsewhere to these, not to mention a whole raft of emotive comment, Just what the media loves.

Pressure group urges higher air taxes to penalise 'rich' flyers

Brown tackles 'Chelsea tractors' in final Budget

As with road pricing I simply fear potentially necessary measures to manage personal travel emissions will get snarled up by woeful knee jerk legalisation that has little to do with the environment and more to do with hype. Not all who fly or use 4x4s are rich or doing so simply for fun.

Let's see how the BBC mangle that one.

ps: The banner ads at time of writing were... ironic. One for short haul flights. And the other for a dirty great Beemer.

BBC - Budget 'to hit gas guzzlers hard'
Guardian - Budget to give tax breaks for green homes

Sir,

As a strong advocate of incentive based measures, this is, on the surface, hard to fault. I just worry about the practice. And how fair it can be made without more legions of civil servants draining the public purse simply to assess measure, approve and/or fine.

Not all are in a position to whack up a wind turbine to order. At least the payback is being claimed as on energy created and sent back tot he grid.

What I am not keen on is greenwashing measures, that may be acceptable if it leaves the financial ROI to the wallet and conscience of the consumer, but not if the ultimate enviROI is actually worse for not being done at all. That would not be helping my kids' futures.

The question then arises whose shorter term interests are being served.

...Or, as more than a minor issue, the Environment?

The Big Question: Would transatlantic 'open skies' be good for UK airlines and passengers?

Just askin', 's all. I think it should be in the headline.

Indy - Letters: Open skies

Open to what... exactly?

Is it just me, or could one wish that journos from one side of a paper actually ponder what those at another my be writing about, and attempt to cover all the issues?

BA fears ill wind may blow from 'open skies'

No2. He flies harder.

'Airmiles Andy' attempts image overhaul

I just liked the headline (actually both theirs and mine)

I also liked this: "But by employing Sir Digby, he is suggesting that he takes his role seriously, and is working to be a more effective trade ambassador."

I'd suggest he's a good candidate for tushtissue.info, as to me it reads like he's got in some paid spin to do a papering over job... badly.

Don't shoot the messenger. Or the guys flying him for free on a jolly.

Blair Force One fails to take off

What exactly is 'a full press corps', and why do we need to pay
(both financially and environmentally to fly them around?

Nothing like freedom of the press.

When two sides go to bore

Open airspace to cut carbon, say airlines

At first I thought 'Nice one, Tel!', as it seemed another ace bit of spin
by RyanAir.

But in there, somewhere, is a modicum of logic.

Just like road pricing.

It's just a pity there tow sets of camps, at such extremes dealing with
it all, logic - and action - are as likely as that Gloucester Old Spot
dive-bombing crows out my window.

Fly me to the moon. Or Not.

I have no problem with reasonable expenditures of pretty much anything in the cause of science.

Get a rich lard-a**se a better view... less so.

I’d like a ticket to New York by hypersonic space rocket, please

"The two organisations would research hybrid rocket motors, which
use both solid and liquid fuel and are safer and more efficient than
solid fuel rocket engines."

Just asking, but by 'more efficient' what is meant by that?

Will it mean a kilo of person or cargo will get to the destination
for a lower carbon commitment?

Or not?

And if not, this is a commitment to global warming how exactly?

Gush, gush journalism at its best.

Just say Nero

New plan revealed for flight-path Britain

'Labour wants to cut CO2 emissions but it is also pursuing a dramatic expansion of Britain’s airways. Can the circle be squared?'

You'd think not, wouldn't you?

But as this government's approach to ROI's on any basis, especially an environmental one, is, shall we say, 'creative'. Let's just fiddle for the next 10 years as the (potential) flames get fanned. I guess it's only when we're toast we'll know who was right all a long, if that's any comfort.

I guess Mr. Blair is paving the way for all the private jets bringing his mate Al's Global Cool performers.

When did leading by example get so discredited, yet those who would take it upon themselves to shoulder the mantle of leadership become so blind as to the consequences of their actions versus their deeds?

... on the ridiculous

Branson Offers $25 Million to Remove Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Taking the point about counter-productivity, it is however worth considering that examples are good things to be set.

While Richard Branson is simply one of many airfleet owners (and got a lot of PR from his towing them to the runway and claims about bio-kerosene... which seem to have passed into history) at least accepting 'things need to be done' (and, at least, putting some money where his mouth is), I would point out that he is also something to do with sticking half a dozen rich tourists in a rocket to look down on the planet they just pushed a smidge further to oblivion. I write this on the presumption that the intended propellant will be greenhouse gas-creating in its consumption.

If it's by catapult I'll apologise.

Speaking as one a tad put off by such antics, I do wonder if the creation of a green elite ('You may call me Nobel' Al, Tony 'it's not really practical not to when I'm hitting the lecture circuit' ' Blair, 'My other car is a Prius' Anycleb, etc) who 'need' to fly the world to spread their message 'as it's their job', may not be having the level of inspiration that is intended on those not so blessed with the fame/money luxuries of choice?

Having watched Total Recall, I'm a tad dubious about stuffing big blocks of goo under the ground, in case they leak back.

For now I think I'll go for the tree thing. Sounds promising. Unless some carb-con credit traders decide to horn in on the deal. Whoops, I think they already have...

Speaking of backfiring...

I was in a plane once that backfired. It was a TWA internal flight. Nastiest thing I had ever been in. Taxiing to the runway and then 'bang!'. I'm halfway to the chutes before I realise everyone else hasn't batted an eyelid.

Speaking of planes...

For a brief moment I could see part of Mr. O's case. I still can't accept retroactive anything as fair or just. So Gordon's tax on folk who had saved and paid for their trip is plain wrong to me. Anything from now on, simple supply and demand.

However, in the great scheme of coming out with one thing and being called on it: Ryanair retracts emissions claim.

Nice one, Newsnight.

Whether the original made a gain and the retraction detracted from it is another issue entirely.

The Ultimate Promo?

You (unless you are a certain police cadet) have to hand it to Michael O'Leary/RyanAir: they know how to get in the news. And what's that again? Oh yeah, 'there is no publicity like free publicity'.

So to drum up a petition of 1m to Gordon Brown, he's popping out a free flight offer to get you to do it.

And the media are cooperating big-time. Sure they do point out at the end that it's pretty p*ss-poor, time-sensitive offer (a bit like the normal flights), but hey, news is news. I'd also guess a few will accuse him/them of bribing 'votes' with a freebie. Well, just so long as they check their own pages for 'Fly to.. free' competitions on the ad and promo pages before they get too sanctimonious about doing pretty much the same thing.

I could also point at the road pricing petition (link on our Jan newsletter - via About Us on the site) that got 1/2 a million on no more than people feeling strongly.

But I have to question the value of these e-things though, and who signs up and what notice is really taken of them. Especially when you are paid to respond.

Carb-con

For the first time in a long time, I read a piece that seemed to pretty much say what I've been eyebrow-twitching, if not saying, for a while, and in quite calm, lucid and pragmatic terms: Planting trees won't offset jetting to the sun

I had to write:

'There's a certain irony to this headline as I watch my garden head to Oz (and I don't mean Botany Bay - great cartoon by Matt in The Telegraph on just this point, by the way).

Just wanted to say I agree with you. Which for a pretty committed 'green' may sound surprising. I see this issue as too much 'Carb-con jobs for the boys', and not enough doing what's necessary, right and fair.

I also like to see the issue(s) put as factually as possible, and in terms most if not all average folk can appreciate. Well done.

The rest of what you say is less easy to applaud, by simply being so true and unpalatable.

We do need leadership. Strong leadership. And by example (I'm almost afraid to point you at this). Plus we need sensible media support. This is the first I've seen in a while.

Thank you.'

Now, I wonder, will the 'Anon' dogs of PR and lobbyists appear from to savage this debate into further deadlock and inertia?

Indy: Carbon offsetting 'can be harmful'
BBC

Air Head

Lest I be accused of party bias in my coverage of the government and its officer's rather parallel perception of policy vs. actions (or, hypocrisy) in matters airborne, this may do something to redress the balance, if not one's faith in what exist beneath their skins: Planes, trains and the conscience of Tim Yeo

And though nothing to to with it specifically, and referring to another branch of government (reminder: those we pay for to lead us) I'll just add this one in for good measure as it is still pertinent: Rebuilding trust in civil servants

Soemthing in the air tonight. And every night. And day.

And so, it continues, and deteriorates, as predicted: Flying off the handle

"I rather fear another unnecessary war is now being fought on various fronts: class (cheap flights), urban/country divide (4x4s, car travel, wind turbines), etc, and the only victim is DOING something to improve the future.

Sadly, I have a sense that those from both sides, with short term agendas for career, targets or ratings, are happy to keep fanning the flames. And are rewarded with column inches, speaking engagements in Bali (Carb-con traded, naturally) or a nifty book-shifting, greenwashing or policy-pushing slot on Breakfast TV.

With some professional reasons, I'd do read these pages. I am not sure what % of the 'lite green' average consumer population do.

But when competing politicians, activists and their media shock and awe troops do battle, I wonder how many who might engage turn away from the scrum and prefer to do nothing rather than wade through the fog and mud of a very obscure (little that is green can be black or white) no man's land, unable to get decent bearings because of the distracting artillery exchanges of the chattering classes above?"