[Milieudiscussie] Groen reizen

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Op maandag 5 maart 2007 23:45 schreef Individual het volgende:
Wat ik van die documantaire heb geleerd is dat koeien het probleem zijn, nog veel meer dan vliegtuigen en auto's bij elkaar... Vlieg er maar op los zolang je maar geen vlees eet.

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Aviation should get cigarette-style health warnings


The Government should introduce cigarette-style health warnings on all advertising for air travel, holidays that include flights, and at airports, according to new research to be published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr).

Ahead of the Easter weekend get-away ippr argues that providing consumers with highly visible information about the impacts their flying has on the environment will make people think more about the implications of their travel. The report says it would work in a similar way to health warnings on cigarette packs which help to encourage people to give up smoking. The report recommends:

Large and clearly visible warnings such as Flying Causes Climate Change.
Estimates of average emissions from the flight in question alongside the average individual’s emissions from energy use, to put the flight in context. For example: The average individual in the UK emits 4400 kilograms of CO2 per year. A return flight from London to Perth, Australia, on average emits 4500 kilograms of CO2 per person.
For domestic and short-haul flights a comparison of emissions for the same journey if using alternative forms of transport such as rail or coach. For example: A return flight from London to Newcastle on average emits 120 kilograms of CO2 per person while the same journey by train emits 39 kilograms of CO2 per person.
Simon Retallack, ippr Head of Climate Change, said:

“The evidence that aviation damages the atmosphere is just as clear as the evidence that smoking kills. We know that smokers notice health warnings on cigarettes, and we have to tackle our addiction to flying in the same way. But if we are to change people’s behaviour, warnings must be accompanied by offering people alternatives to short-haul flights and by steps to make the cost of flying better reflect its impact on the environment.”

The report also recommends that:

Carbon offsetting of flights should be the default option, with passengers being required to opt-out rather than having to opt-in.
Aviation taxation should be changed to reflect the true environmental cost of emissions.
Increases in aviation taxation should be matched with improvements to rail transport to make it a viable alternative to domestic and European flights.
The UK should work with other EU member states to better integrate the fragmented European rail network.
All new cars should be required to carry emissions labelling in showroom displays and in advertising.
All car advertising should carry bold and visible warnings about the contribution of driving to climate change.
Notes to editors:

Positive Energy: Harnessing people power to prevent climate change, by Simon Retallack and Tim Lawrence with Matthew Lockwood, will be published in April. It sets out a series of recommendations on how to stimulate climate-friendly behaviour through changes in domestic energy use and transport choices.

The CO2 figures for each example plane journey given are taken from Climate Care’s Carbon Calculator http://www.climatecare.org/media/documents/pdf/Aviation

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Flybe to detail environmental information

Flybe is to launch a labelling scheme next month to provide consumers with detailed environmental information about their flight.

The scheme will give details of aircraft performance, allowing passengers to be informed about those airlines which have invested in technology which delivers lower impact on local and global environments, according to the carrier.

The move came despite Flybe rejecting calls by the Institute of Public Policy Research to introduce cigarette-style advertising health warnings on aviation (see previous TravelMole story).

The airline said it was concerned that the debate about the environment is being driven by London-centric think tanks and politicians who have forgotten that outside of London there are few alternatives to air travel if we wish to have a buoyant regional economy.

Flybe chief commercial officer Mike Rutter said: "IPPR is another London-centric think tank looking down the wrong end of the telescope.

"Airlines account for less than 1.6% of global greenhouse gases, UK aviation accounts for 0.1% of global emissions. We suggest the IPPR concentrate on power generation, car and sea transport, and many other categories before it seeks to attach gesture politics to aviation."

by Phil Davies