 By the time you read this month’s column I will have been away on holiday with my family and friends, perhaps one of the most controversial activities someone seeking to live a simpler, lower carbon lifestyle could do!
I am reminded of a recent encounter whilst shopping in my local Co-op when I met a member of our local green group. This group was set up to encourage our community to reduce its carbon footprint by simple actions like putting better insulation into the loft, turning down the heat and other easy actions. The subtext behind the campaign is to build community awareness and work towards more far-reaching actions but it is one step at a time for us. We aren’t too funky in this part of Hampshire. Anyway, my friend updated me on the latest news from the group and then proceeded to tell me all about his forthcoming holiday in Costa Rica. It sounded wonderful, even enviable… but I couldn’t help registering the irony of installing low energy light bulbs to cut carbon and then flying off to Central America.
There are many compelling reasons for not flying. Plane Stupid*, the campaign organisation, can elaborate but here are just a few. For the health conscious amongst you, Heathrow airport is already breaching UK and EU legal limits for the high levels of nitrogen dioxide and therefore the present growth in the number of flights is probably unlawful.
Aviation’s contribution to climate change
But the most critical factor for me is that aviation is the fastest growing cause of climate change. Despite myths propagated by the airline industry, aviation already accounts for 13% of the UK’s contribution to climate change yet it is only the 26th biggest industry in Britain. To make matters worse, aviation is the UK's fastest-growing source of greenhouse-gas emissions. We could close every factory, lock away every car and turn off every light in the country, but it won't halt global warming if we carry on taking planes as often as we do.
These are stark statistics but offer a conservative estimate of the damage contributed by aviation, since they only count flights departing the UK – not those returning!
The UK’s top climatologists predict that aviation’s emissions alone are predicted to exceed the government’s target for the country’s entire output of greenhouse gases in 2050 by around 134%. (Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research)
Lastly, aviation is often unnecessary. 45% of air journeys in Europe are less than 500km – about the distance from London to the Scottish border. These journeys are to destinations easily reachable by train and bus, which are both around ten times less polluting. The trouble is, it’s a money thing. It costs hundreds of pounds to travel by train abroad and comparatively nothing by budget airline. Yet I learn that it’s the affluent who are really benefiting from the artificially low prices of air travel. The average income of people using Stansted Airport is £47,000 per year.
Let’s put this in context: according to the Green New Deal group (whose members include former Friends of the Earth UK director Tony Juniper, Green MEP Caroline Lucas and Andrew Simms, policy director of the New Economics Foundation) we only have 100 months to prevent dangerous global warming. They say a ‘Green New Deal’ is needed to solve current problems of climate change, energy and finance. The group’s proposals include major investment in renewable energy and the creation of thousands of new ‘green collar’ jobs.
Communion with our island
So things are getting very serious. Meanwhile, most of us work far harder and for longer hours than many in previous generations and we need holidays. This is very difficult territory for all of us. I love warm seas and good weather but I also cannot reconcile my conscience with flying for pleasure. I also love train journeys and our wild places in Britain. My current holidays consist of camping in those wild places in Britain, escaping mobile phone signals, TVs and computer technology and putting on a wetsuit to brave the cool waters of the Atlantic. If we get sunny days it is a wonderful bonus but mainly I just pray for not too much rain.
My future plans include train journeys to Europe to explore art and architecture or ferry rides to islands on the Celtic fringes of our country. It is not as exotic as Costa Rica but there is something very meditative and spiritually refreshing about walking in our native landscapes, exploring our more ancient sites and communing with underlying culture of our beautiful island. I am not exemplary but I just can’t justify flying on holiday anymore.
Much love, Maddy
Maddy Harland is the editor of Permaculture Magazine – solutions for sustainable living. 01730 823311.
* visit www.planestupid.com
Click here to purchase Maddy Harland's recommended title, What About China?
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