Tue, Jul 06, 2004
British University Says Aircraft Exhaust Contributing To
Greenhouse Effect
We're not sure if these guys grew up
dreaming of becoming railway engineers, but a couple of professors
from Britain's University of York have released a study that
says the growth of air travel will have a disastrous effect on the
environment.
John Whitelegg and Howard Cambridge say their study has found
the world's aircraft spew 300 million metric tons of pollution into
the air every year -- and that number is on the rise. While EU
governments have made a huge commitment to boosting air travel and
US air travel is finally emerging from the post-9/11 slump,
Whitelegg and Cambridge say we're misplacing our priorities.
The solution? Whitelegg and Cambridge say, take the train.
"We could have a really high quality railway system that gives
people a real alternative," said Whitelegg in an interview with the
BBC. "At the moment we have cheap flights and some of the most
expensive railways in the world. That is the wrong way around."
The report says we can effectively cut aircraft emissions by
taking trains for trips of less than 400 miles. That, the authors
figure, would cut flights -- and, therefore, emissions -- by
45-percent.
Failing that, Whitelegg told the BBC he thinks the EU and other
governments should impose a tax on passenger flights of up to $100
or so per flight.
"This will ultimately be paid by the person who is flying or the
person who is bringing in lettuces from Africa," he said.
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