Aeroplanes
and Global Warming
Now,
becoming pretty clear that we are causing a great deal of damage to the natural
environment. One of causes the global warming that is produced by aeroplanes. Actually
the people that are causing a great deal damage to the natural environment. The
planes that give us in comfort to destination around world actually have the
biggest effect of the environmental damage know. We called it the global
warming.
Unfortunately,
planes produced far more carbon dioxide (CO2) than any other form of public
transport, and CO2 that called a greenhouse gas that is a gas which traps the
heat of the sun, causing the temperature of the Earth to rise. Scientist
predicted that in the near future the climate in Britain will be same as the
climate in Mediterranean. If the global warming continues, we may also find
that many tourist destinations such as The Maldives have disappeared under
water because of rising sea levels.
As
usual, people in the developing world are having to deal problems created
mainly by those of people in developed countries. Beatrice Schell, a
spokeswoman for the European Federation for Transport and Environment said that,”
One person flying in an airplane for one hour is responsible for the same
greenhouse gas emissions as a typical Bangladeshi in a whole year.” And every
year jet aircraft generate almost as much carbon dioxide as the entire African
content produces.
The
people that used the airplanes have to pay “polluter pays principle”, where
users pay for the bad effects they cause, the damage cause by planes is not
being paid for. Aircraft fuel is not taxed on international flights and planes,
unlike cars, are not inspected for CO2 emissions. Also, the Kyoto agreement
does not cover greenhouse gases produced by planes, leaving government to
decide for themselves who is responsible.
So what can be
done to solve the problem? although aircraft engine manufacturers are making
more efficient engines and researching alternative fuels such as hydrogen, it
will be decades before air travel is not damaging to the environment.
Governments don’t seem to be taking the problem seriously, so it is up to
individual travellers to do what they can to help.
The most obvious
way of dealing with the problem is to not travel by plane at all. Environmental
groups like Friends of the Earth encourage people to travel by train and plan
holidays nearer home. However with prices of flights at an all time low, and
exotic destinations more popular than ever, it is hard to persuade British
tourists to choose Blackpool instead of Bangkok, or Skegness over Singapore.
Friends of the Earth also advise using teleconferencing for international business
meetings, but most businesspeople still prefer to meet face-to-face.
However there is a
way of offsetting the carbon dioxide we produce when we travel by plane. A
company called Future Forests, whose supporters include Coldplay and Pink
Floyd, offers a service which can relieve the guilty consciences of air
travellers. The Future Forest website calculates the amount of CO2 you are
responsible for producing on your flight, and for a small fee will plant the
number of trees which will absorb this CO2. Another company, co2.org, offers a
similar service, but invests your money in energy saving projects such as
providing efficient light bulbs to villagers in Mauritius.
