Guardian UK: Volcano shows our lack of sustainability

[marmar]

Volcano shows our lack of sustainability
If we had redesigned our economy to be sustainable, the grounding of our air fleet would have been far easier to take

Anthony Kleanthous
guardian.co.uk, Monday 19 April 2010


As the silence in our skies enters its second week, what will be the effects on our climate? Will the world warm up faster because of the gases spewed from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano, or will the drop in emissions from aircraft slow the warming? And are these questions even relevant, or do the really important ones run deeper?

Greenhouse gas emissions from volcanoes equal less than 1% of those generated by human activities; slightly less than half of the emissions from aviation. There is even some evidence that volcanoes have a cooling effect on the planet, because their ash blocks out some of the sun's rays.

Furthermore, volcanic eruptions are flashes in the pan. They have been happening regularly for aeons, with no discernible effect on global temperatures. When, in a few days, weeks or months, Eyjafjallajokull returns to its state of slumber and our skies are once again choked with aircraft, we will have returned to a way of life that neither our planet nor our economy can support in the long term. Although the current crisis is expensive – airlines are reported to be losing around £130m per day, and stranded travellers are shelling out further millions for accommodation, car hire and extortionate seats on Eurostar – the effects of climate change will cost a lot more. Lord Stern has warned that failing to invest 1-2% of GDP now in the fight against climate change could end up costing us more than 20% of the world's GDP.

Had we taken steps already to redesign our economy according to the principles of sustainable development, the grounding of our air fleet would have been far easier to take. There would already be affordable, high-speed direct rail links between all major European cities. Businesses would be equipped with state-of-the-art videoconferencing facilities and making fuller use of the formidable communications and information resources of the internet. Aircraft would be more efficient. Airlines would be paying duty on fuel in the same way that car drivers do, changing the economics of travel in a way that favoured more sustainable alternatives. Citizens would be used to holidaying closer to home. Only those with enough money and pressing reasons to fly would be inconvenienced. .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/19/iceland-volcano-sustainable-development

[tabatha]

1. Waking up! at last.

I hope this does not retreat into the background as people start to forget about it.

[Bobbieo]

2. I hope for the best for standed passengers to get home and stay there

until this crisis is over.

[Javaman]

8. They will go back to sleep as soon as the sky clears. nt

[virgogal]

3. The main thing I got out of this is that folks like me would not be able to fly because of

the cost.

[tabatha]

5. There is already a cost to the planet.

I choose not to fly because of that.

[naaman fletcher]

4. "Only those with enough money and pressing reasons to fly would be inconvenienced".

So only the rich get to fly. great.

[tabatha]

6. I don't fly.

Because of the effects on the planet.

[Javaman]

7. Europe at least has Eurail, imagine if it happened here? nt