More planes = more emissions

Once again the aviation industry has failed to get its sums right, as BA's attempts to greenwash their recent purchase of a bunch of mega-planes fails to ring true.

BA purchased 12 Airbus A380s and 24 Dreamliners, totalling 36 planes. Willie Walsh justified the purchase, stating that "These aircraft set the gold standard when it comes to environmental performance in the key areas of carbon dioxide emissions, local air quality and noise."

Maybe they do Willie, but you've hardly set the gold standard yourself, have you? Firstly, the planes replace 34 existing, smaller planes - meaning a huge increase in passenger-carrying potential. More passengers = more emissions, even if each passenger's emissions has decreased.

Secondly, BA has chosen to place yuppie comfort above efficiency. The A380 can take up to 800 people, but instead BA have filled the upper cabin with first and business class luxuries. Great if your an overpaid idiot working in the City, not so great if you're a resident of Bangladesh - or Tewkesbury.

So once again green claims by the industry fail to stand up to closer examination. Keep spinning guys, it's not like climate change is important...