No shit, the climate matters

Say what you like about the aviation industry, it's never short of a good junket. Seems like every week a new bunch of businessmen crawl out of the woodwork pleading that aviation is being unfairly demonised for pumping tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.

The latest lobbyists to be paid lots and lots of money to persuade you that flying is super are Flying Matters, who claim that "Flying is no longer a luxury reserved for a privileged elite", because 50% of people flew at least once last year.

What they decline to mention is that the Mori Poll they're quoting, entitled Climate Change and Taxing Air Travel, shows a widespread support for reducing aviation growth.

According to the poll, support for placing the environment above economic growth runs at three to one, provided particpants have the rationale for doing so explained to them. Even without this preamble, 37% support reducing growth while only 22% oppose it.

In case it wasn't clear enough, 68% of people supported the statement, "Protecting the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of slowing down economic growth in the air travel industry". And 59% of people believed plane tickets should be taxed in line with the damage they cause.

Flying matters? Sure it does. Just not how the industry would have you believe.