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The myth about pollution

Another day, another newspaper article. Another day, another TV report. Another earnest broadcaster, flaming the fans of middle class angst. Another claim from a researcher from another national institute of the environmentally righteous. And again, just for another day, we are left to feel our thirsty cars, plastic shopping bags and power showers will forever condemn us to the gates of hell.

Although I'm not sure where these words will lead, I am sure by the end my views will be very clear as I am angry. I am angry because of the many people among us who believe in the great myth coursing its way through modern twenty first century society. I am talking about pollution and environmental waste; the myth.

My anger today has been fuelled by a number of conversations I have recently had with people close to me. Two people in particular spring to mind. One is a very close colleague - a partner in my firm - currently hell-bent on turning down the office central heating and using both sides of paper in the printer. The second person is my partner. Extremely smart and intelligent, she combines these traits with passion. All of which are admirable qualities and ones in which I am always impressed. However, I have found that passion can sometimes usurp sense and then a degree of reason can be lost.

Exposing the problem

In this particular instance, my partner and I were discussing hopes for our future family; a nice discussion about where to live, where to school and where to holiday. However, in the midst of this, my partner said we should restrict travelling as flying is causing irreversible damage to the planet. The suggestion was that air travel alone is a big and severe enough threat to warrant curtailing one of the very things I like most and work hard to enjoy.

The resulting policy would probably have a big impact on my work as well. I work in the city and am often required to fly around the world. It would also affect my children. Casting wandering eyes at the world map on the classroom wall and surrounded by suntanned children, fresh from family trips overseas, my kids would remain at home. They would
have to be content instead with the wise words of mother and father, extolling the evils of greenhouse gases and how to make the world a better place. What kind of affect this may have on them, I'm not sure. Yet it is clearly an area we, as potential parents, need to discuss further.

Miss-education by the media

The conversation led my mind to wander. Everyday, another supposed expert tells us how we should behave more responsibly and green. And every other day, another politician suggests a new tax unless we change our way of life and buy a hybrid car. Another report tells us the icebergs will melt by 2015 and polar bears will run out of fish and become extinct by the time of the next Olympics. Another seismologist claims toxic waste is causing the world's plates to shift and another marine biologist says Chelsea-on-sea is a real possibility within five years.

It is because of all of the above which makes me so angry. Not because I believe it. It is because you do. So many people - probably some of you reading this now - actually believe it all.

Everybody should have their views. It is simply this one subject about the environment, where there are so many factual inaccuracies written and commented upon, which annoys me so much. I witness people close to me running away with so much of what they have read in newspapers and seen on TV.

If you do not believe all you read in the media and are not quite a newly-badged 'Greenie', I apologise in advance.

If you are, take a moment and consider a couple thoughts. Are you reading this on a laptop or PC? If so, in the time it has taken you to read this magazine (assuming you're in a heated and lit room/building), you have just consumed enough natural energy to keep one African child in warmth and with hot water for one year.

Second point; are you at home? If so, I'll guess you live in rented or owner accommodation in Europe, possibly North America. Again, if I’m wrong, I apologise. If not, then consider the all round cost of buying and maintaining your accommodation is currently in the top 5% globally. That is more expensive and energy draining than 95% of the places where humans can live on this planet.

So, if you care about the world's resources, saving energy and feeding the starving, close down your PC now, turn your lights off and find cheaper accommodation; or read on if you suffer no guilt.

Are airlines the problem?

Much of my anger in recent times has revolved around the much publicised trend targeting different parts of our everyday lives for the downfall of the world. One particular example is the airline operators – the new villains of the world. Apparently, global warming is the fault of the airlines. Or at least it is if we listen to politicians and some environmentalists. It is not just long haul flights. The worse culprits are the short haul operators. Oh no, what about our weekend breaks to Rome, Paris and beyond? Yes, short haul flights are the environmental bad dogs.

Cheap flights are devastating the ozone layer, turning glaciers into Olympic-sized swimming pools (no bad thing for the kids) and threatening all human life with extinction

Yuri Bacas Hosaka©2007

It’s all about TAXES

Such publicity and vilification inevitably results in a political figure or two jumping on the bandwagon. Gordon Brown (the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer) and David Cameron (the UK's leader of the opposition) are chaining themselves to 4x4 jeeps and aeroplane wheels with disarming regularity. But what is the politician's solution for the greatest evil to mankind since a certain middle eastern dictator? How do they propose to combat planes, trains and automobiles? Why, new taxes of course. That's goodbye to Prague then and goodbye to Disneyland for the kids. Oh well.

All of this pisses me off deeply. I can't bear this climate change one-up-man-ship. All these politicians pandering to the latest fashion drives me mad. How many politicians have us believe they spend weekends turning over their compost, going 'Dutch' with big ugly windmills on their roofs and wearing organically carved clogs. Do you think they really mean it? Do you think they really give a shit?

Consider this; industry analysts expect airlines, particularly smaller ones such as Ryanair, to increase passenger numbers two-fold in the next five years. And too bloody right! We Brits (yes, I'm English) deserve our holidays. I spend 6 months of the year wandering into work in permanent darkness and clad in frostbitten woollens. I am part of a workforce which has turned the UK economy into the fifth largest globally - the largest and most powerful economy per resident than any other nation. Yes, I work bloody hard and so I say tough organically-grown nuts to some jumped-up politician who tries to tell me I can't fly off for two weeks to see the sun.

Not only that, we need visitors to Britain. Where would all the immigrants come from who are just about propping up our decrepit pensions system and filling the void left by a generation of retiring baby boomers? And what about all the tourists? Rest assured, without tourism here or anywhere, there will be millions more people globally biting the poverty barrel.

Government’s shifting blame and making money

Who do these governments think they are telling me how I can or can't travel? In the UK, as in America, Spain, Italy, France and Germany (and certainly every single Eastern European accession state) the Government is responsible for most of the country's power stations. Therefore, in the UK, the Government is responsible for just over 25% of CO2 emissions. Will they tax themselves? What do you think?

Politicians today pander to the bean eaters and they see a way to make money. It is extremely annoying to see airlines targeted as the latest headline-grabbing act. If politicians read the findings of the 'Stern Act', published last year, (and widely available if you care to search for it) they will see that air travel accounts for less than 2% of greenhouse emissions.

Airlines and flying is neither the cause nor the solution to climate change. Government's have to consider and accept the bigger ideas. These ideas are out there and accepted by economists and industrialists. The problem is they are neither sexy nor a big enough excuse for Government's to change tack and take the heat off us individuals. It's much easier for Governments to target us. We have the wealth and the health to respond and think we're making it all better. In reality, we're all just victims and culprits of an exercise in shifting blame. What do Government's get out of this? Taxes. More stealth taxes which some of you feel is okay to pay because we can afford to and should be seen to be acting. Oh dear me.

All the taxes in the world will NOT stop people flying and driving. They are called stealth taxes, designed to make Government's richer. Of course, if they built villages in Africa with the proceeds, then all the better. But they don't and they won't. By and large we will never see this money again as it is emptied into an already decrepit public services system.

The truth is, Government's are lying to us when they say these policies and taxes are environmental. This is a fact.

One of my clients was recently interviewed on TV to mark a successful year for his publicly listed company. His firm, based in Ireland, flew in 188 employees for a day at Cheltenham races as reward for an exciting and profitable year. They chartered a plane for this day. Did you know that the plane journey produced less harmful gases than the emissions produced by the Chancellor's own personal helicopter during one year? That is one man's helicopter... Tax the Chancellor!!

A guilty media

The media are as guilty as politicians for this. The BBC runs green week, ITV runs green week, Sky runs green week and Channel 4 runs 'we're even greener' week. All of them produce shows which open and finish with images of jumbo jets taking off from airports, followed by a plume of smoke. We've all seen it, eh!? Marine transport (that's 'boats', ladies and gents) accounts for 5% of greenhouse gases. That is 3% more emissions than planes. When was the last time you saw a picture of a ferry chugging in and out of Dover port? Should we tax sea travel? Shall we clampdown on transport of freight and valuable goods via the world's oceans? To do so would probably have a severe impact on global trade, commerce and the economy. So, what is the answer?

Where is the answer?

The answer, as every economist, industrialist and non-media focused person will tell you, is Russia, China and India. This is the big ticket. As you separate the tin from the plastic in your waste bins tonight, you are failing the cause you really believe in. As Russia, China and India stir, on their way to becoming the world's largest economies, they just keep on opening more and more coal and oil-fired power stations. That is why it doesn't matter how many lights we turn off or bikes we ride. It makes a scientifically immeasurable amount of difference!

These new, emerging economic powers are the real problem. For Government's to face this bravely will mean compromising trillions of dollars in bi-lateral trade agreements. The damage is being done right now by over a billion people in India and China who have just discovered central heating.

The answer does not lie in re-cycling, non-disposable nappies or organic porridge. These have just become new industries within an industry. They are simply making other people and industries/producers richer at the expense of your naivety. Do what you wish, but it will not make a lot of difference. All of this turning down the heating, getting out candles... It just panders to middle-class angst and guilt, all the while sat reading a lithium-powered laptop screen.

Check facts: Airlines are not sinners

In the UK today, the airlines are actually among some of the greenest organisations in the World. Companies such as Ryanair recently announced (if you care to read company reports, and actually get the facts) they have reduced their carbon emissions by 50% in just five years. Airlines are now buying new fuel-efficient aeroplanes which can carry 40% more passengers and emit 50% less emissions. These are amazing statistics for any industry. Cows are more harmful to the air you breathe right now than planes.

I am angry at all this hypocrisy. All these hairy environmentalists who go and buy their organic strawberries flown in from South Africa at the local deli - why aren't they whacking a huge tax on strawberries, grapes and bananas flown in from the other side of the world? Why don't you and I eat Great British turnips and potatoes all winter and save for our flights that way? Could you live without your scallops? How did they arrive on your plate?

Cars and Aeroplanes are not the problem

It is a huge lie that taxing cars or flights will make any sort of difference to the polar bears and icebergs. It is a lie propagated and perpetuated by Government's, headline-grabbing media and so called experts who do not dig deep enough to look at the wider world, the bigger problems and where the real answers truly lie.

Caring is good and a conscience is even more important. We do have to do something, yet the real answers lie elsewhere. It makes me angry to see the level of miss-education in every day society and Government's walking away free from blame as they have us all fooled.

Look up Tony Juniper, executive director of Friends of the Earth. He agrees. If you fancy a holiday, take one. Fly away safe in the knowledge that it is safe to do so for our children and their children. The real answers do lie elsewhere; they are very big and are a huge challenge. It's up to you if you want to focus on the bigger ticket.

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