Yesterday I reminded readers that there is nothing new about Icelandic volcanoes affecting European weather, but the response this time IS new. For a time yesterday, all Britain's airports shut down, along with those in several other countries in north-western Europe, for fear of fouling their engines with the abrasive ash from the Earth's core, as it were. I have heard reports from around airports, particularly Heathrow, where residents have enjoyed a night of undisturbed sleep for the first time in years. They should make the most of it. If the greedy airlines have anything at all to do with it, it won't last...
To me, any curtailing of air travel, for whatever reason, is good for the planet. Every time one of my patients says they're going away on holiday I ask them whither bound, and have as a result discovered the most popular destinations: Thailand seems to be number 1, despite it being half a world away. And these people are often going, not for 2 weeks, but often just for a long weekend. Australia is also very popular, and again many people seem to think nothing of only going for a week or even less. Then there's Florida and Las Vegas, and especially Mexico (usually Cancun) and various other locations in the Caribbean, with the DR coming out way ahead of the others. And why do people like go to these far flung resorts, apparently heedless of the implications for the environment? Is it the sun? Well, I hesitate to say it, but cheap booze seems to be a bigger part of the deal. What is wrong with these people?
It's true that I have been a big world traveller in the past, but in the last five years, as evidence mounts to support the link with human activity to global warming, I have confined myself to Europe, which let's face it still affords me lots of scope for variety, to say nothing of more reliable weather, and leaves my conscience just that little bit clearer.
No comments:
Post a Comment