Dennis Tito, a California based multi millionaire was the first space tourist on 28th April 2001, but since then this industry has grown at an incredible rate, current plans include regular travel and a space hotel complex to accommodate the influx of space tourists.

The Russian Federal Space Agency already provides transport with flights fully booked until 2009, and a series of UK companies are planning to cash in this lucrative business including Virgin, with a clear disregard for the effects that this new leisure activity will certainly have on the environment.

Market research shows that space travel is very popular among the new rich, and predictions stipulate that like aviation the space travel industry will find most of its business carrying passengers in the near future, however each of these rocket launches will increase the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere the equivalent of around a tenth of all aviation emissions put together for a similar distance, with the extra added negative contribution of releasing these pollutants at an even higher altitude where the detrimental effects are far more acute.

Choosing a low carbon footprint transport method is more important than ever as well as reducing the need for long travel, but until we address who is the biggest new theat to global warming today all these efforts may be in vain.