Ouch, nasty fines for the Southhampton lot but I guess it beats community service.

I'd like to know how Plane Stupid come up with the figure of 'at least 13%' for greenhouse gas emissions contributed from aviation in this country. It seems a very high figure and I can only assume that (like the government) no account has been taken of the fact that most of this countries emissions take place in the far east since we import most of our manufactured goods (and a substantial proportion of our food).

It really bugs me when I read people saying how there is no point in us cutting emissions in this country because India and China emit far more. Again, they conveniently ignore that fact that those emissions come from producing the shit that we buy in the west since outsourcing our manufacturing and labour to cheaper parts of the world.

The 13% stat comes from here:

 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070502/text/70502w0005.htm

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the most recent estimate is of the percentage contribution of aviation, based on emissions by all aircraft departing from UK airports, and including the radiative forcing effect, to UK climate change emissions. [134036]

Gillian Merron [holding answer 26 April 2007]: International aviation is not included in the UK’s climate change inventory as there is no internationally agreed method for allocating such emissions among states. In 2005 aviation represented 6.3 per cent. of UK emissions, calculated as a proportion of emissions in the UK inventory plus emissions from international aviation and shipping departing the UK. Detailed data may be viewed at:

 http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/index.htm.

As the “Future of Air Transport Progress Report” (December 2006) noted, aviation emissions arising from the combustion of kerosene include carbon dioxide, water vapour, nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, particulates and other compounds. These give rise to “radiative forcing” impacts. The total radiative impacts were estimated by the EC TRADEOFF project to be approximately twice those of carbon dioxide (excluding cirrus cloud formation).

Using a radiative forcing multiplier of two, emissions from flights departing the UK contributed approximately 13 per cent. of total UK emissions in 2005. However, the figures for non-aviation sources do not include any radiative forcing attributable to them, as conclusive figures are not available.

Well done Plane Stupid.

Despite the government's dumb plans the aviation industry is now in permanent decline. In the unlikely event the economy ever recovers then high oil prices will be back soon after. Last year these took out 25+ airlines and crippled many others. Aviation is in a no win situation. The CEO of Quantas made it clear he understood the implications of peak oil as he tried to reassure in a fairly frank speech he made last year.

If you could somehow explain the implications of peak oil to aviation shareholders that would surely cause a flight of capital from the industry and thus speed up it's inevitable demise.