Agent3244

The enterprising behaviour of humans increases in complexity over time and becomes increasingly at odds with the Earth system. Growth in passenger air miles is at odds with the Earth system because it increases GHG emissions.
Air travel used to be the occasional preserve of the wealthy and ticket prices were high. The low cost business model adopted by airlines is clearly in no way helpful to redress the negative environmental impact of mass air travel.
If we have any conscience or aspirations to leave the World a habitable place for future humans we have to realise that unrestrained economic development is not a sustainable option. This throws up all manner of challenges and enigmas to the persistence of present orthodoxy and dogma. Such challenges can be faced early from a standpoint of choice or later out of need from a standpoint of catastrophe.
We have an environmental nightmare off the SW coast of N America that is related to the increasing pressure to extract difficult to extract reserves. So the Horizon leak was the result of an accident but accidents arise from raised exposure to risk. That exposure arises from the commercial pressure to maintain supply as the unquenchable market demands.
Air travel should not be so cheap. Fortunately our newly formed coalition government has indicated some willingness to address unrestrained growth in air travel. Neither Heathrow nor Stanstead will get additional runways. Flight tax will change too. But the biggest shift that is needed requires international consensus. To secure a brighter future for our children or our grandchildren international governments must lift the moratorium that dictates that nations cannot tax aviation fuel. It is a nonsense that road fuel must be so expensive while aviation fuel is so cheap by comparison.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/may/13/caa-chief-executive-haines-interview