Juxtaposition. This lunchtime I was hit by two news items – Just Stop Oil targeting Heathrow Airport this morning, and the first big carrier to drop its climate goal.

Why not play this game yourself? Find nine news items on a topic that has lots of question marks around it.

One can imagine two world views on aviation. (1) It’s essential to economic prosperity and freedoms and must grow, which isn’t a problem because there are big pledges in place to decarbonise. (2) We don’t need it as much as the marketing suggests, it epitomises the inequalities of climate change and there is little confidence it will deliver on its pledges.

Here are my nine picks (mostly from earlier this month but a few going back a little further):

“Air New Zealand has abandoned a 2030 goal to cut its carbon emissions, blaming difficulties securing more efficient planes and sustainable jet fuel” (30 Jul) 🤦‍♀️

“At around 8.35am this morning, Phoebe Plummer and Jane Touil entered Heathrow airport and painted the entract hall to Heathrow Terminal Five, as well as the departure boards” (30 Jul) 💪

“As climate change drives up temeratures, the industry is adding runway space for planes, limiting pets in cargo and “taking steps” to prevent hot soda from exploding” (28 Jul) 🤦‍♀️

“The ICCT has called for aircraft manufacturers to move to only producing net-zero emission planes by 2035 if the aviation industry is to reach its net-zero targets” (24 Jul) 👍

“For wealthier travelers, there are now lots of ways to fly private at both ends of the wealth spectrum—empty-leg flights are one of the cheapest ways to fly private” (26 Jan) 🤦‍♂️

“The aviation industry claims more flying is essential for the economy, the numbers say otherwise” (24 May) 🤷‍♀️

“Measures announced to give UK aviation and the SAF industry the certainty to keep on creating skilled British jobs while ensuring air travel is fit for the future” (25 Apr) 🤔

“MPs not confident that UK Government has a handle on aviation emissions” (3 Apr) 😮

“Last-minute cheap flights to the Paris Olympics and event guide” 26 Jul) 😡

It’s a mad world out there. I’m reminded of the stages of empire – the one before ‘The age of decline and collapse’ is ‘The age of decadence’. Yep.

#aviation #climatechange