Blaming carbon on planes ‘is flight of fancy’

Which is worse for the environment – cars or aircraft? If your answer was aircraft, then you are among a growing crowd of aerophobes egged on by anti-aviation campaigners.

But in terms of CO2 emissions you would be wrong. Official figures show an increase in the number of people duped into believing that flights are more damaging than car journeys.
The number of people who think that flying contributes more to climate change than car journeys has risen rapidly in the past 18 months, coinciding with a rise in activity by groups opposing any increase in air travel.

In the National Statistics omnibus survey, conducted in August 2006, 39 per cent of people thought that cars were the most environmentally damaging mode of transport, while 35 per cent selected planes. When the same question was asked in August 2007 cars had slipped to 34 per cent and planes had risen to 40 per cent.

Estimates from the Department for Transport for 2005 show that cars emitted 69.9 million tonnes of CO2 while domestic and international aviation emitted 37.5 million tonnes.

The survey found that almost half the population (47 per cent) believed that air travel should be limited for the sake of the environment. Only 23 per cent supported making it more expensive as a way of reducing emissions.

The Times