Carbon footprints

[Linda P]

Hi All,
No I am not preaching and saying that we should not travel abroad for our holidays! However, I am sure we are all becoming more aware of our impact on the planet. I just wondered how many of us consider this when we book our holidays. I will be holidaying in Tobago for the fifth year running in May, I do however recycle and reuse as much as I can at home and try to be environmantally friendly - but we all have our vices and Tobago is mine - and i don't really see rowing across the Atlantic as a viable method of transport!
As I said, not preaching or judging, just curious to hear how some of your views.

Linda

[Roger D.]

Hello Linda: Very interesting topic. If we were to look at traveling as contributing to a carbon footprint, then there's a whole lot more that needs to be looked at as well. While recycling and using energy efficient appliances is all well and good, there is our huge dependence on oil and the motor car and buses and trucks the spew diesel fumes into the atmosphere that deliver our packages, our food supplies, our mail etc. There are still coal fired power plants that are still widely in use. While I agree aircraft exhaust does contribute in someway to leaving a carbon footprint, there is much more than can be done on the ground to significantly reduce our carbon footprint. So in answer to your question, traveling does not bother me in the least. The governments of the world need to do much, much more. Just my $0.2 worth.

Roger

[David Watkins]

I recently read an article in the Telegraph about shipping OUR recycling rubbish to India,the far East and Africa for recycling,in huge (600000 Ton ships) for conversion into other products and then shipped back for sale here in another form,is that "evironmently friendly"?
David(a climate change sceptic)

[Daniel A]

As long as the rubbish is sent by ships, yes it may be, if it is handled in a good way on the receiving end (which I doubt).

But this thread of course assumes that CO2 is indeed a problem, something that is far from certain, no matter what Al Gore wants us to pay to hear him say

Daniel