On a serious note, climate emissions are one of the two biggest threats to our industry (and all of us) right now.
Aviation creates a mere 1.6% of global CO2 emissions but you would think reading the media that it created 100%. Driving cars generates around 22% and heating our homes another 26%.
Taxing domestic emissions that every one of us alive contributes to is political suicide right now - taxing 'rich' air travellers (claims even that LCC pax are often second home owners) is politically encouraged and is percieved as acceptable.
In addition, these aviation taxes are being levied regionally not globally, creting regional competitive advantage and therefore less incentive to agree a global agreement by creating vested interests. If the UK stopped ALL CO2 emissions from all sources tomorrow for one year, it would only represent the equivalent of 3 months Chinese CO2 emissions. Green tax for all industries should be global and not regional.
In addition, none of the proposed green aviation taxes are invested back into CO2 reduction, just added to the overall Government tax receipts for building, among other things, more road infrastructure, one of the biggest CO2 sources. Green tax should be re-invested globally in finding solutions.
What does the aviation industry do in response to the media attacks? - very little, certainly in any co-ordinated way. IATA stands out as appearing particularly emasculated on this subject.
Virgin Group through both gestures such as this and their Gaia Investments are looking to;
a. Create an economic source of carbon neutral Butanol derived from bio mass to sell to airlines to power either current or future generations of aero engines.
b. Promote efficient use airspace to reduce emissions
c. Invest heavily in space travel technology. Before you shoot this down, realise that in 50 years if we want to continue mass travel, we will have to have found a transport solution that is outside our atmosphere. The space shuttle creates the same greenhouse gas emissions in one launch as New York City does in a month. Launching 6 people into space using Spaceship 2 will create the equivalent of one business class seat one way between London and New York and in theory could deliver you within 60 minutes to any point on the planet.
While Spaceship 2 is not the end answer, it is a significant step in that direction, and derives from the private sector at a cost to date of about USD12m - the equivalent cost of a single modern widebody aeroengine, a remarkable figure when compared to government sector achievements.
Let's congratulate Richard for both the long term investments and the short term gestures however practical they may / may not be - time will tell. He seems to be taking more action that any of us in this industry to secure the future for us all.