Climate Wrecks Flights

Heathrow Airport has been enshrouded in fog for the past four days and thousands of passengers have been forced to camp out, waiting for flights. Whilst we sympathise with these misery-ridden travellers, desperate to get home for the holidays, this is (finally) a case of climate wrecking flights, instead of, as usually happens, flights wrecking the climate. The satirical weekly column, "Greener than thou" says that this has to be one of the best environmental stories of the year. " Each morning, since the fog set in, Rowan and I have run into the garden to check out the sky, then sat down to calculate the torrents of CO2 that will not be released. Last night, with hundreds more planes grounded indefinitely, it seemed the right moment to crack open a bottle, and plan a party. Until then, with 2006 such a grim year for the climate, there was no way we could have justified even this minor environmental insult. Personally, just the extra lighting would have made me feel guilty. But our party - assuming we used sustainable cutlery and took the bottles to recycling in the wheelbarrow - would be written off by just one of those thousands of passengers not taking a plane. If BA kept up the total ban on domestic flights we might even run to crackers". Further: "They brought it on themselves, don't these people read George Monbiot?" Their last tip, in rhyme: Home-made canapes this year, will keep your consciences clear. :: Guardian