Manchester to Guernsey -
You’re not comparing like with like. Your SF340 figure is per seat. The equivalent figure for the Micra would be the figure you quote, divided by four. Are you deliberately twisting facts? Or are you stupid?

You -assumed- the Micra had only the driver, plus 3 empty seats. Just like you -assumed- (as far as I can tell) that every seat in the Saab was occupied. Because we all know that airlines routinely, consistently operate on 100% load factors, don’t we? (And that all of them really -need- to travel, & none have been persuaded to make extra trips by deeply discounted ticket offers, because airline seats are perishable goods and…never mind. That’s a separate argument).

It is possible that your figures are based on some other, more realistic load factor, in which case I apologise. But only a bit, because a) you don’t specify what load factor you’ve used and b) what sort of moron tries to justify air travel on the basis that driving to an island emits more carbon? Even I will admit that going to Guernsey by plane is better than going by Nissan Micra, because Nissan Micras are not very good in open water. I used to own one, and so I know from personal experience that I definitely wouldn’t want to drive one across the world’s busiest shipping lane.

You’re wrong about Filton, as well. There was no reason to oppose housebuilding near the airport until at least the early ’90s, maybe later, because until then it was a very little used private airfield for the aircraft factory it stood beside. There was no reason at the time to expect significant commercial traffic to develop..

“Take away air freight and millions of farmers suffer worldwide.”
Don’t tell me, let me guess. I call it carbon dioxide, but you call it life.

You know how to contact me if you want to know more: and are really determined to fix things.

K.

If you can think of a better way to encourage people who are not politically active to start EF! type activities then you’re welcome to suggest them - or better yet, leave the keyboard and go out and do them. “Action is the essence of all”, and all that…

R

My criticisms are of Plane Stupid’s symbolic actions, in particular the Flash Mob - that is what stirred my ire: I genuinely believe these actions will change nothing, and I have all the evidence on my side to show that this is the likely outcome (see Ward Churchill’s research). I genuinely believe that symbolic actions are making things worse as they lead people to believe something is being done when it is just playing into the hands of the authorities. How many environmental campaigners have actually been incarcerated in the UK longer than the statutory 28 days? It is a game that business and government loves playing because they aren’t really being threatened.

On a personal level I am sure we have plenty in common (I’m glad you’ve taken the time to read my stuff) and any antagonism can be put to good use if focussed in the right place. I’ll leave it a while for things to simmer down, though. You really should read Endgame if you haven’t, or watch the videos here:

Endgame : Part One

Endgame : Part Two

Keith

I was going to contact you directly for a chat, but as you seem keen to make a personal point physically it will be pointless: also, why do you assume you would win? When you have read Endgame by Derrick Jensen and/or Pacifism As Pathology by Ward Churchill then we can talk.

I have made one correction to the article in the third paragraph. The rest is staying as it is either fact or analysis.

As to what I am suggesting is done instead: realise that working with the culture of consumption, trying to change it within its own context is not going to work; it will still be what it is - you cannot turn an apple into an orange without some drastic genetic engineering, after which you will be left with an orange, not a former apple. The clues are in the articles on The Earth Blog - the work is happening at the moment. If you want to be part of it then you will know what to do.