For most of my life, at least until my late-20s, the news that private jets are becoming so cheap that they are increasingly usable by middle-class people as air taxis would have been cause for rejoicing. It would be a sign that yet another play-thing of the elite was becoming more accessible, just as motor cars and mobile phones are no longer rich men’s toys but considered to be the bare necessities of life.
Not now. I see a green-eyed monster on the horizon, hurling abuse and opprobrium at this new scourge of the airways. I’ve not seen them yet, but sooner or later somebody is going to start bleating about the amount of carbon they pump out and how they’re contributing to global warming.Oh, I know I ought to be more sympathetic to such concerns. Believe me, I do care. It’s just that I miss the days when progress was something to be welcomed.
Sigh! At least global warming should hasten the return of my other favoured form of air transport. 
3 comments:
But doesn't the depend on your understanding of the word progress
Having flown all over the world, used private jets to get to places for news coverage it is all good "boys toys" fun BUT I far prefer Eurostar to Paris or Brussells than a small jet. And that isn't the greenie talking. I have a passion for fast cars - but as green alternatives that are sleek and fast appear, I call that progress.
Where I am going is that I don't think green does mean hair shirt.
Green means capital outlay on fitting your home with wind ad solar power, insulating it properly. Building new homes that use less energy and using the money you end up saving to enjoy yourself by catching a high speed train to the South of France..
Now you probably won't agree and call me a socialist... but I don't think that the construction costs of Eurotunnel should be carried by the companies that now operate through it. I believe it was an essential part of public infrastructure and that the companies should have started with a clean slate to operate in commercial competition with sea and air services. That would be progress. By the way if you check my old blog postings you will see why I hate cross channel ferries.
A socialist?
If you suggested that the initial construction costs should be financed through capturing the increase in the land values at either end, I'd call you a Liberal Democrat!
:oD
Good point. I would go along with that :-)
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