Ryanair Chief Dismisses Environmentally Concerned Airlines As "Lemmings"

[hatrack]

The thorny issue of climate change has left most airlines bending over backwards to sound green. But Europe's largest low-cost carrier, Ryanair, has dismissed its environmentally nervous rivals as "lemmings".

Ryanair's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, has refused to support an industry-wide effort to limit carbon dioxide emissions. Asked yesterday what he would say to travellers worried about the environment, he replied: "I'd say, sell your car and walk."

This week, airlines including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, easyJet, Flybe and First Choice, formed a sustainable aviation group aimed at cracking down on pollution, noise and harmful emissions. Mr O'Leary said Ryanair would not be joining: "A lot of members of the sustainable aviation group won't be around in 10 years' time - that'll be their main contribution to sustainable aviation." He described the coalition as an example of "high-fare airlines getting together to pursue policies blocking competition," adding: "The sustainable aviation group, God help us, is another bunch of lemmings shuffling towards a cliff edge."

Aircraft account for about 5% of carbon dioxide emissions and air travel is forecast to double within 25 years. There are fears that cheap flights could hamper efforts to fulfil Britain's commitments agreed at the Kyoto summit in tackling climate change. The aviation industry favours an emissions trading scheme, allowing airlines to buy and sell carbon dioxide allocations. But Mr O'Leary said such a scheme amounted to a plot by airlines such as British Airways to punish rapidly growing rivals."

EDIT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1511753,00.html

[oblivious]

1. Gee, what a lovable guy.

Gives all business people a bad name.

[Nihil]

2. To be fair to the guy ...

... he makes a good point:

> The aviation industry favours an emissions trading scheme, allowing
> airlines to buy and sell carbon dioxide allocations. But Mr O'Leary
> said such a scheme amounted to a plot by airlines such as British
> Airways to punish rapidly growing rivals.

These so-called "trading schemes" are a corporate ploy to make it
look as though something is happening when it isn't.

There is no such thing as "sustainable aviation" in the commercial
sense. It is an industry built on subsidies & exceptions that relies
on the combination of cheap fuel and impatient consumers to exist.

> Aircraft account for about 5% of carbon dioxide emissions and air
> travel is forecast to double within 25 years.

... and the way to fix it isn't to fart around with self-serving
marketing wet-dreams from the cartel leaders but by a flat tax on
aircraft fuel - something the UK government (at least) seems to be
shit-scared of even thinking about.

Tax the motorist? Yep, at the drop of a hat.
Tax the airline? Whoa there ...

Tax fuel and the price goes up (for everyone). This means that the
consumption comes down (for everyone) and so the CO2 emissions come
down (from everyone). Of course, doing this means that the top-heavy
cartel leaders would be hit more as they have significantly larger
overheads and a terminal case of corporate greed. Hence, BA (et al)
want to find an alternative that keeps their champagne flowing.

[Boomer]

3. This is why we're all screwed

There is no painless way to cut greehouse gases. Voluntary compliance just ain't gonna cut it with ruthless corporate types who are more focused on the bottom line than the common good.

Assuming it's not already too late to stop the climate machinery (which I greatly fear is the case), it would require a totalitarian regime to enforce the necessary changes to reduce C02 emissions, not to mention reduce actual C02 levels.

Bush & Co are laying a firm foundation for totalitarian government, but their goal is to grab the remaining resources and head for their bunkers until the storm is over. They'll use their power to control the populace rather than to effect helpful changes.

Makes for a rather bleak scenario.

[rfkrfk]

4. tax on fuel for international flight, is zero

In the US, tax on fuel for domestic flight is four cents a gallon.

I am not sure what the article's writer meant by
bringing up the Kyoto treaty, the treaty exempts international flight.