Sir, – Full marks to Trevor White for his excellent opinion piece “The Aer Lingus and DAA double act would be comedy genius if it wasn’t deadly serious” (Opinion & Analysis, October 12th). It is high time that the impact of the aviation industry on our carbon emissions was seriously dealt with.
Notwithstanding the fact that we live on an island, 32 million people a year flying in and out of Dublin is simply creating an unsustainable level of pollution. I hope the authorities stick to their guns and set the limit even lower than 25 million passengers in the years to come. – Yours, etc,
ANNE WALSH,
Ballintemple,
Cork.
Sir, – Trevor White’s piece failed to reflect the serious efforts that the Irish tourism and aviation sectors are making to reduce their carbon footprint.
As Trevor White rightly points out, the theme of the tourism industry conference was “Responsible Ambition”, and organisers never shirked away from the tension between commercial growth and environmental sustainability. The UN itself recognises that for tourism to be sustainable the two must co-exist.
Thankfully we in Ireland are making real progress in this regard and there is no need for Mr White to feel embarrassed by the industry he works in, as he writes towards the end of his piece.
As an example, take the boat cruisers on the Shannon river who this year have moved from diesel to hydrotreated vegetable oil, thereby reducing their carbon footprint by over 90 per cent, proof that economic growth can live alongside carbon reduction.
Of course aviation is far more complex and decarbonising air travel is undoubtedly challenging.
But critics fail to acknowledge the real progress that is being made.
Mr White may have been underwhelmed by newer greener aircraft that produce less noise and pollution but even he must have been impressed last year by the first transatlantic flight using sustainable aviation fuel when a Virgin Boeing aircraft flew from Heathrow in London to JFK in New York.
The technology is there to decarbonise the skies and there is real commitment by Irish aviation – more carrot and less stick would help us get there quicker.
And less scoffing and opprobrium from certain quarters who are only too aware how dependent the Irish tourism economy is on international visitors. – Yours, etc,
EOGHAN O’MARA
WALSH,
CEO,
Irish Tourism Industry Confederation,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – Trevor White takes aim at the CEOs of Aer Lingus and the DAA for seeking to increase the passenger cap at Dublin Airport, an action that most people would regard as the CEOs simply doing their job.
Pressure to lift the passenger cap only exists due to demand from the travelling public already exceeding the cap. If Mr White believes the travelling public are wrong to fly so often and their rights need to be restricted perhaps he could set out his proposals on such restrictions in a subsequent column or a letter to these pages.
No doubt, if the public find his proposal and reasoning to be compelling, demand will naturally fall and the issue of the cap will be solved.
Modesty may cause Mr White to hesitate to seek more column inches in The Irish Times but he should not – the public clearly need his sage advice, having perhaps forgotten that “the planet is in a state of red alert” as he notes, so there is clearly no time to lose. – Yours, etc,
RORY WHEATLEY,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.