Climate change will affect all of us.  Summers will get hotter and drier, winters milder and wetter.  Some weather extremes will become more common, others less common.  Sea levels will rise.

The summer floods in 2007, the drought of 2004-2006, and the heat wave in 2003 have shown how weather-related events can have a major impact on households, businesses, critical infrastructure (such as roads, railways, water treatment works or electricity generation) and vulnerable sections of society, particularly the poor and elderly.

Air travel is now the fastest-growing contributor to global warming, and avoiding a flight when there are easy alternatives is probably the biggest single thing that any individual can do to cut their carbon footprint and limit their own impact on the environment.

For example, research has shown an astonishing 90% reduction in carbon emissions per passenger when using the train instead of the plane.  An independent consortium of Paul Watkiss Associates and AEA Technology Environment used detailed data on electricity supplies, power station emissions and transmission losses; Eurostar and airline load factors; and the range of aircraft and engine types and emissions.

Source: http://www.eurostar.com/UK/uk/leisure/about_eurostar/environment/greener_than_flying.jsp

Why expanding Heathrow is a bad idea

Not only is flying extremely damaging to the environment, but it's also costing you, the taxpayer, a lot of money.  Friends of the Earth estimates that tax breaks for the aviation industry mean every UK tax payer effectively pays over £300 per year, whether you fly or not.

Heathrow's new Terminal 5 started construction in September 2002 and required an estimated investment, mostly from British Airports Authority (BAA), of over £4.2bn.  Including the cost of climate change, the Stern Review put the cost at  £4.8bn, but many organisations like Friends of the Earth say even that figure is a gross underestimation, with the true figure over £13bn.

But the costs are more than financial.  For those who live nearby, there are also many health and social problems such as noise, air pollution, and traffic.

Visit Friends of the Earth at http://www.foe.org.uk for more information.

Change the way you go to work

It's not just flying that damages the environment.  Driving your car also emits harmful greenhouse gases.  Try walking or cycling instead, and take public transport.

If you have to drive your car, you can improve your impact on the environment by not driving alone.  Find people who need to go where you're going, whether it's a friend or through a ride/lift sharing programme, or consider joining a car club where you get quick and easy access to a car for short term hire.

"The high fuel costs both for cars and aircraft has came at a significant time in the fight to cut carbon emissions. People are now taking a serious look at their travelling demands and realising that they can save money and help save the planet at the same time. I recently took a return train journey to London with my wife for less then the price of the petrol I would have had to use if we had gone by car. By planning wisely it is possible to make a sustainable difference." Paul Munster, IMPACT coordinator

Visit Liftshare at http://www.liftshare.com/uk, or Carplus at http://www.carplus.org.uk for more information.

Related links

Sustrans, the UK's leading sustainable transport charity – http://www.sustrans.org.uk

Environmental Transport Association (ETA) helps individuals and organisations to make positive changes in their travel habits – http://www.eta.co.uk

The Green Traveller is a travel guide that suggests eco-friendly places to visit in the UK, Europe and abroad, and how to get there – http://www.greentraveller.co.uk/

ecoescape is a green travel guide and online directory of environmentally friendly places in the UK and Ireland, including a list of green travel accessories, local customs and food, and more – http://www.ecoescape.org