Plane Speaking- Flight Tax Update
Back in May 2000, Birmingham Friends of the Earth launched the Flight Tax Ticket
as a new scheme through which responsible travellers were able to make voluntary
tax contributions to compensate for the environmental damage caused by their
flights. The Flight Tax Ticket, unique at the time in the UK, is a mock flight
ticket explaining how air travel damages the environment, highlighting the tax
privileges granted to the aviation industry and giving arguments in favour of
an aviation tax. Finally it encouraged travellers to pay a voluntary tax on the
cost of their flights that would be used to offset some of the damage they cause.
Since then, many people have either pledged their support to the campaign and
made voluntary contributions to the scheme. I'm sure all would like to know how
much has been raised, what is happening to the money and how the campaign is
progressing. The Flight Tax Ticket stated that half of the money raised would
be used to offset some of the environmental damage caused by air travel by investment
in renewable energies such as solar and wind power; the rest would be used to
support the campaign.
So far the total raised stands at £829.97, all of which is being moved to an
Earth Saver Account with Triodos Bank, the funds from which are used exclusively
for investment in renewable energy technologies. It will remain invested there
until a suitable local investment opportunity in renewable energy arises. A number
of suggestions have been made and are being considered, such as buying up an
area of woodland, planting trees or investment in renewable energy technology
in either the Friends of the Earth Warehouse or some other suitable buildings.
We are interested in your comments about these or any other renewable energy
projects that might need some support.
In terms of the campaign, we have been in touch with groups in Holland, France
and Finland, all of which have launched their own schemes with varying degrees
of success, with the enlightened Dutch of course having the most success, managing
to get some travel companies and the Environment Department on board.
Back here we are trying to get some of the more enlightened travel companies
specialising in "Eco-Tourism" to support the campaign although so far without much
luck.
At a National and European level the campaign has reached the ears of the British
Government, the UN and the European Commission. Britain is now in favour of a
worldwide aviation tax and the European Commission also supports the principle
for flights within its member countries; however in the face of vigorous opposition
from the aviation industry it has stopped short of suggesting anything other
that a voluntary approach at this stage.
Another Flight Tax Ticket has been enclosed with this newsletter; please consider
a contribution if you have made a flight this summer or if you are planning to
make one. If you have used an "Eco-Tourism" company for you holiday, please write
to them asking them to support this scheme and let us know what they say. We
will be publishing a list of their responses in a future newsletter. For more
Flight Tax Tickets please contact us at the Warehouse, or pop in and pick them
up.
Brett Rehling