The UK government is aiming for a 60% cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 but we will not be able to meet our goals on climate change without curbing the demand for air travel. At present the experts predicts that only 5.5% of the UK carbon emissions is due to air travel and that the government should concentrate on the other 94.5% as the UK air travel industry generates thousands of jobs and billions of pounds in revenue and these figures are set to increase as the airline industry wants to increase the number of passenger movements in UK airports from about 200m per year now to about 470m by 2030. If this happens then air travel will account for over 10 % of carbon emissions in the UK. It will be more than 10% if other polluting sectors such as car travel are reduced due to an increase in public transport use and cleaner fuels.

What can we do to prevent this growth in flying?

The government has said it wants aviation included in the next round of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. What is this? Wellâ?¦

There is an emissions trading scheme in operation internationally but many people are not aware that this is perceived to be the cornerstone of the climate change policy in the EU and USA.

Firms are set quotas on how much carbon dioxide they can produce per year, if they produce more than this allowance, then they buy an allowance from another firm that has not reached its quota on how much it can produce in one year! Get it?

Emissions Trading is particularly suited to the emissions of greenhouse gases, the gases responsible for global warming, which have the same effect wherever they are emitted. The idea of the carbon-trading scheme was to raise the cost to firms of continuing to pollute while creating a market to give an incentive to become more environmentally efficient.

Another suggestion to curb travel is airlines paying higher taxes on short haul European flights to reflect emissions, even if this results in higher fares. The thinking is that taxation through passenger duty would be easier and quicker than focusing on the Emissions Trading Scheme but any proposed increase in taxation would need to be enough to slow down the growth and eventually decrease the number of short haul flights.

A decrease in flights would be bad for airports and airlines as they would see a decrease in airport generated profits and could lead to a number of job losses and competitiveness for the UK economy, but other sectors of the UK economy such as domestic tourism would benefit thus creating jobs and revenue for the tax man to get his greedy hands on.

Most of the wealthier nations in Europe are developing an air dependent culture and its clear that something needs to be done. Frequent flying for business and pleasure and second homes abroad is fuelling this growth in air travel. Other forms of public transport such as rail are getting more expensive making domestic flights within the UK more affordable and convenient. In the USA this tends not to be the case due to the distance between major cities.

Carbon offsetting helps you to offset the carbon dioxide that you use when flying by planting trees or installing solar panels and thereby removing your contribution to global climate change. You contribute to pollution by flying; you reduce the pollution by planting trees! You are carbon neutral!

Davinos Greeno
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/air-travel-carbon-emissions-are-destroying-the-environment-84448.html

1. If you fly frequently, consider joining a frequent flyer program.

Frequent flyer programs can offer long-term discounts, so don’t always buy the cheapest ticket. Once you factor in the free tickets that you eventually qualify for, you could end up saving money. This is an especially good strategy for those who often fly overseas – how many trips to Singapore would it take to accumulate enough frequent flyer miles to get a free domestic ticket?

2. Check the airlines’ own websites

Don’t restrict yourself to the major airlines. Some regional and national carriers offer cheap airfare. China Airlines, for example, might offer cut-rate airfare to Beijing.

3. Check the online travel agencies

Expedia and Orbitz are among the most popular. Travel agents purchase air tickets at a discount by buying in bulk from the airlines, so they can often offer you cheaper rates than the airlines.

4. Be flexible.

Cheap airfares are often available only on certain days and require you to stay a certain minimum time.

5. Try the small agents in ethnic enclaves.

If you live in a big city and want a ticket to Japan, for example, go to Little Tokyo and check out the small agencies. If you want to go to Rome, check out Little Italy. I have purchased round trip tickets from Los Angeles to Tokyo for as little as US$500.

6. Book in advance.

Tickets booked in advance are normally cheaper than last minute purchases.

7. Buy from an air courier service.

Air courier services are companies that buy your luggage allowance in exchange for discounted tickets. Although they are the cheapest tickets available, they are usually reserved for international travel. Please note, however, that you may only bring carry-on luggage.

8. Become a student.

An International Student ID Card will get you lots of places cheap.

9. Offer to pay your way aboard an unregistered cargo plane by cleaning toilets and mopping the deck (bring along a parachute and you can stop anywhere you like – for the very adventurous only!).

Bob Miles
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/cheap-airl-tickets-flying-on-a-shoestring-138567.html

One of the great things about proposing marriage is the fun you’ll have coming up with a creative place to pop the question. If you live in California or are considering a visit, here are 7 fun places you might want to consider for your marriage proposal:

1. Ferris Wheel – Santa Monica Pier

The Santa Monica Pier is a great place to pop the question. You can spend all day soaking up the sun on the beach, then, when the sun starts to set, take a ride on the Ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier where you can propose to a spectacular sunset, then head on over to Ocean Ave. Seafood for dinner and champagne.

2. Sunset Gondola Rides – Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach is another beautiful place to propose marriage. And, there’s no better spot to do that than on a Sunset Gondola Cruise through the canals of Huntington Harbour and Sunset Beach. They encourage you to bring the beverage of your choice, where your gondolier will be happy to uncork it and provide cups. Your gondolier can also sing for the two of you. Gondola Cruises are available 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. for two to six people. Call them at 562-592-3295 to book a gondola.

3. Top of Splash Mountain – Disneyland

What better way to ask your sweetheart to take the plunge with you than on the 5-story Splash Mountain plunge ride at Disneyland, where you can pop the question right before the 52-feet drop. Be sure to purchase the photo before you leave, so you’ll always have a picture of the moment you proposed.

4. Catalina Island

Celebrate your romance on the “island of romance,” Catalina Island, located 26 miles from the coast of Los Angeles. You can propose in any number of picturesque spots, or you can go for the fun spots like a glass-bottom boat, your own private peddle boat, on a submarine tour, while snorkeling “Lover’s Cove,” or, if you don’t mind the expensive tab, on your own private jeep tour of the island, where you can stop at any number of spots and propose.

5. Hot Air Balloon – Temecula, Del Mar and Napa

Tell her your love is reaching new heights by proposing during a hot-air balloon flight over some of the most beautiful California landscapes. Many of the popular locations include flights over Temecula, Del Mar or Napa Valley. Many locations offer sunset as well as sunrise flights, with a champagne brunch or toast upon landing. Hot Air Flyer offers in-flight champagne service while on their sunset flights over Temecula and Del Mar. Call them at 714-369-5757 for more information.

6. Helicopter Tour over Los Angeles

See the sights of Los Angeles from a helicopter which will take you on a tour of all the Los Angeles sights – skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium, Staples Center, and the Sunset Strip. Let her know she’s the real star by proposing while flying over the Hollywood Sign. You can also have the helicopter land at the Santa Monica Airport for dinner at the fabulous Typhoon Restaurant.

7. Dodger Stadium – Scoreboard Message

If the two of your are Dodgers fans, you might consider asking for her hand in marriage with a scoreboard message on the Dodger Stadium Ribbon Board behind 1st and 3rd bases during a Dodgers home game for a cost of $50.00. A Dodger Dog, beer and a proposal, what could be more perfect?

These are just a sampling of some of the creative ways and places to propose marriage in California. There are probably a million other ways and places, each as unique as you.

Shari Hearn
http://www.articlesbase.com/relationships-articles/top-7-fun-places-to-propose-in-california-181683.html

I think lots, if not everyone of us have been in this position. Only a couple of nights ago I was helping my daughter with her after school work and as we often do we were browsing the Web to help with the studies and to hide my total lack of knowledge on the subject.

For years now the Web has been a God send when guiding my offspring to complete their studies. It must be that the children are being taught things I never was, or maybe time has scrambled my brain and I don’t remember learning such subjects.

But lets get to the point. As I said I was helping my teenager complete her school work and using the Web to help. Only it all appears to have gone to pot. Maybe its the mad rush by every body to try to earn some cash from advertising affiliate schemes or I have missed a serious breakthrough on the Web.

Each search we conducted took us from one link to another and in some instances to websites which had no content whatsoever but instead were completely overflowing with links to further websites that in turn were linked to other websites. It appears to me that the Net is suffering from an enormous traffic jam. The giant of all traffic jams is killing the Web.

Our chances of finding what we are looking for is being hampered by money starved vultures whose only purpose of being there is to promote links. Its worse than I had at first thought. Searching takes more and more time and the content of most websites is appalling or non existent.

We are been drowned in a sea of pointless crap and its choking the very breath out of the best innovation of the twentieth century. All these people or their websites are not useful in any way, and they are creating mayhem on the Net.

Say you were strolling along the street in an unfamiliar big city trying to get to a particular place and each person you approached gave you conflicting directions which did nothing more than send around in never ending circles taking you further from your destination wouldn’t you be quite annoyed. So was I. What can we do. What is the answer to the increasing amount of distractions which we encounter every single time we try to search the Web.

Would some rules and restrictions be the answer or is it me simply aging and getting cantankerous. I don’t think I am becoming cantankerous. Old I can’t control but grumpy I don’t think so.

It can’t just be me who experiences this annoying trend of sites which have no other function other than to push links to other sites which also have no function which seems to always lead you away from your search and lands you on a hard porn site which is far from pleasing for me never mind my young daughter by my side.

I don’t think controls are the way forward. But we already face too many laws and rules in our daily lives and the Web used to be like a lung full of sweet air where we can say what we like and if it’s our choice to watch porn we can. But I don’t wish to view this kind of material and I certainly don’t wish to be led to it in a roundabout fashion whilst trying to help my daughter complete his school project.

Maybe more than one type of search system should be available. A system where this will not be a concern. Where if you click on a link to a site that’s exactly where you arrive without being subjected to a flying visit to the Webs more dubious destinations.

Perhaps the Rotata the Webs first and only Search Sub Engine is the answer. No diversions, no embarrassments
and it’s free, so it must be worth a try.

Mike Collins
http://www.articlesbase.com/free-articles/never-ending-struggle-to-find-quality-free-advertising-123502.html