Wednesday, July 26, 2006

flying in the face of morality


AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT
Originally uploaded by FLYER1.
I love air travel. But I know it's not very good for the planet. Each time I take off for foreign climes, I feel slightly more ashamed, like I'm driving a 4x4 on the school run. Increasingly, I think I'm flying in the face of my own morality. Thanks to Paul for pointing out generous.org.uk.

2 Comments:

Blogger Mark A Savage said...

Is it not sometimes the case though that morality is relative? Perhaps we should stop to think about using aircraft where alternative, if slower, means of transport exist which are carbon neutral or less polluting. The train for trips within the UK or, now, to Europe for instance.
But would it not be more immoral to use a slower form of transport- a ship presumably being the only alternative- for purposes such as, for example, the relief of immediate need and suffering? I'm sure they are as environmentally responsible as they can be, but I can't imagine MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) or any of the aid agencies saying it is wrong to use planes to relieve present starvation, disease and illness using aircraft because of the future pollution potential of our artificial avian beasts.
Perhaps the real issue is one of pleasure and its pursuit, in which case we should always think of the consequences however we travel. But in general, has not more been achieved by the mobility which only modern air travel has brought, than is being lost? That's the question for the Moral Departure Lounge tonight!

7:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You can just fly Virgin now. To accept Paul's judgement isn't always right; do you think man has the ability, without God, to develop air travel? I think mark a savage makes a bit more of a coherent argument - it seems strange to divorce air travel from God though

12:48 AM  

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