The Government is being advised to stop providing for more air travel and start switching potential air travellers to rail.

The advice comes from a leading environmental think tank which warns that expanding airports is in direct conflict with the Government's own policy of cutting greenhouse gas.

The influential Stockholm Institute at York University warns that planes pump millions of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change.

The Government should do what Railfuture suggests and put tax on aviation fuel.

The authors of a new report, Professor John Whitelegg and Howard Cambridge, say the problem of aviation pollution should be dealt with over the next 30 years.

Airlines should pay an environmental charge equal to the damage cause by flying because Professor Whitelegg says the growth in demand for flying is one of the most serious environmental threats.

“This growth has been fuelled by generous tax breaks and state aid and is contrary to the objectives of environmental policy, especially efforts to prevent the worst consequences of climate change," says the report.

The think-tank also calls for increasing the use of public transport to airports to at least 50% of all trips.

It also suggests transferring short (less than 400 miles) trips from air to train which would reduce the number of flights by 45% and improve the quality of rail travel for everyone.

The report also calls for World Health Organisation guidelines on noise limitation and banning night time flights to be implemented.

It has been sent to 500 key decision makers across the globe including the United Nations, the World Health Organisation, the European Commission, World Bank, the USA, Canadian, UK and Australian governments, the Asian Development Bank, the governments of China and India, OECD and global aviation organisations.

The full report can be found at www.sei.se/aviation

Information on the Stockholm Environment Institute at York can be found at www.seiy.org

More information:
John Whitelegg on 01524 63175, mobile: 07939 721461.
Howard Cambridge on 01904 432992, mobile: 07800 778424, email: hmc4 at york.ac.uk
University of York Communications Office on 01904 432029