0Making air travel cheaper would be detrimental to the environment. To what extent do you agree with this?
Gone are the days when air travel was a luxury only the wealthy could afford. In this era of globalisation, hundreds of thousands of people travel by air worldwide thanks to airline companies lowering their fares and operating more flights. However, it is contended that the economic viability of flying could have a deleterious effect on the environment.
It is undeniable that the heat, noise and gases emitted by aircrafts endanger the environment and human health and air travel the largest unrestricted source of carbon pollution in most developed countries.However,the policy of opposing the move to make traveling by air more affordable would be very unpopular with everyone keen to travel long distance. The measure can only restrict the number of journeys made beyond a country and people will still travel by road defeating the objective of bringing down pollution.
On the other hand, if more people traveled across the world, it would promote a deeper understanding of different cultures promoting better relations among nations and world peace. More visitors from other countries will stimulate tourism which would increase tax revenue providing governments more disposable funds to invest in fields such as education,infrastructure and health. In addition,global travel has been widely regarded as a physically and mentally healthy pursuit.The benefits of traveling to faraway locations range from a break from mundane and hectic lifestyles to exploring places of scenic beauty or historic importance.
To conclude,tackling pollution is not a matter of what mode of transport people use.The solution to the problem lies in developing environmental friendly fuels and promoting fuel efficient airplanes.
