The real cost of frequent flights
A- Life (get) faster. Technological miracles (touch) nearly every aspect of our lives both at home and at work but there (be) a down side. Progress (come) at a big cost to the environment.
B- There (be) one source that (produce) more pollution than home owners, car owners and businesses put together. This source of pollution (be) international aviation. Reports (confirm) that the pollution (produce) by aircraft which (burn) vast amounts of fuel at high altitudes (rise) at an alarming rate. Experts (predict) that UK passenger numbers (increase) from 180 million to 475 million over the next 25 years. It (be) not hard to imagine what effect this increase (have) on the environment.
C- The reasons for recent increases in air travel can (find) in our changing attitudes to air travel. What (be) once a luxury form of travel (use) only for occasional holidays is now (use) for more everyday trips. Many people who live in Scotland or the north of England (communicate) daily by plane to the other end of the country. Business flights to the US (be) a weekly affair for some businessmen and weekend trips to Europe simply commonplace. Some people (make) choices to live in different countries (base) on their ability to travel quickly between home and work.
D- The raise in budget airlines which offer cheap flights (cause) the most damage. Today flying (be) easy, fast and cheap. It (be) going to be an immense task to reverse this trend. But the alternative (be) dangerous levels of pollution and huge environmental damage. Do we really (have) a choice?
