Flight ads should carry health warnings, says U.K. group
Advertisements for flights should include a health warning, tobacco-style, to remind people of their contribution to climate change, a U.K. think tank said this week. (So creative, those Brits!) “The evidence that aviation damages the atmosphere is just as clear as the evidence that smoking kills,” says Simon Retallack of the Institute for Public Policy Research. Airlines’ contribution to climate change is predicted to double or triple in coming years as the industry takes off (har har). Alongside “flying causes climate change,” IPPR suggests that ads calculate emissions per passenger and, if possible, compare that number to a less-pollutey transportation option. The group also calls for carbon offsets to be automatically included in flight prices and for increased aviation taxes to fund improved rail transport. We’re into the label, but why stop at planes? We suggest labeling every pork chop, incandescent light bulb, and cow butt the same way.
