In principle, any development that makes a flight less carbon intensive is to be welcomed as a step in the right direction. However, it does not offer the sustainable solution that it is often presented as being.
Extensive clearing of mangroves to build seaside resorts and restaurants, marinas and golf courses left many coastal areas barren and vulnerable to the ravages of nature, such as cyclones and storm surges.
A new plan to accelerate production of biofuels for passenger planes has drawn stinging criticism from environmentalists who argue that most of the world’s rainforests might have to be cleared to produce the necessary crops.
