Holidaymakers are sick of hearing about climate change

Comment by Jeremy Skidmore (www.jeremyskidmore.com)

If, like me, you will not give a second thought about the impact on the environment of your holiday, you are not alone.

Despite all the hype to the contrary, a new survey has shown that two thirds of Britons do not care about their carbon footprint.

Indeed, people aspire to long haul holidays to relax from their stressed lives and worry most about their accommodation not living up to scratch or that their luggage will go missing.

I recycle and use energy saving light bulbs (and would advise everyone to do so), but I’m certainly not going to stop flying to all parts of the world on business and pleasure.

Most people feel the same way, partly because we’re selfish and partly because we are unconvinced about the impact of aviation on the environment, or indeed ‘climate change’ in general.

A few months ago, we were all told to expect the hottest summer on record, with the opportunity to grow cactus in our back gardens, and all because of climate change.

The experts also told us ski resorts were about to disappear, but now we are told to expect a bumper snowfall in the Alps this winter.

Frankly, these idiots don’t know what they’re talking about. And yet, what used to simply be called ‘a beautiful day’ is now, they insist, ‘climate change’.

But, for me, the main reason I refuse to radically change my behaviour is because I find it nauseating to be preached at by people who actually have the power to do something about climate change, if they really feel it is an issue.

The responsibility lies with government but what do they do? They raise Air Passenger Duty as part of their so-called commitment to the environment. This is a lie because the money does not go to any environmental cause.  Instead, it goes towards fighting wars which do more damage to the planet than you or I could do if we spent every minute of the rest of our lives jetting around. As the saying goes, you couldn’t make it up.

Then we had the dire ‘Live Earth’ concert, supposedly to raise awareness of an issue that has been constantly rammed down our throats for the last few years. No, it was purely to raise awareness of the performers, who jet in by private aircraft and then sit back and enjoy the resulting increased album sales.

If I hear one more pop star (average assets: six houses, five cars and one Lear Jet) tell me how to live my life, I think I’m going to vomit.

The pressure on the average individual to make unrealistic sacrifices while the rich and powerful produce carbon until it’s going out of fashion, is a nonsense.

Ignore it and enjoy your holiday without worrying about the hypocrites.