The Jet Set (1)

Just a quick update on the tireless efforts of some of Bristol's leading environmentalists to keep the world on track for ecological meltdown this century.

First off we have our old friend George Ferguson jetting off to Bangalore, India, to speak at a conference. That's a round trip of more than 10,000 miles, producing over 2.6 tonnes of CO2 per passenger (business class) plus a lot of other environmental nasties. No doubt he'll approve of much that he sees in India, where there is very little "completely pointless" open space in the cities and most people live with a very minimal carbon footprint. Even the streets serve as accommodation ('walking houses'?) for countless thousands, so good 'high density' (tick), 'mixed use' (tick) with a 'vibrant street life' (tick). Who knows, it could become his model for the future of Bristol.



Also good news about Vala Ragnarsdottir. Although she is returning to her native Iceland, she will apparently be 'popping back' on a regular basis. That's 2,354 miles producing 310 kilos of CO2 for a return trip (economy class). No doubt she'll offset her carbon, so that's all right then, as long as the hoi polloi don't get it into their heads that they can behave the same way. Perhaps Bristol International Airport ought to be looking to establish direct flights to Reykjavik to keep their expansion plans on track during these difficult times.