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France to tax flights from its airports, airline shares fall

reuters.com

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Re: France to tax flights from its airports, airline shares fall

#221

Post by inflatableDodo »

buboard wrote: post #84
inflatableDodo wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given that you can get from France to Algeria by land and there are extensive rail networks across all the connecting regions, including extensive rail networks in Algeria itself, built originally by the French, I would be amused to know how you came up with this conclusion.

Last i checked the mediterranean was still there.

I just had a look to check what tickets would be needed for the journey and was dismayed to find that as you pass through the Middle East, it does appear that you will have to take some connecting bus services.

Re: France to tax flights from its airports, airline shares fall

#222

Post by earthtolazlo »

cloakandswagger wrote: post #195

We could virtually eliminate carbon emissions altogether if humans went back to living in caves and dying at the age of 30. Resources were placed on this earth for the advancement of humankind. If someone wants to take it upon themselves to reduce their carbon footprint by not eating meat, living in a tent or staying in one place their entire lives then be my guest, just don't regress the whole of humanity by mandati…

What do you think happens if we don’t dramatically reduce our carbon emissions in a very short period of time? I’ll give you a hint: it doesn’t resemble anything like the “advancement of humankind.”

Re: France to tax flights from its airports, airline shares fall

#223

Post by rayiner »

dewey wrote: post #167

Finally. It's really frustrating to see how heavily subsidized airlines, plane fuel and airports are and how big of a tax breaks they get when they come to a city. At the same time people are shamed for buying salad in a plastic bag when the big lever is somewhere completely different. Had the same thought yesterday when I saw: https://twitter.com/paulg/status/1148317244893597696

Aviation accounts for just 2% of global carbon emissions: https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/1/11/1817711.... The plastics industry will burn through 14% of remaining carbon budget: https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/05/15/plastics-industry-clim...

Re: France to tax flights from its airports, airline shares fall

#224

Post by benj111 »

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #152
joyjoyjoy wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When was the last time you took a train from Paris to New York?

> When was the last time you took a train from Paris to New York? Right after I sold my beachfront house in Arizona.

Surely for the joke to work you'd have to suggest that sea levels were much lower, not higher.

Eg: 'When I sold my Manhattan mountain lodge.'

Re: France to tax flights from its airports, airline shares fall

#225

Post by vorpalhex »

noarchy wrote: post #220
cloakandswagger wrote: post #195

We could virtually eliminate carbon emissions altogether if humans went back to living in caves and dying at the age of 30. Resources were placed on this earth for the advancement of humankind. If someone wants to take it upon themselves to reduce their carbon footprint by not eating meat, living in a tent or staying in one place their entire lives then be my guest, just don't regress the whole of humanity by mandati…

>Resources were placed on this earth for the advancement of humankind. I hate to be that guy, but [Citation Needed]. Otherwise, I agree with you what what essentially amounts to a primitivist approach is counterproductive.

You're right, those resources are really going to benefit all of catkind. My cat loves iron mines, favorite past time really.

Re: France to tax flights from its airports, airline shares fall

#226

Post by avip »

rayiner wrote: post #208
blondie9x wrote: post #135

About time. Traveling is killing the planet. One of major causes of climate change. We need to take it seriously. I'm glad France is willing to take a bold and brave step to support the environment.

Flying is 5% of CO2 emissions.

I think it's less? 40 global annual emission.

But make it 5% to account for underresearched impact of stratospheric emission.

Re: France to tax flights from its airports, airline shares fall

#227

Post by laken »

benj111 wrote: post #191
laken wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd argue it's a bit of both -- it's a sin tax, and a pigovian tax. Sin taxes _are_ meant to cut down on use, while pigovian taxes aren't meant to cut down on use, rather, make up for external damage (such as to the environment). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigovian_tax

Sin taxes are pigovian taxes? And if you're contending they're different I assume one is supposed to cut down use.

Ah yep, I had a typo there. Sin taxes are meant to cut down use indeed, unlike the pigovian ones.

Re: France to tax flights from its airports, airline shares fall

#228

Post by BeniBoy »

cgearhart wrote: post #216
keiferski wrote: post #48

I am actually surprised that short-distance flights aren't taxed more in Western Europe. The train infrastructure in France is world class and can get you from Paris (North-Central part of the country) to Marseille (Southeast), a distance of about 500 miles, in 3 hours. For Americans, this would be roughly equivalent to go from Boston to Washington D.C. (a trip that takes 7-10+ hours)

I took the train from Toulouse to Paris last summer and it was very pleasant—especially in comparison to air travel. A few hours of picturesque landscapes with plenty of legroom, baggage space, and opportunities to walk around. I think it’s too bad that we can’t seem to get that working here in the US. (See, eg, California high speed rail project...)

I love that train! I must have took it around 20 times. But by French standard, this is a terribly long one (around 6 hours).. And sometimes much more expensive that taking the one-hour flight. Hope this tax will tilt the balance.

Re: France to tax flights from its airports, airline shares fall

#229

Post by rayiner »

philshem wrote: post #203
dajohnson89 wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let's add in the BWI airport too. And while we're at it add Baltimore too. But that's it!

This is why we can’t have nice things

We can’t have nice things because people in the US live in an almost continuous band of mid-density urban agglomeration from Boston to DC, and it’s hard to reach most of the population through just a few stations.

The most noticeable thing about European cities, to my American eyes, is how they just... end. Drive from Munich airport to the city, and it’s farmland in between. Drive from Dulles to DC, and it’s strip malls and suburbs the whole way.

Re: France to tax flights from its airports, airline shares fall

#230

Post by slg »

marnett wrote: post #211

> Want to do something about climate change? Start with yourself I really dislike this line of thinking. I don’t manufacture millions of tons of concrete or millions of single-use plastic shampoo bottles. Our current path is irreversible if drastic shifts in disposable consumerism don’t occur soon.

"No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible" ~ Stanisław Jerzy Lec

Sure, you won't be able to make a measurable impact by yourself. However your mindset quickly leads to a tragedy of the commons type response that leaves us all in trouble. We should all take a more proactive approach to this in both our private life and in our professional work.

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