In a report sure to stir up lots of controversy and heat, a British professor has proposed a flurry of strategies to reduce Britain’s carbon footprint—and right at the center of them is a proposal to ban frequent-flier-miles programs, which he accuses of encouraging people to make unnecessary trips.
Dr Richard Carmichael of Imperial College London, in a report written for the Committee on Climate Change, suggests an escalating tax on loyalty programs, hoping to discourage the frequent fliers without cancelling less-frequent traveler’s annual vacations. The Committee was created by law in 2008 to advise the UK government.
Among his many other recommendations (including non-aviation issues such as more plant-based food in schools, more electric heat in place of boilers), he also proposes reducing rail fares and re-opening a number of closed-down rail lines to encourage more use of land transportation.
