There's a few issues cluttering the desktop to discuss, which we'll look at today so that we start the month with a clean maritime-drone sheet. One which is the fact the chancellor has given the go-ahead to London's second airport's second runway, which has been under consideration for just five decades.
It is where I began my airline flying career, such as it was, and in fact right here in an office located inside the original terminal building; which lies outside LGW itself. It connected to what was a grass strip, and some among my captains had operated there when it was still such during the 1950s.
To what extent airports contribute to the UK economy is moot, given most airlines including those based in the UK originate effectively in countries elsewhere: mainly Ryanair (Ireland), Easyjet (Greece) Wazz Air (Hungary) or TUI (Germany). For unlike Heathrow, to a great extent, like 50% in Manchester for instance, they service budget flights to places abroad that reap much of the financial benefits.
Above all, only politicians could claim to pursue separate agendas pulling in opposite directions ~ such as airport expansion and carbon-emission reduction.
Each of us in the UK produces on average 4500 tonnes of carbon per year, and like you I don't know what that looks like but wouldn't want to be under it if it dropped out the sky. Here's the thing though, fly to San Fran and you've just added another tonne to that.
I don't know anyone ~ including me ~ making any effort to reduce the number or duration of flights any time soon, and in fact we are taking more than ever to places ever farther-flung.
And it's why politicians like to be photographed at the front-end of airliners instead of the front-end of rapidly retreating glaciers.
Watch anything David Attenborough has done over the last fifty years however and the main takeaway is that every species ~ in the absence of constraints ~ gorges to excess prior to population collapse.
The fact we won't is a nice idea that at least gets us out of bed.
