Air travel: paying your dues

Having just flown back from a week in Biarritz, I was feeling a bit guilty about my greenhouse gas emissions - it would have been technically possible to take the train, but at more than 10 hours the journey seemed just a bit too long to be practical.

Personal political reminded me that I meant to do something about it, in donating to a project enough to cover the emission from my flight. She took me, indirectly, to Climate Care, where I was a little surprised to find only £5 would cancel out the guilt.

I sit at my desk now, looking out on a blue autumn sky with puffy clouds, which are being dodged by the planes swinging around on final approach to Heathrow, disappearing behind the Euston Tower. If everyone on each of those paid in full for their flight, it wouldn't end global warming, but it would certainly help to make a difference.