Isn't it extraordinary that, while the Precautionary Principle was rightly invoked to stop flights for a week because of the ashcloud... apparently it can't be invoked even to reduce flights (for a long long time) to save the atmosphere, the climate?
[I owe this thought to my brilliant student and fellow Green Councillor, Ruth Makoff.]
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The risks to the climate are still not comprehensively understood, and the models predicting chaos are fatally flawed. At least Meadows et al had the honesty to say their computer models were not forecasts, presenting possible scenarios at best. A new kind of thought experiment if you will.
I'm happy to correspond and provide research for you to consider.
People like you would have us wait to act on the climate until it is too late. You should be ashamed of yourself, and if you have children I don't know how you can face them.
that's a ridiculously over the top response to a reasonable post.
In the case of aviation, in the 80's there were incidents where aircraft suffered various kinds of damage after encountering volcanic ash including engine failure. Clearly the precautionary principle was not evoked then otherwise these incidents would not have occurred. Any subsequent risks avoided after these events can no longer be PREcautionary.
The current action not to fly is born of historic knowledge of what happens, gained by flying through ash clouds. We know that doing so can damage engines, down planes for months and potentially risk passenger lives. Also the aircraft manufacturers say that their planes should not be flown through volcanic ash. Therefore it is just a good decision based on actual historic proof, not a precautionary principle. There was no doubt flying through volcanic ash poses a threat to aircraft when the decision was made.
So you are wrong about that. I think your reasoning is flawed by jumping from my saying 'our understanding of the climate is still not comprehensively understood' to my being a person 'who would have us wait to act until it is too late'. I'd rather use the resources we have effectively, obviously unlike you. You're the sort of person that would use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, or flood a village to put out a bonfire. You think your overreactions are victimless? Think again Mr Moral Highground.