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Jul 27, 2020 โ€ข 14 tweets โ€ข 6 min read โ€ข Read on X
We can keep flying if we just offset the emissions, right? ๐Ÿ’ธโžก๏ธ๐ŸŒณ

No, because so-called carbon offsets pose many problems and in most cases do not compensate emissions - on the contrary. #CarbonOffset #ClimateJustice

Let us explain. Thread. โฌ‡๏ธ Image
What are offsets?
#Offsets are projects meant to reduce emissions that occur elsewhere. #Offsetting projects are mostly located in countries of the Global South. Many of them are hydroelectric projects, claiming to prevent production of energy from fossil fuels.
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Also forest conservation projects, operators of tree plantations, or organisations that distribute climate-friendly cooking stoves to women in rural parts can sell offset credits.
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โŒ Offsets fail to reduce emissions
A majority of projects miscalculate their savings. @oekoinstitut investigated existing offsetting projects of the UN and concluded that only 2% of the projects have a high probability of resulting in additional emissions reduction.
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Emission reductions would have occurred also without paying the offset, e.g. because a hydropower plant would have been built anyway. Trees need years to grow enough to reabsorb the carbon from your flight. It is hard to guarantee they will be left standing long enough.
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๐Ÿ™…๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ™‹๐Ÿพโ€โ™‚๏ธ Offsets often lead to ecological and human rights issues
Itโ€™s cheaper to offset in the Global South, so most projects are located there. They often lead to local conflicts or land grabbing. This is especially the case with land or forest-based projects like #REDD+.
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Often, small-holders and #indigenous people are restricted to use the forest in their ancestral way in order to store the predicted amount of carbon in the trees. Ultimately, offsetting is exposed as #CarbonColonialism by many indigenous groups.
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๐Ÿ’ธ๐Ÿ™ Offsets are a modern sale of indulgences
Offsetting enables a small share of the world population to fly indefinitely with a supposedly clear environmental conscience. Some therefore compare the trade in compensation credits with the selling of indulgences by the church.
โ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿ”‹ Offsetting diverts the attention from real solutions
Some have argued that if we make offsetting possible as a โ€˜last resortโ€™, and try to offset emissions locally, this would be better than doing nothing.
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However, the fact remains that offsetting then becomes a license to pollute and help preserve the status quo. In this way, offsetting prevents the necessary fundamental changes of our mobility system. #SystemChange
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๐Ÿ”ฅโœˆ๏ธ Offsets often only cover CO2 emissions
Airplanes produce other emissions in addition to CO2, so their total climate-damaging effect is about 2-4 times higher than that of CO2 alone. However, these effects are often not covered by offsets. Image
Further information on the problems with offsetting on our website. stay-grounded.org/emissions-offsโ€ฆ
For real solutions to the climate problem of the #aviation industry, see our recent report for a just reduction of aviation. #JustTransition #DegrowAviation #ClimateJustice
stay-grounded.org/report-degrowtโ€ฆ

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More from @StayGroundedNet

Jul 11
This is the Vjosa National Park in Albania ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฑ

It's the only wild river national park in Europe.

And Munich Airport is building an airport there.

๐Ÿงต Image
Every new airport is an act of climate vandalism - and this one is particularly bad.

It breaks Albanian national law and international biodiversity protection conventions that Albania has ratified. Image
It is a disgrace that the Albanian Government is allowing this.

But they're not the only guilty party.

Munich Airport are involved in building it - exporting their destruction to maximise their profit.
Read 7 tweets
Feb 22
NEW REPORT โœˆ๏ธ๐Ÿ™๏ธ๐Ÿ˜ฑ

Did you know?

โ–ถ๏ธWHO/EU aircraft noise levels are exceeded around most airports?
โ–ถ๏ธAviationโ€™s dangerous ultrafine particles arenโ€™t regulated?

โ–ถ๏ธWhat to do about #aviationโ€™s serious #health effects?

๐Ÿ‘‰ Check out:

๐Ÿงต1/8 stay-grounded.org/aviation-is-a-โ€ฆ
A person covering their ears to protect them from the noise of the airplane overhead. The text says 'aviation is a health issue!' in reference to the new Stay Grounded factsheet.
#Aircraft #noise can lead to serious health problems, from heart disease to mental health issues, sleep disturbance and hearing damage.

E.g. estimates say night-time aircraft noise near Frankfurt airport leads to 23,400 hospitalisations and 3,400 deaths a year.

2/8 A graph showing the comparison of the noise levels produced by airplanes taking off with other forms of sound such as car engines and jackhammers.
Air quality limits exist for particulate matter - but not for ultrafine particles (#UFP)!

As they are tiny, UFP penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. This affects millions of people, not only those living around an #airport but also several kilometres downwind.

3/8 An image showing the community exposure to aircraft related ultrafine particles.
Read 10 tweets
Aug 29, 2023
There's a big climate scandal that nobody is talking about.

National governments have quietly shelved their pledge to keep aviation emissions in line with the 1.5ยฐC goal. ๐Ÿงต
First, some context.

The International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition (IACAC) was launched at COP26 & includes most of the biggest aviation polluters:

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From the start, the coalition was full of scams.

They signed a declaration which relied on carbon offsetting, techno-optimist alternative fuels and aircraft designs that don't exist yet.

More details if you want them: stay-grounded.org/cop26-aviationโ€ฆ
Read 9 tweets
Jun 27, 2023
The aviation industry needs to face reality and find a #SafeLanding for the people working within it.ย 

Various factors make change inevitable, but we have a choice: design or disaster. Let's choose design!

A thread about our #SafeLanding narrative and when and how to use itย โฌ‡๏ธ
Transformation can bring us a clean environment, a fair economy and livable future - and better, more secure jobs

To ensure this we need a #JustTransition that is targeted, led by working people, democratic, and part of a society-wide push to put us on track for a fair economy.
Messages to communicate the narrative:

โ†’ Change will happen by disaster or by design, letโ€™s choose design
โ†’ Delaying change is reckless
โ†’ Workers who built the aviation industry deserve a protected future
โ†’ The first stage of transition is putting the brakes on expansion
Read 5 tweets
Apr 25, 2023
โ€ผ๏ธA class action lawsuit was filed last week in a Washington State court over health effects and soil contamination from air pollution from aircraft landing and taking off at SeaTac Airport.
The 46 page (double spaced) Complaint will be of interest to many in the US.

๐Ÿงต1/6 Major polluters sued over a...
The potential plaintiff class is 300,000 home owners and renters within a 5-mile radius of the airport. The lead attorney is Steve Berman of Seattle, who some years ago won the first (and big) class action suit against the major tobacco companies.
2/6
Defendants: Port of Seattle (which operated the airport), Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines (5th largest in US). The 2 airlines made 24% and 56% of the 287,114 flights into SeaTac in 2020. Albeit knowing about the health effects, the defendants grew facilities and flights.
3/6
Read 6 tweets
Nov 10, 2022
Today, people in several countries are protesting at private jet facilities. Why are they doing this?

5โƒฃ reasons why we need to #BanPrivateJets. ๐Ÿงต๐Ÿ”ฝ
1โƒฃ Private jets are the most polluting option. They emit huge amounts of climate-damaging emissions compared to already highly polluting commercial flights - and especially to low-emissions alternatives like trains.
#BanPrivateJets #TaxFrequentFlyers #MakePollutersPay Why taking private jets is ...
2โƒฃ One flight on a private jet causes much more pollution than most people in the world produce in a whole year for meeting all their needs like housing, daily mobility and food.
#BanPrivateJets #TaxFrequentFlyers #MakePollutersPay In just 1 hour a private je...
Read 6 tweets

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