It has not been easy for many - with estimates of over 150,000 UK nationals being stranded abroad, there have been some Herculean efforts made by travellers to get home - check out some of these stories from the BBC.
But it's not just the human cost. There are some serious financial costs to our, already fragile, economy. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that airlines are collectively losing £130m per day in lost revenues. Some have estimated that if the no fly zone continues there is a risk of a drop of between 1% and 2% for some European economies.
With all this doom and gloom I was trying to see if there might be one or two silver (sustainability) linings to this ash cloud. Here are a few things that I thought this adversity might remind us of...
- ...what is seasonal - it might only be 1% of UK trade that actually relies on air transport, but with even only some of those unseasonal products missing perhaps we might make a switch
- ...how tasty UK fruit and veg can be - perhaps it will be a Cox's apple rather than a mango
- ...how many tonnes of CO2 have been saved from the Earth's atmosphere - this website estimates 194,109 tonnes per day!
- ...how fun the train is - assuming you can get a seat and the services are running on time
- ...how a holiday in the UK might be a more attractive option - certainly given the last few days of sun we've had
- ...how we haven't lost that great British spirit of adventure - assuming you have managed to get home and you are still in one piece (and I admit this last one has nothing to do with sustainability!)
Okay, so there may be a few caveats in there, but its fun to think there might be a few positives to spring from the Eyjafjallajökul crater.
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