The environment and air travel

I was listening to the unknown liberal who wants to be leader of their party (for some reason) on the weekend. He was banging on about air fares and the environment. He was advocating the need to increase taxes on air tarvel for the benefit of the environment. He was to say the least, short on specifics.

The SOLE point of environmental taxes on air fares, is to make air travel prohibitively expensive, and therefore, reduce the number of flights (as I understand the green argument).

It is impossible to be elected on a platform of "Vote for me, and I'll tax away your foreign summer holiday"

So, he was somewhat equivocal, saying that taxes needed to be increased modestly (without defining modest). So increase fares by £10 and people grumble, the environmental effect is nil, and the government find another way to tax us. Which is what will happen.

Increase air taxes by say £500 and lots of people are taxed out of holidays and air travel is reduced, having an alleged environmental benefit (though I am unconvinced) and NO ONE is gonna do that.

So really, it was just more smoke and mirrors in the place of policies. Very poor indeed.