The trouble with travel and trees

The aviation industry is a small – although fast-growing – contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, but per kilometre its impact outstrips that of any other form of transport. As today’s technology looks unlikely to reduce that impact significantly over the next 25 years, aviation has become a key issue in the climate change debate. Many air travellers and people working in the travel industry see carbon offsetting as a viable green solution to the problem. But how accurate is that view?