If you force budget airlines to pay the real environmental cost of their flights, the poor will be disadvantaged – unable to make that one trip to the sun that makes the rest of the year bearable: so the story goes.

But new research puts lie to that one – because as we all know it costs plenty to travel, even if the flight costs nothing.

So says a definitive survey:

The CAA will announce that the social profile of air passengers has hardly changed in the past ten years, during which Ryanair and easyJet have grown from tiny operations to become two of the biggest airlines in Europe.
The survey will strengthen the case made by David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, for imposing green taxes on flights.
The CAA wants to dispel the belief that budget airlines have made air travel more inclusive and that raising taxes on flights would disproportionately affect people on low incomes.
Ryanair sells millions of return tickets costing less than £40, but the poor still cannot afford all the other costs of a foreign trip, such as hotels and meals, the survey says.

It just struck me that I’ve written about Saturday’s climate change rally in London everywhere but here, so for the record, the collection: I’ve got a straight news piece on OhMyNews, a comment piece on Guardian blogs, reflecting on how a tiny fraction of the human beings who have ever lived have consumed an enormous percentage of the earth’s resources, and here’s my favourite protester, who I haven’t managed to place elsewhere…

And here’s a more typical scene – which explains why, with 25,000 people there, I spent most of my time flitting around the edges taking photos. (I don’t deal well with being in the middle of large crowds – partly due to my Australian idea of personal space.)

“The Last Chance to Save the World” headline in one of the London freesheets today, staring up at me from scores of discarded copies in Tube stations.

You might have noticed that I’ve been around a bit less here lately. There are a couple of reasons for that, both related to the Green Party. First, I’ve been co-opted on to its executive committee, looking after internal communications. Since it’s internal communications you probably won’t hear much about it here, but be assured, I’m beavering away behind the scenes.

And then there’s the by-election … in Kentish Town, Camden. Our female principal speaker, Sian Berry, who missed out on a seat there in May by only 157 votes, is running hard for the December 7 election – and so am I, looking mainly after the print material. (The by-election was called when the sole Labour person, elected in May, resigned. The Lib-Dems hold the two other seats. And it is said even the Tories – having selected a very ambitious candidate – are going to have a real go at it.)

It will be a lively campaign.

Should you live in Camden or nearby areas, and be moved, say by news like today’s leaks of the Stern report to do your bit for the climate, say by delivering a few leaflets – or going a little further by joining the Green Party – please email. (natalieben AT gmail DOT com ).

As our new slogan says: One World. One Chance.

And it is a chance that is slipping away fast.

Perversely good news: the scheme to provide grants for renewable energy for homes in the UK has run out of money. Perhaps in part due to a Green Party drive to get a high take-up rate. But it looks like the government is going to be forced into providing more money.

There is meanwhile a quite decent sounding EU drive to cut energy use by 20 per cent by forcing producers to make power-using items more efficient. Sadly, however, it seems, it has hit a hitch. I can’t find a news story on it, but the word I have is that it is meeting strong resistance and will be delayed. Anyone know more?

“In the good news but…” category, milk that tests positive for antibiotics (and detergents!) is going to be banned from the food chain. But … shouldn’t it always have been?

Finally in America … cars could be banned from Rodeo Drive, “the four-block mecca of luxury shopping in Beverly Hills”.

Meanwhile in California, a Bioneers conference in California – perhaps a bit on the alternative side for my taste, but some interesting ideas.