Heathrow Row

Amidst all the fuss about another runway for London's Heathrow airport is the real concern that the extra carbon dioxide emissions it would produce will prevent the country from achieving its nett zero targets. The UK government seems to be relying on improbable  'technofixes' such as 'green fuels' and electric planes. They don't appear keen to charge the airlines for carbon capture and storage (an also, perhaps unrealistic solution). (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/01/labour-plans-offset-heathrow-expansion-emissions). They could, however, try to get short haul flights within the UK or to EU locations in France and Belgium replaced by trains journeys. This would, of course, require either making a) train journeys much cheaper and/or b) the heavily subsidised flights more expensive. The former would require more taxpayer's money and the latter would annoy middle-class voters. Neither appears to be likely to happen.