Ok, but it's the thought of her insisting her family 'go by train' as some sacrificial compromise to save the planet - almost comparing that to ditching your car to take a three hour bus journely to work - that really, really offended me. I don't know why that doesn't offend everybody.

And anyway, do you know how long she spent in Morrocco? Which hotel her family used? What they did whilst there?
Unless you do I don't think you can compare the cost of it to anything really.
The way I read it the three day train journey was just the means of getting there.

Now sorry to just be posting about this one lady but she does represent an organisation that will defend its right to blockade airports despite the human inconvenience factor, even if someone's missed their dad's funeral.

If taking another (resource gargling), rather opulent means of transportation for your mum's birthday celebrations isn't sending out mixed, contradictory messages then I don't know what is.

EDIT: Infact reading over your piece again you've just made that point for me.

**Much of the sane response to climate change is about reducing consumption. We're not kidding ourselves that it's going to be as sunny holidaying in Rhyl as Malta. But a lot of the reduction will be positive; relocalising means spending more time near where you live. Who wants to do more commuting?**

x

"If you think of three days there and the same back, then that's a week of holiday. So whislt the flight would be cheaper, there'd be all the costs of hotels and whatnnot at the other end to factor in, whereas in the train scneario the journey would *be* the holiday."

I enjoyed doing that when I was a student but why would anyone want to spend 3 days travelling to Morocco by train and back and spend 1 day there when they can get there quicker and cheaper and spend 7 days there? It's a beautiful country and planning ahead, the riads and hotels are very cheap for families. Why waste time cooked up on a train travelling though what mostly equates to modern industrialised cities and landscapes (apart from the journey through south Spain) and paying out more expenses in the process and then only having enough time for a cuppa of mint tea in Tangiers before returning?
It's a good journey for some but for most families, I'm sure the expense, travel time and the extra hassle of being mobbed in the ports of ceuta or Tangier for the sake of a few hours does not equate to a 'holiday'.

Most families don't give a shit about the carbon footprint to the point of putting that above putting themselves under undue stress and into debt.

8)