Pearson accuses airlines of failing to take climate change seriously

0 Comments | AFP, January, 2007

LONDON (AFP) — Environment minister Ian Pearson has accused British, Irish and US airlines of failing to take global warming seriously, branding Ryanair "the irresponsible face of capitalism." "When it comes to climate change, Ryanair are not just the unacceptable face of capitalism, they are the irresponsible face of capitalism," Pearson, minister of state for climate change and the environment, charged in a hard-hitting interview with The Guardian on Friday.

Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary's attitude is "just completely off the wall," Pearson said. "O'Leary just seems to take pride in refusing to recognize that climate change is a genuine problem," he was quoted as saying. The European Commission proposed last month to set carbon dioxide emission quotas for...