Plane Truth: Aviation's Real Impact on People and the Environment. London: Pluto Press

摘要

Rose Bridger's Plane Truth examines and critiques the environmental and social impacts of the aviation industry. This topic is timely and relevant, given the industry's recent surge in growth globally and its energy-intensive nature. Although filled with information, Plane Truth ultimately disappoints, due to a lack of substantive analysis and structure. This missed opportunity is unfortunate, given that the full impacts of global aviation are complex and interwoven with many other factors that beg for a comprehensive and cohesive analysis. Plane Truth covers a lot of ground, including the growth and future of aviation, energy demands and sources, local and regional impacts of airports, air cargo and global trade, and economic issues and policies. The book's strength lies in its abundance of information, which may make it a useful reference for some readers. It is particularly effective at highlighting the many social and environmental injustices linked to airport construction and expansion, mainly through land seizures, local pollution, and/or altered hydrology. Examples from around the world reveal local impacts that are largely invisible to the travelers and global consumers who are often the main beneficiaries of these projects. However, excessive information without a strong analytical framework often becomes a drawback. This may stem from the author's approach, stated in the opening paragraph: "When I began writing about aviation it was obvious that visiting airports would not be enlightening. So I didn't go anywhere. Instead, I used the internet to research operations and expansion plans all over the world" (p. 1). Indeed, Bridger draws heavily from Internet news sites and press releases to populate the book with facts, events, and statistics.