• Bookstore

Most people are happy to do their bit for the planet - recycling their rubbish or composting leftovers – but bargain flights are one thing they refuse to give up, regardless of how green they consider themselves.

Most don't feel any significant guilt at all about short-haul flights - with many praising them for broadening their horizons. Their cost and convenience were highlighted as a major disincentive to changing to more environmentally-friendly behaviour.

The growth in shorter trips abroad, romantic weekend breaks and stag and hen dos in Eastern Europe, with cheap accommodation and beer, poses an even more difficult challenge in trying to alter people's behaviour.

The research was led by Dr Stewart Barr of the University's Geography Department and Professor Gareth Shaw from the School of Business and Economics.

Dr Stewart Barr said:
"The UK's addiction to cheap flights looks hard to break. No matter how green people rate themselves, unfortunately only the most die-hard environmentalists are reducing their short-haul travel – and even then only very reluctantly."

The geographers' findings were presented at the Royal Geographical Society with Institute of British Geographers Annual Conference.<