Valentine's Day

Light coming through the heart, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Yes, Valentine's Day will soon be upon us, so maybe we are thinking about sending a card to the one(s) we love.

For many years the shops have been on at us not only to buy a card but also to buy a present, such as a book, a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine, and then maybe a romantic dinner in a restaurant.

However, in this year, the year when we know more about global warming. climate change, carbon footprints and the like, what do we have? Nothing other than airlines, pushing us to take Valentines' Day flights. It is ridiculous, of course, but I have received e-mails from KLM, Flybe and venere.it all encouraging me to go away and take Fred on a Valentine's Day extended weekend somewhere.

I know I am one of the worst fliers and therefore a hypocrite in these things, but I think that socially aware, let alone socially responsible, companies should know better than to encourage this sort of unthinking disposable type of travel. As it happens, I expect to be at home and Fred at work, a day before he breaks up for his crocus holiday, during which he is going to be operated on his teeth, poor chap.

Tags: Valentine's Day, global warming, airlines, irresponsibility