IATA (International Air Transport Association) is not amused (and I thought only Americans got cranky). Turns out over 170 countries are not amused either (well at least the airlines in those countries…) about the newly approved EU regulation requiring all airlines to join in the EU plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions from its 27 nations by 20% by 2020. The comments by the chief executive of IATA are (just like a Mastercard) priceless:

Climate change is a serious problem and hypocrisy is not the answer. We could be saving 12 million tonnes of CO2 annually with an effective Single European Sky. Instead of making that a reality, Europe is single-mindedly pursuing a political agenda of emissions trading that does nothing to improve environmental performance. I don’t see the European Parliament planting many trees, but somehow they have got lost in the woods”

said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

The Guardian and TreeHugger.com both have the low down on the battle which is brewing well past the boiling point across the pond.

Now you may be wondering what the 50,000 trees has do do with anything?

Well, I am wondering why the CEO of IATA – which has set a hard deadline for the last paper airline tickets to be issued by May 31, 2008 — whose press release notes:

“The cost saving of US$9 for every e-ticket compared to a paper ticket adds up to US$3 billion in annual savings for the industry. And eliminating paper will save the equivalent of 50,000 mature trees each year. E-ticketing is a winning proposition for everyone.”

didn’t recall he already has done the EU a service — why didn’t he just use those 50,000 trees as a fig leaf (as it were) and make nice with those oh so pesty EU greens (and no they’re not cabbage or Kermit) …