Man's dream to sail the skies dates back to antiquity, with history full of brave souls who put their life on the line to attain this lofty ambition. But whilst the air above us is no longer unchartered territory beyond our reach, we are slowly waking up to the environmental cost that flying entails.
Pollution arising from aviation is worth around 3% of global CO2 emissions and boarding a plane is one of the biggest ways we exacerbate the problem. But it's not just the white lines across clear skies that we should be wary of; before we worry about toxic fumes tainting the air around us, anyone nearby an airport is first bothered by the unbearable din.
Numerous studies have highlighted the long-term health issues that come with living under a flight path – in Belgium this is estimated to cost €1 billion in health care. For obvious reasons, nearby communities are particularly sensitive about matters relating to flight management, with those close to Brussels Airport launching numerous legal actions to impose limits, especially at night.
But decisions have been complicated as ministers fall out over who has the final say about regulations, and what those should be. TLDR: Brussels Airport is in Flanders, with the regional government insisting it should define flight paths and which planes can use the site. Their resistance comes after the mobility minister banned the noisiest planes and ruled that night landings and take-offs must stop.
The airport has at least 19,000 seriously inconvenienced local residents and court rulings on noise pollution have already resulted in €25 million in fines for the Federal Government in the last five years.
The battle for Belgian skies goes on, but it's a stark contrast to the no-nonsense attitude in South Korea, where all flights have been suspended to prevent noise from disrupting a nine-hour exam which half a million pupils sit today.
Though totally unrelated to Belgium, this red herring is fascinating nonetheless: the "suneung" is the most critical point in a pupil's academic journey, with the outcome influencing their social status, career remuneration, and even marriage prospects.
The entire nation today holds its breath to ensure the process passes undisturbed. Except for distress flights, all airborne craft must maintain an altitude above 3,000 metres for this short span. Over 90 flights were postponed on account of the exam. On the ground, businesses were asked to adjust opening hours and the stock market also opened an hour later than usual.
Police cars and regional officials were on standby to help students running late for the exam reach their test sites in time. With stakes so high, the country's ultra-competitive education system has been highlighted for fostering teen depression and suicide, with rates among the highest globally.
What keeps you awake at night? Let @Orlando_tbt know.
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