By Sophy

As someone who was stranded in California for an extra five days as a result of the volcanic eruption (OK, I admit there are worse places to get stuck) it was easy to think that I was being punished by the planet for taking a long-haul flight in the first place.

And while no-one is suggesting that this eruption was caused by climate change, it was nonetheless a powerful reminder of how forceful nature can be – and how we tamper with it at our peril. Scientists at the Royal Society have warned that more natural disasters could be unleashed by melting ice caps due to rising temperatures – as the Telegraph (and others) reported.

But the guilt-tinged inconvenience of not getting home on time was outweighed by the hope that the chaos unleashed on European air travellers a week ago could have some longer-lasting environmental benefits.

The short-term benefit is the carbon saved by all those aeroplanes being grounded for five days – which according to this outweighed the carbon being spewed out by Mount Unpronounceable.

And the Guardian weighed in with a good article using data from the eruption to combat a favourite climate sceptics’ argument that volcanoes are worse carbon criminals than people.

Longer-term, I hope that the inconvenience caused to so many people who until now have taken for granted the ability to jump on an aeroplane and travel thousands of miles in a matter of a few hours, will make them think twice about whether they really need to fly. The business community will now look at video conferencing as a serious alternative to face-to-face meetings; families who had to endure harrowing and difficult journeys by land and sea, and whose children missed the start of term, will consider holidaying closer to home; and many people will have discovered for the first time the pleasures of travelling long distances by train.

If five days of volcanic panic results in a long-term reduction in global air travel, it was a price well worth paying.