KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is increasing the space between rows of seats on its planes. I’m not surprised — the Dutch are the tallest people on earth these days, as I discovered when I had to crane my neck around the Brobdingnagians in front of me in an Amsterdam movie theater.
Like many Europeans, the Dutch are also very concerned about the environment. As the KLM example illustrates, though, the good nutrition that makes them (and other Northern Europeans) so tall imposes negative externalities on the environment: Fewer Dutchmen per plane flight means more fuel consumed per passenger, and more pollution. The higher weight that goes with extra height requires more calories to maintain, generating more pollution to produce the tall person’s food.
So maybe we Americans are doing our part for the environment by being relatively short. Now if we could also reduce our weight, so that we consume fewer calories (the average American adult is officially classified as overweight, and 30 percent of Americans are classified as obese), we could actually contribute to environmental protection in a way that the tall Europeans cannot!
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I am 5’10″, the average height for men in America and not so long ago I realized that I should become pro-immigration, esp. for Mexicans and Asians because perhaps before long I’ll be “above average” in height. But as far as the tall Europeans, esp. the Dutch, I think we be ever diligent against their becoming citizens.
To suggest that removing seats means each individual passenger is polluting more is ludicrous. It’s not as if they’re taking x number of seats away from so many flights to the same destination then adding an addition flight to accommodate the bumped passengers. It’s still the same plane with the same amount of pollution regardless of how many people are on it. A passenger is not any more culpable because other people decide not to get on a plane that’s going somewhere regardless of whether or not they’re on it.
Or we could simply internalize the externality of weight causing higher fuel costs, by charging passengers by the pound. A rational consumer will therefore find the optimum weight, balancing between utility from consuming delicious food and the extra cost that imposes on flying.
As perhaps Keynes would say today, “In the environmental run, we should all be dead.”
I found this view on the subject to be very interesting. Though it may seem crazy and irreleveant, there could be some truth to it. If there is a local Dutch airline, it is true that less people would fit on each plane, and if there were enough demand, more than one flight would have to be scheduled. Also true about the Americans. There are several ways they could reduce their weight: exercise, such as walking which would reduce care use; eating healthier food meaning less factories would be producing all the junk that is eaten today.
@3 Though that could be an interesting approach, there are some people who are not overweight by choice, but because their body is built that way. This idea would prove to be unfair to them.
I’m confused by this statement:
“we Americans…being relatively short.”
Unless you mean those of indigenous ethnicity, which I think you do not, there is no such thing as a person of American ethnic background.
While I’m certain you don’t need a primer in the history of immigration in this country, recall that many of the early settlers here were from Europe.
The US is becoming more diverse and that may have an impact on our average height (although I’m not sure you’re actually citing data rather than just your observations). As of the 2000 Census, European Americans made up 60.7% of the US population.
So…I’m still trying to figure out which “Americans” you’re referring to.
Perhaps they’re mitigating through greater use of bicycles? Or maybe that’s another reason they’re so tall?
On a side note, I seem to remember some work on national heights that suggested in WWII Americans were relatively tall compared to the other combatants (Germans, French, et al), but since then everyone else has gotten taller.
Any chance of an average height v. GNP discussion?
Dutch people are awesome!!