Yeah, it's funny how the Montserrat volcano has been chucking up ash since 1995 but has never affected Carribean / South American airspace in a newsworthy way...brianv 4 May 3 2010, 10:38 PM wrote:
Volcano Monserrat -January 2010 :blink: :blink: :blink:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7bTnKjFZQY
If I may speculate:
The effect of the volcano thing in the UK was a bolstering of British identity, as an distinct island people.
- News reports of poor brits in 'orrible foreign countries desparately travelling back to "blighty" on boats and trains. Going home.
Ireland has a massive diaspora all over the world and has only relatively recently been affected by immigration. I guess the flight ban might tap into Irish feelings about being a distinct island race too.
I don't think flights bans would resonate the same way in New World countries which may be why Mt St Helens and Montserrat have not been used like that.
In relation to these issues of identity, being affirmed as disctint island races:
Icelandic band Sigur R?s' 2007 film "Heima"
Heima Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZYIfUdIyfs
The theme of the film is going home.
OK - maybe Sigur Ros is just a band and has nothing to do with this.
But IMO the volcano flight bans are being used to stir up racial pride in island nations, and perhaps a yearning to be more like Iceland - racially homogenous and isolated.