A Hot Idea

Another hot Australian summer, which has seen some extreme and varied weather conditions, has come to an end. Record high temperatures and drought in some parts of the country and flooding in others have shown us just how much the climate impacts us all. The environment and climate change have become top of people’s minds over the last year, as evidenced by the growing awareness of Earth Hour 2008, set to take place on 29 March.

Earth Hour was launched to motivate people to take action against climate change and, in its inaugural year in 2007, inspired 2.2 million people and 2,100 Sydney businesses to turn their lights off for one hour. The result from this simple task reduced Sydney’s energy consumption by 10.2% for one hour. In recognition of Earth Hour 2008, we encourage all our passengers and staff to participate by turning off all lights at home for an hour from 8pm on 29 March.

And remember, as a Jetstar passenger you can do even more for the environment by offsetting your air travel with our Carbon Offset Program. Many thanks to those of you who have already offset your flight today which supports sustainable air travel. Since the program was introduced last year, 12% of our passengers have offset their travel through our program. The money raised goes to Australian Greenhouse Office approved Greenhouse Friendly™ Abatement Projects.

Throughout this issue of JETSTAR Magazine, we show you other ways to do your bit for our planet and include interviews with people who are leading the charge on protecting our environment.

We also have an interview with Paul Mercurio who’s gone from carving up the stage to carving up the kitchen. He talks to us about his upcoming TV series, Mercurio’s Menu, which sees him travelling across Australia in search of our best produce which then gets whipped up into sensational dishes by talented chefs. Mercurio’s Menu airs on Channel 7 on Saturdays at 5pm.

Of course March means the return of the footy season and this year will be huge as the National Rugby League celebrates its centenary in Australia. There’ll be festivities across the country and our own Jetstar Gold Coast Titans will take on the Cowboys in round one on 14 March at the magnificent new Skilled Park stadium – go Titans!

What else can you find in our March issue? If you’re heading off for a long weekend this Easter, check out our great getaway ideas. You might also consider our round-up of the region’s best waterparks and learn all about the sumo season in Japan, elephant month in Thailand and what’s cooking in Darwin. You can also discover two talented women, Jo Stanley and Emma Booth, making a name for themselves nationally and internationally. Read on and enjoy!

Alan Joyce
CEO Jetstar Airways