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EarthTalk®
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
Dear
EarthTalk: Can airplanes be run on cleaner fuels or be electric
powered? Are there changes afoot in the airline business to find
cleaner fuels? -- Reema Islam, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Given
air travel's huge contribution to our collective carbon footprint-flying
accounts for about three percent of carbon emissions worldwide
by some estimates-and the fact that basic passenger and cargo
jet designs haven't changed significantly in decades, the world
is certainly ready for greener forms of flying.
But
since air travel emissions were not regulated under the Kyoto
Protocol, the international agreement signed in 1997 that set
binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the friendly
skies aren't much greener than they were a few decades ago. And
most national governments have been reluctant to impose new environmental
restrictions on the already ailing airline industry.
Nonetheless,
some airlines and airplane manufacturers are taking steps to improve
their eco-footprints. Southwest and Continental have implemented
fuel efficiency improvements, waste reduction programs and increased
recycling, and are investing in newer, more fuel efficient airplanes.
Another airline on the cutting edge of green is Virgin Atlantic,
which made news in early 2008 when it became the first major carrier
to test the use of biofuels (liquid fuels derived from plant matter)
on passenger jet flights. Now Air New Zealand, Continental, Japan
Airlines (JAL), JetBlue, and Lufthansa are also testing biofuels.
Even
airplane maker Boeing is getting in on the act by developing a
carbon-neutral jet fuel made from algae. Boeing's newest commercial
jet, the much vaunted 787 Dreamliner (now in final testing before
late 2010 delivery to several airlines), is 20 percent more fuel
efficient than its predecessors thanks to more efficient engines,
aerodynamic improvements and the widespread use of lighter composite
materials to reduce weight. Airbus is also incorporating more
lightweight composite materials into its new planes.
On
the extreme end of the innovation spectrum are zero-emission airplanes
that make use of little or no fuel. The French company, Lisa,
is building a prototype small plane, dubbed the Hy-Bird, that
uses solar power (via photovoltaic cells on the elongated wingspan)
and hydrogen-powered fuel cells to fly with zero emissions-and
nearly no engine noise. The company claims the Hy-Bird is the
first 100 percent eco-friendly plane, and is readying a round-the-world
flight punctuated by 30 event-filled stopovers.
Even
more unusual is the proposed fuel-free plane dreamed up by Mississippi-based
Hunt Aviation. The company is working on a prototype small plane
that harnesses the natural forces of buoyancy (thanks to helium-filled
pontoons) for lift-offs and gravity for landings-along with an
on-board wind turbine and battery to power everything in between-to
achieve flight without any fuel whatsoever.
Don't
look for these futuristic planes on airport runways anytime soon.
It will likely be decades before this technology filters its way
up to the big leagues. Until then, take a train or bus instead.
If you must fly, compensate for your flight's emissions by buying
a "carbon offset" from TerraPass or CarbonFund.org,
which will use the money to fund alternative energy and other
greenhouse-gas reduction projects.
CONTACTS:
Lisa Airplanes,
Hunt Aviation, www.fuellessflight.com;
TerraPass,
CarbonFund.org
SEND
YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E - The Environmental
Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com.
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