Here’s an oddity for you: the mere fact that a politician is not flying in a private jet to the United Nation’s Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, is actually a news story.
But perhaps U.S. Sen. John Kerry wants everyone to know he’s flying commercial in the wake of the UK Telegraph story that details how 140 private jets and 1,200 gas-guzzling limos have arrived for the conference (said a Denmark limousine company manager: “We haven’t got enough limos in the country to fulfill the demand. We’re having to drive them in hundreds of miles from Germany and Sweden.”)
So the question remains: which commercial carrier will Kerry fly? SAS, Lufthansa, United? And, more to the point – will this help him reach “elite status” in his miles program before the end of the year?
How do you shrink a carbon footprint? One way is to curb the growth of air travel. How to do that? Slap a tax on fliers – and maybe slap a higher tax on frequent fliers.
As the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen gets underway, the UK’s own Committee on Climate Change has issued a report calling for “drastic action” – action needed to curb air travel demand over the next few decades, if the nation is to meet its carbon emissions target – a target that calls for the same level of emissions in the year 2050, as was present in the year 2005.
Yes, air travel demand can increase among the Brits – but officials want to limit it to 60%. To keep it from going over that, the report proposes taxing fliers, and in an effort at “social fairness” that could mean higher taxes for those who fly more than the average citizen does. The airlines, meanwhile, say they can cut a lot of carbon emissions simply by improving technology, air traffic control and alternative fuels.
About those taxes – is it possible that fliers could be taxed the point that they cry “Uncle!” and stay home? Then again, perhaps that is the point.
Would love to hear your thoughts on all this…
When I first saw this in the Daily Mail, I had to check the date – so certain was I that this was an April Fools’ prank. But it wasn’t.
It seems All Nippon Airways (ANA) is conducting a month long experiment, now underway, to see if getting people to empty their bladders before boarding – thereby ditching some weight – will mean a lighter aircraft, less fuel usage, and a reduction in carbon emissions.
My head is spinning.
I will spare you the details of how much a human bladder can hold, (but my friends at ABCNews.com are much more in depth so read their informative take on this, which includes a quote from yours truly). However, I do think the folks running the Japanese carrier are a little optimistic when they say they hope to reduce carbon emissions by five tons over 30 days.
I just have one question: How come Ryanair didn’t come up with this first?
Did this ever occur to you?
The deicing chemicals that are sprayed onto jets at airports across the country every winter – to get rid of ice and snow — can be a big source of pollution. A sometimes dangerous source.
What happens is, when the runoff from the two major kinds of deicing fluid — propylene glycol and ethylene glycol — gets into nearby ponds or streams, it can (and sometimes does) kill the aquatic life there – both fish and plants.
Keep reading, “orange water” ahead…
Deicing Fluid May Hold Dangers for Nearby Ponds, Streams
A thought-provoking, and dare I say – a slightly ominous article from the UK’s Telegraph.
Bottom line: We (meaning the world) supposedly fly too much – which creates too many deadly emissions – and in order to prevent “catastrophic climate change”, the number of flights (or perhaps emissions) must stay at current levels.
No matter how much the population grows. No matter how many emerging nations like China expand their middle classes who clamor for flight.
Sound like some Blade Runner type fantasy?
Maybe that’s all it is. And may not. It certainly has the British government thinking – and, acting. Keep reading…
Future Shock: Rationing the Right to Fly?
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Yes, I’m blowing my own horn here, but what the heck!
The Go Green Travel Green website (“travel tips for the eco-conscious traveler”) has a post in which site co-founder Elizabeth Sanberg’s discusses best search engines for flexible travel – and she names FareCompare her personal favorite:
“I like FareCompare the best because it shows you the cheapest dates earliest in the searching process. As soon as you type in your travel to/from airports, the cheapest and most expensive months to travel appear on the right hand side. Then as soon as you click on the departure date, a calendar pops up. It’s fast and easy to follow.” -Elizabth Sanberg, Go Green Travel Green 4-22-09
Ms. Sanberg includes FareCompare in her upcoming “e-book” on finding cheap airfare, and you can learn more about it here (including how to pre-order).
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I just read an engrossing AP story by Robin McDowell about a woman who’s been studying the “elusive, solitary orangutans” of Indonesia for nearly 40 years.
It seems these red apes are on the verge of extinction because their habitat — the forests – are disappearing at a fantastic rate. Man is making them disappear, in order to create lucrative palm oil plantations.
Palm oil is an important ingredient in some bio fuels – which, it is hoped, will eventually make air travel much “cleaner” – and maybe, make a solid contribution to saving our planet.
And Indonesia is the world’s top producer of palm oil – but it is also home to 90% of the world’s dwindling orangutan population. I can’t believe this has to come down to “either/or” – surely there’s a solution. I hope so.
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You’ve probably been seeing the term “biofuel” crop up of late (no pun intended) – and a lot of the buzz is coming from – the airlines.
In the past year, we’ve seen planes from Virgin Atlantic, Air New Zealand and Continental flying on weeds, grass and even algae (hey, algae is good enough for Bill Gates!). And although these are small scale experiments, they’ve shown planes can stay up in the air on this stuff – when mixed with jet fuel.
So far, none of these plane demonstrations have included passengers – but as I point out in my latest weekly column for ABCNews.com – it will likely happen in our lifetime. And, how terrific.
Terrific because it’ll help save the airlines, save the planet, and – yes, even help us save money. Read all about it right here.
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