|
The Months Ahead
It is looking like 2008 will be the year in which GA begins to address very actively the CO2 issues that it faces. There are several factors that are moving our community into action mode:
1. In the US, each of the leading Presidential candidates from both major parties favors more aggressive steps to deal with green house gasses (GHG).
2. The twin issues of high oil prices and continued availability of leaded avgas make fuel and engine technology key topics for the industry. These issues are, of course, closely coupled to CO2 concerns.
3. European countries continue to evolve GHG policies that directly impact GA. Aircraft owners who want to fly in Europe and aircraft manufactures that want to sell in Europe must deal with these evolving policies.
4. At a state and local level, many governmental agencies are developing GHG management programs and policies. These will increasingly impact airport ground and flight operators. In response to this trend, leading aviation trade associations are developing programs to help these operators address these policies.
5. There is a growing awareness of the marketing, employee recruiting, and public relations benefits to businesses that have pro-active programs to deal with GHG issues.
These trends suggest that the months ahead will be interesting ones for the readers of our newsletter, since your expressed interest in this subject place you at the forefront of this evolution. The following news items provide evidence of how this momentum is building.
|
|
News from the US 
In January, the FAA announced that it is pursuing a 5-pronged plan to deal with aircraft emissions. The components of the plan include: · Researching the climatic impacts of aircraft emissions, especially at higher altitudes. · Accelerating implementation of NextGen air traffic control systems and procedures to improve aircraft operational efficiencies. · Working with aircraft engine and airframe manufactures to speed introduction of more efficient technologies. · Researching alternate fuels. · Studying market-based mechanisms (emissions trading, tax incentives, and carbon offsets) as a way to address aircraft emissions. The EPA is being pressured to "take action" on aircraft GHG emissions based on a number of petitions filed in December by a variety of environmental activist groups and state and regional air quality agencies. The groups claim that the EPA has the authority and obligation to regulate aircraft GHG based on the April 2007 decision by the US Supreme Court that the EPA does have a mandate to regulate emissions that might impact climate. The National Air Transport Association (NATA) announced in December that it was forming an Environmental Committee to deal with several environmental issues facing GA ground and air operations, including carbon offsets. NATA membership includes a variety of US-based fractional operators, air charter, maintenance, flight training, FBOs, fuel companies, and aircraft manufacturers. |
News from Overseas 
In January, a ∈1.6 billion (about $2.4 billion) public/private initiative, the Clean Sky Program, was initiated within the European Union to develop "a new generation of greener, more environmentally efficient aircraft". Those participating in the program include 86 organizations from 16 countries, 54 industries, 15 research centers and 17 universities. In late December, the European Union moved a step closer to including aircraft, both those operating domestically and internationally, in its emissions trading scheme (ETS). This scheme is essentially a cap and trade mechanism. While there are numerous details yet to be worked out (like how to allocate initial allowances and how to cover aircraft not registered in EU countries without violating other aviation treaties) it does seem such regulation is moving forward with a goal of an operating process by 2012. Public protests against the environmental impacts of private aviation are currently much more common in Europe than in the US. A group named "Plane Stupid" promotes some of the most aggressive of these activities. In January the group breached the security gates at Edinburgh Airport and blockaded the entrance to an FBO, Greer Aviation. The aim of the protestors is to reduce the use of private jets in the UK. A spokesperson for Plane Stupid stated "Exponential economic growth is not compatible with climate change mitigation. The majority of aviation growth stems from the demand of the wealthiest 10%, and this is why we target private jet use today." |
Aviation Technology 
The President of Teledyne-Continental Motors, Rhett Ross, recently stated his company's intention to certify a JetA-fueled, diesel engine by the end of 2009. There are many market forces driving such a decision, including concerns over CO2 emissions (diesel engines are generally more efficient than spark-ignited engines) and continued availability of leaded aviation fuel. The popular press widely reported the Virgin Atlantic Airline flight in mid-February in which one engine of a 747 was operated with a fuel that was 20% derived from plant material. (The remaining 80% was traditional JetA fuel.) While research into such fuels certainly has merit, the recent crash landing of a British Airways 777 at Heathrow airport demonstrates how difficult it will be to introduce new fuels into the aviation fleet. We have decades of experience with crude oil-based JetA, yet it is suspected that the low temperature behavior of this fuel contributed to this crash. Substituting new fuels, such as those derived from plant material, will face complex safety challenges, in addition to those of economic feasibility and environmental impacts. | |
|
| Carbon Neutral Plane
In the News
The December 2007 issue of Private Air magazine presented an overview of the environmental challenges facing the rapidly growing GA fleet. The carbon offsetting program of Carbon Neutral Plane was included.
|
|
