With the aviation industry coming under increasing flack for its contribution to global CO2 emissions, airlines and the companies that build their airliners are combining their resources to reduce their collective carbon footprint.
In France yesterday European manufacturer Airbus made a commitment to cut the carbon dioxide emissions generated by their aircraft by 50% by 2020.
Louis Gallois, chief executive of Airbus, told a press conference, “The industry must do everything it can to ensure that the contribution to worldwide carbon dioxide emissions by air transport does not increase from 2 to 3% as planned.”
To achieve their goal, Mr Gallois said that Airbus would be increasing their current annual research and development budget of €350 million by 25%.
The former head of France’s SNCF rail service added that he would be calling on competitor Boeing to take part in a conference of protecting the environment.
On the other side of the channel, low cost carrier EasyJet unveiled a model of an ‘ecoJet’ (pictured), saying that the unusual planes would emit half the CO2 of those now in use.
EasyJet Chief Executive Andy Harrison said the technology to build the aircraft already existed and his company was already in talks with Boeing and Airbus to see it delivered by 2015.
“This is not Star Trek, this is the future,” said Mr Harrison. “If it were to be made available today, we would order hundreds of them for fleet replacement.”
According to the executive, flying at lower speeds, using lighter materials and propelling the aircraft with open rotors fitted to the back of the aircraft would all act to improve fuel efficiency and reduce pollution.
The new design of engine, which must be placed above the tail due to their size, would reduce CO2 emissions by 25%. A further 15% would be cut by using the lighter airframe with an additional 10% chopped through air traffic control improvements.
It’s taking too long this aviation things! More money into science!
Comment by Dude — June 17, 2007 @ 1:10 am
I m a 30year guy n living in a wall city at delhi in India, our area is very poluted in the word n we make many kind of polution like small industry in living area n so many of other kind.
Pleasa sugeset me what i can do for making word of COOL.
Comment by khalliq uz zaman — June 17, 2007 @ 6:16 pm
I’m a Nigerian n there’re too much pollution in my area cos i dont know what to do?
Comment by abraham tersoo torji — June 17, 2007 @ 6:37 pm
well this is a very good step taken to protect the enviorment if the a/c manufacturing companies think beyond making the profit
Comment by nishant — June 19, 2007 @ 5:54 pm
Keep on spinning while the world keeps burning aviation guys….
Comment by Daaave — June 21, 2007 @ 3:27 pm
The real solution to the aircraft emissions problem is for less people to fly and less frequently. Taking the train or a bus wherever possible is far better than short haul flight. We went from the UK to Crete without flying or using a car, all on public transport. All it needed was the attitude to do it and to dedicate more time (and enjoyment too) to the journeys which went through some of the most beautiful parts of Europe. To those other people in India, Nigeria who ask about pollution prevention the real fix is to ask the companies who are causing it to stop it and clean up the mess they have made. If they refuse this make their trade mark known to the world via the internet as a filthy polluter and environmental abuser. People will boycott their goods if they know what they are doing.
Comment by GDance — June 21, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
Easyjet boss andy harrison is up for new runways and unlimited aviation expansion, yet he is opposing planning permission for his next door neighbours minor extension who needs it for health reasons!
Comment by EasyPratt — June 21, 2007 @ 10:01 pm
While it’s all well and good that the aviation industry is working to reduce emissions, I’d rather see the automobile and truck industries working this hard on it. Do the math, everyone - a trip by plane - even a “short” trip that’s 2 hours long - usually emits half of the CO2 of taking the same trip by car or bus - unless you’re in a hybrid or other “green” vehicle.
Comment by Wench — June 21, 2007 @ 10:28 pm
It is important not to be too convinced by the supposed cuts in emissions by the aviation industry. At present, they are making cuts of around 1% per year (things like towing aircraft on the airport rather than using the plane’s engines, more efficient air traffic control avoiding stacking for long periods, lighter planes and flying smaller planes to where people want to go, rather than a second flight from a hub airport). However, with air travel growing by perhaps 5% per year, and a 1% reduction in emissions, you can see the net effect is for a huge increase in CO2 emissions per year. The more efficient planes may come into produciton in the next 15 years, but we need to be making cuts NOW, not a couple of decades into the future. These planes may be helpful - for unavoidable air journeys - in a couple of decades time. Meanwhile, we need to stop the growth in aviation, level it off, and then start a decline. This is a serious issue.
Comment by Sarah — June 22, 2007 @ 9:39 am
Readers are invited to check their ecological footprint (for free) at http://www.myfootprint.org
Comment by Ajith S R N — June 22, 2007 @ 1:23 pm
Here are some opportunities for doing activities for global good without any capital investiment.
A. Click to donate sites. By clicking on links at these sites, the sites will engage in activities of social good.
1. http://www.thehungersite.com
2. http://www.ecologyfund.com
B. Search and donate sites. For every search we do on these search sites, a certain sum will paid to charities, including environmental charities.
1. http://www.goodsearch.com
2. http://www.everyclick.com
C. Using the unused processing power of our computers for global good.
1. http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org
D. Instant message and contribute.
1. http://www.imagine-windowslive.com/Messenger/IM/Home/
E. E-mail/ Blog and contribute:
1. http://www.ippimail.com
Comment by Ajith S R N — June 22, 2007 @ 1:26 pm
Sounds interesting… but let AirBus comes out of its present production woes
Comment by Ben — July 4, 2007 @ 7:09 am