Zero emissions?
OVERALL
• Sustainable aviation Introduction (video)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k50qD40p3WU&feature=youtu.be
Not zero emissions
SUMMARIES
• More sustainable travelling will be needed in the post-pandemic era
https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/columns/columns/mp-talk/18472-more-sustainable-travelling-will-be-needed-in-the-post-pandemic-era.html
• The aviation sector should re-consider its strategy to reduce climate impact, Manchester report suggests
https://aboutmanchester.co.uk/the-aviation-sector-should-re-consider-its-strategy-to-reduce-climate-impact-manchester-report-suggests/
• Greener air travel will depend on these emerging technologies
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/2021/01/greener-air-travel-will-depend-on-these-emerging-technologies/
DIRECT AIR CAPTURE
Claims that Direct Air Capture (DAC) is ‘100% green’ are misleading. DAC will not eliminate a flights actual CO2 emissions, and will add additional CO2 if DAC uses fossil fuel electricity.
• Researchers pull carbon out of the sky and convert it to instant jet fuel, reshaping aviation for good
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/iron-based-catalyst-used-for-carbon-neutral-aviation/
• United Airlines aims to suck carbon dioxide from the friendly skies
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2021/01/12/climate-solutions-united-airlines/
• United Airlines will invest in carbon capture en route to net zero emissions
https://www.ecowatch.com/united-airlines-carbon-capture-2649941066.html
• Businesses aim to pull greenhouse gases from the air. It’s a gamble.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/18/climate/carbon-removal-technology.html
HYBRID-ELECTRIC
• Hybrid-electric plane that ‘scrubs’ exhaust before ejecting it into the atmosphere could reduce emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides by 95 per cent, MIT engineers claim
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9150973/Aviation-Hybrid-electric-plane-reduce-NOx-emissions-95-cent-MIT-engineers-claim.html
“SUSTAINABLE” AVIATION FUEL
The aviation industry uses marketing greenwash and accounting tricks to mislead you into thinking that actual flight emissions from ‘Sustainable’ Aviation Fuel (SAF) are a fraction of those from fossil jet fuel. A jet never burns pure SAF, so a common 50:50 blend with fossil jet fuel doubles claimed emissions. And actual flight CO2 emissions are additionally more than claimed, by the amount of CO2 drawn down in making the fuel. Furthermore SAF still creates non-CO2 emissions twice as warming as actual flight CO2 emissions.
• As the aviation industry recovers from one crisis, it is looking to the next: climate change
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/as-the-aviation-industry-recovers-from-one-crisis-it-is-looking-to-the-next-climate-change/
• Neste and Avfuel create strategic partnership for sustainable aviation fuel
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2021/01/20210113-neste.html
• Boeing vows to develop planes able to fly on 100 per cent sustainable fuel by 2030
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4026288/boeing-vows-develop-planes-able-fly-100-cent-sustainable-fuel-2030
• Boeing wants all its aircraft to fly on sustainable fuels by 2030
https://news.yahoo.com/boeing-sustainable-fuel-2030-212846753.html
• Future fuels change the balance of power
https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2021/01/future-fuels-change-the-balance-of-power/
• Biofuels conference
https://www.biofuels-news.com/conference/biofuels/biofuels_index_2021.php
OFFSETTING
When all sectors need to reduce their emissions to zero, the aviation industry buys/offsets the reductions of others in order to grow its own emissions.
• 4AIR launches as the first emissions reduction solution provider focused solely on private aviation
https://www.argus-press.com/news/national/article_07ca4c1b-d0d4-5d1c-a2da-f81ed01a55cd.html
• Shell, BP, and Easyjet: The big polluters designing the rules for voluntary carbon offsets
https://www.desmog.co.uk/2021/01/22/shell-bp-and-easyjet-big-polluters-designing-rules-voluntary-carbon-offsets
• Implementing the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/implementing-the-carbon-offsetting-and-reduction-scheme-for-international-aviation/implementing-the-carbon-offsetting-and-reduction-scheme-for-international-aviation-corsia
NET ZERO 2050
• Signature Aviation recognized with a prestigious ‘A’ score for its efforts to combat climate change
https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/maintenance-providers/mro/press-release/21205008/signature-flight-support-signature-aviation-recognized-with-a-prestigious-a-score-for-its-efforts-to-combat-climate-change
• Qantas and BP unveil strategic partnership to reduce carbon emissions
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/qantas-and-bp-unveil-strategic-partnership-to-reduce-carbon-emissions-2021-01-27
• Heavy industry, transport sectors to align on net-zero climate plans
https://www.reuters.com/article/climate-change-industry/heavy-industry-transport-sectors-to-align-on-net-zero-climate-plans-idUSL1N2K0241
CHANGING FLIGHT ROUTES
• Surfing the breeze: Transatlantic aircraft could use 16 per cent less fuel by hitching a better ride on the jet stream, study claims
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9187939/Commercial-planes-cut-emissions-better-surfing-wind.html
Airports
• DFW airport wants to cut emissions to zero by 2030, but can it do it? And what does that mean?
https://www.aviationpros.com/airports/news/21204352/dfw-airport-wants-to-cut-emissions-to-zero-by-2030-but-can-it-do-it-and-what-does-that-mean
Not zero warming
HYDROGEN FUEL
Burning hydrogen fuel still creates non-CO2 emissions twice as warming as avoided flight CO2 emissions, and generating enough CO2 emissions-free hydrogen will use more than all the renewable electricity currently generated.
• Hydrogen plane startup ZeroAvia gets backing from Amazon, Shell
https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/hydrogen-plane-startup-zeroavia-gets-backing-from-amazon-shell/79757439
• £84 million boost for technology to power a green aviation revolution
https://www.miragenews.com/84-million-boost-for-technology-to-power-a-green-aviation-revolution/
• Innovate UK: £84M of funding to develop green technologies for zero-emissions aviation flights
https://sciencebusiness.net/network-updates/innovate-uk-ps84m-funding-develop-green-technologies-zero-emissions-aviation
Emissions de-growth
COVID-19 REDUCTIONS
• Pandemic causes historic — but fleeting— drop in U.S. climate emissions
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/14/956594763/pandemic-causes-historic-but-fleeting-drop-in-u-s-climate-emissions
• Widespread overseas travel unlikely for Australians in 2021
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/health-safety/widespread-overseas-travel-unlikely-for-australians-in-2021/news-story/3d84c7bd3dff15b132e53ebb7e014e7c
Emissions growth
FREQUENT FLYERS
• Bill Gates is accused of hypocrisy after joining bidding war to buy the world’s largest private jet operator – one month before he releases his book preaching about climate change
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9128203/Bill-Gates-bids-private-jet-operator-one-month-releases-climate-change-book.html
COVID-19 BAILOUTS
• EasyJet secures new five-year $1.87 billion loan with UK guarantee
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-easyjet/easyjet-secures-new-five-year-1-87-billion-loan-with-uk-guarantee-idUSKBN29G0J8
• Airline industry needs up to another $80bn to survive pandemic
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55676023
• Give us ‘AviationKeeper’ to survive, air industry pleads
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/give-us-aviationkeeper-to-survive-air-industry-pleads-20210122-p56w3l.html
REGULATION
• Lawsuit challenges Trump Administration’s failure to cut airplane climate pollution: First-ever airplane emissions rule fails to reduce greenhouse gases
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Press-Releases/2021-Press-Releases/AG-Tong-Sues-to-Block-Rule-that-Locks-In-Dangerous-Levels-of-Airplane-Greenhouse-Gas-Emissions
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/lawsuit-challenges-trump-administrations-failure-to-cut-airplane-climate-pollution-2021-01-15/
Climate emergency
CARBON SINKS
• New research on forests and oceans suggest projections of future warming may be too conservative, with serious consequences
http://www.climatecodered.org/2021/01/new-research-on-forests-and-oceans.html?m=1
