Ongoing emissions from
… growth in flights
• India among top 5 developing countries in aviation emissions in 2019, study finds
https://m.economictimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/india-among-top-5-developing-countries-in-aviation-emissions-in-2019-study-finds/articleshow/109757711.cms
INEQUITABLE GROWTH
• Richest 0.1% produce 12 times more transport emissions than average
https://www.airport-technology.com/news/richest-0-1-produce-12-times-more-transport-emissions-than-average-ippr-report/
… greenwashed fuels and engines
• Eco Checklist Or Eco Change? Unpacking Aviation’s Sustainability Reality
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2024/05/06/eco-checklist-or-eco-change-unpacking-aviations-sustainability-reality/?sh=51f5e4b44060
• The future of flight: How to make aviation fossil-free
https://group.vattenfall.com/press-and-media/newsroom/2024/the-future-of-flight-how-to-make-aviation-fossil-free
• How airlines are working to create sustainable fuel to reduce aviation’s carbon footprint
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-airlines-are-working-to-create-sustainable-fuel-to-reduce-aviations-carbon-footprint
‘SUSTAINABLE’ AVIATION FUELS
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.
• ‘Magical thinking’: hopes for sustainable jet fuel not realistic, report finds
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/14/sustainable-jet-fuel-report
• UK Jet Zero Council: 71% of public unaware of sustainable aviation fuel
https://www.wearefinn.com/topics/posts/uk-jet-zero-council-71-of-public-unaware-of-sustainable-aviation-fuel/
• Why new ethanol aviation fuel tax subsidies aren’t a clear climate win
https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/05/01/1091988/a-us-push-to-use-ethanol-as-aviation-fuel-raises-major-climate-concerns/
• Sustainability in Aviation – Net Zero 2050 #Is it Possible?
http://unsw.edu.au/science/our-schools/aviation/news-events/aviation-panel-discussion-series/sustainability-in-aviation
• Good, bad, unknown of new sustainable aviation fuel tax guidance
https://www.feedstuffs.com/agribusiness-news/good-bad-unknown-of-new-sustainable-aviation-fuel-tax-guidance
• World Energy Announces Sustainable Aviation Fuel Agreement with Boston Consulting Group to Step Up Decarbonization Investment
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/world-energy-announces-sustainable-aviation-fuel-agreement-with-boston-consulting-group-to-step-up-decarbonization-investment-302135858.html
• First transatlantic sustainable aviation fuel flight ‘saved 95 tonnes of CO2’
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/253193/first-transatlantic-sustainable-aviation-fuel-flight/
• New Report Forecasts Sustainable Aviation Fuel Market To Exceed $25B By 2030
https://carbonherald.com/new-report-forecasts-sustainable-aviation-fuel-market-to-exceed-25b-by-2030/
• Sustainable Air Travel Could Happen, Although the Options are Challenging
https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/sustainable-air-travel-could-happen-although-the-options-are-challenging
AUSTRALIAN SAF INDUSTRY
• Federal Budget 2024-25: infrastructure, strategic transport, net zero
https://infrastructuremagazine.com.au/2024/05/15/federal-budget-2024-25-infrastructure-strategic-transport-net-zero/
• Sustainable aviation fuels prepare for take-off in Australia
https://esdnews.com.au/sustainable-aviation-fuels-prepare-for-take-off-in-australia/
• Federal Budget measures have local Sustainable Aviation Fuel industry ready for take off
https://www.ifminvestors.com/en-au/news-and-insights/media-centre/federal-budget-measures-have-local-sustainable-aviation-fuel-industry-ready-for-take-off/
• Australian researchers create green jet fuel from methane emissions
https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/australian-researchers-create-green-jet-fuel-from-methane-emissions/47023/
• Rubbish takes flight to reduce greenhouse gases
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast-episode/rubbish-takes-flight-to-reduce-greenhouse-gases/fye91kqgh
• Methane emissions from landfill could be turned into sustainable jet fuel in plasma chemistry leap
https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2024/05/01/methane-emissions-from-landfill-could-be-turned-into-sustainable.html
• Australian researchers win funding to work with China on making sustainable green aviation fuel
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-researchers-win-funding-to-work-with-china-on-making-sustainable-green-aviation-fuel/
• Renewable aviation fuels prepare for take-off in Australia
https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2024/renewable-aviation-fuels-prepare-for-take-off-in-australia/
• Australia and China collaborate to advance sustainable aviation fuels
https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/australia-and-china-collaborate-on-sustainable-aviation-fuels/47790/
CARBON CAPTURE
• Carbon capture technology is key to a greener aviation sector
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/carbon-capture-key-greener-aviation-sector-opinion
• Scientists develop vacuum to suck pollution out of the air
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/scientists-develop-vacuum-suck-pollution-32788008
… offsets
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. When the planet is already dangerously hot, offsets steal carbon drawdown needed to cool the planet to excuse further emissions.
CARBON CREDITS
• Airlines ‘set for carbon credit crunch by 2030’
https://www.edie.net/airlines-set-for-carbon-credit-crunch-by-2030/
… non-CO2 emissions
CONTRAILS
• How Can We Solve Aviation’s Big Contrails Problem?
https://aviationweek.com/podcasts/check-6/podcast-how-can-we-solve-aviations-big-contrails-problem
• Contrail concerns: Airlines, IATA respond to climate impact claims
https://www.energycensus.com/Article/Contrail-concerns-Airlines-IATA-respond-to-climate-impact-claims-35337.html
… delusional reduction scenarios
NET ZERO 2050
Net zero emissions by 2050 allows ongoing emissions and subtracts from them carbon drawdown needed to cool an already dangerously hot planet
• Are Airlines’ Net Zero Goals Unrealistic?
https://aviationweek.com/podcasts/check-6/podcast-are-airlines-net-zero-goals-unrealistic
Reducing emissions by
… alternative fuels
BATTERIES
• Electric aeroplanes are already in our skies, so when will they become the norm?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-05/electric-aeroplanes-aviation-industry-shrink-carbon-emissions/103796074
HYDROGEN
Hydrogen-powered aircraft will not have zero emissions, even if hydrogen is produced from renewable electricity, because it will still emit NOx and generate contrail cirrus that have a higher climate impact than CO2 today. The deployment of “green” hydrogen in aviation would require huge quantities of renewable electricity, which would deprive other sectors needing to decarbonise. Hydrogen will not be viable for medium and long-haul flights before 2050, much too late to tackle the climate emergency.
• Hydrogen-Powered Airplanes Face 5 Big Challenges
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hydrogen-powered-airplanes-face-5-big-challenges/
• Pioneering initiative introduces liquid hydrogen fuel to aviation
https://www.review-energy.com/hidrogeno/pioneering-initiative-introduces-liquid-hydrogen-fuel-to-aviation
… exposing greenwashing
• Take action against airline marketing!
https://stay-grounded.org/take-action-against-airline-marketing/
• EU Commission and consumer protection authorities initiate action against 20 airlines for greenwashing
https://investesg.eu/2024/05/02/eu-commission-and-national-consumer-protection-authorities-initiate-action-against-20-airlines-for-greenwashing/
• Airlines clash with the EU over greenwashing claims
https://www.politico.eu/article/airlines-trying-lure-climate-concious-passangers-clash-eu-over-greenwashing-claims/
• ‘Green spin is just a joke’: Qantas pilots rail against airline’s greenwashing tactics
https://www.crikey.com.au/2024/05/10/qantas-pilots-greenwashing/
ADVERTISING BANS
• This Scottish City Just Banned SUV And Airline Ads. Here’s Why
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrvetter/2024/05/30/this-scottish-city-just-banned-suv-and-airline-ads-heres-why/
• Big win in Edinburgh: Council approves High-Carbon Ad Ban
https://adfreecities.org.uk/2024/05/big-win-in-edinburgh-council-approves-high-carbon-ad-ban/
… challenging aviation’s social license
PROTEST
• Climate activists glue themselves to Munich airport runway
https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/05/18/climate-activists-glue-themselves-to-munich-airport
Demand reduction
• Demand for business flights falls almost a third as economy moves away from corporate air travel
https://neweconomics.org/2024/05/demand-for-business-flights-falls-almost-a-third-as-economy-moves-away-from-corporate-air-travel
Climate Emergency
• Too hot to handle: The scorching reality of Australias climate-security failure
https://www.aslcg.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ASLCG_TooHotTooHandle_2024R.pdf
https://www.aslcg.org/reports/too-hot-to-handle/
• No Planet B: Coming to Terms with Climate Collapse
https://www.sbs.com.au/audio/podcast-episode/no-planet-b-coming-to-terms-with-climate-collapse/s05vlew3m
