Originally Posted by
old,not bold
Afterthought; OK, if the fuel company generates the electricity to drive the pumps using wind or solar energy, it's almost nil. But do they?
I'm sure they don't, but, even if they did, it would only be "almost nil" if the energy used to build the pumps; manufacture the pipes, fittings, etc.; fabricate the materials; mine the ores; and on and on was also generated by renewables, using only renewable energy sources to produce the wind generators, photovoltaic panels, etc. . . .
It's "embodied energy" and it often far exceeds the energy needed for operation of a system, while its production may also generate more emissions than energy for operation.
The bottom line is that there are no simple answers to the questions and potential problems associated with this issue.
Nevertheless, given that carbon emissions (among other related things) are worthy of serious attention, and even given that emissions associated with airline operations are as well, it really doesn't make much sense to put tankering very high on the list of concerns.