Real Exhaust Emissions
There is much debate in the media, between green activists, amongst scientists and even aerospace engineers about the amount of global warming caused by aviation.
But what are the facts?
Clearly every industry pollutes but aviation is an easy and highly visible target.
It is all very well saying our aeroplanes are responsible for just 3% of EU CO2 per annum but how much CO2 does a 737-800 emit compared with a 737-200? Are all the green party figures based on early 1970s B747 technology?
If the media focused on say energy inefficient house construction in the UK compared to Germany or targeted our lack of a national transport system then we might see a more level playing field for aerospace in striving for cleaner technology.
Every UK MP on our TV screens seems to be in complete agreement over more taxes - only call them green ones!
Where are the real incentives (ie: carrots not just sticks!) to help the public reduce CO2 ? "Powershift" grants seem to have long gone.
Denmark and Germany offer free road tax for 5 years for the least polluting cars such as the 100 mpg Audi A2 1.2 TDI and Lupo 3L.
Vehicles like the well marketed Toyota Prius are all well and good (but watch out for replacement battery costs and lower mpg out of town) but even Clarkson agrees he'd rather have a standard diesel car that out performs it, uses less fuel and emits less CO2.
In Europe there is no tax on Bio Fuels like Bio Diesel that can run in almost any Diesel car. But in the UK you have to pay duty on free to collect used Chip Fat that hasn't even been filtered!
At least Richard Branson and Co are spending some serious research money on alternatives. Even the USAF is converting coal into Jet fuel for their smokey B52s.
Let's hope a solution/compromise is found before the Govt taxes us out of our jobs!
Does anyone have specific information on current airline fleets? Q400 is supposed to be low noise, low emissions but I've never seen any figures for CO2 g/km per pax.