The bad news is that airlines create much more CO2 than previously thought. They are "spewing 20 percent more carbon dioxide into the environment than previously estimated and the amount could hit 1.5 billion tons a year by 2025. That's far more than even the worst-case predictions laid out by the International Panel on Climate Change. If you're looking to put that number in perspective, the European Union currently emits 3.1 billion tons of CO2 annually. Yup, that's the entire 27-nation, 457 million person EU."
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2008/05/air...The pollution up at stratospheric levels is two or three times more harmful than at ground level, furthermore China and India will be putting many more planes in the air in the future.
http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_...The good news is that they are finally producing ELECTRIC AIRPLANES that produce zero emissions that will only cost a quarter of what it costs to fly regular airplanes!! They are getting ready to produce an electric hybrid that can go 200 miles on an electric charge and then a gas engine kicks in to extend the range up to 1000 miles.
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article...At least China is starting to think about the problem. One of the best ways to eliminate the increased CO2 that is increasing the climate change, is to use biofuels. Biofuels create just as much CO2, but the Co2 comes from the atmosphere (absorbed by plants) instead of burning carbon that has been sequestered underground for millions of years. Only fossil fuel use increases the earth's total greenhouse gases.
The Chinese are planning on creating aviation fuel from Algae. If they are successful the airlines may actually reduce overall greenhouse gases.
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article...Conservatives are justifiably skeptical of biofuels because of the current fiasco with corn based ethanol. Corn based ethanol uses more energy than it saves, it uses oil based fertilizers and pesticides, it uses good crop land, and uses good food that could be used to feed people or livestock and thus it increases food prices and increases scarcity. It also uses precious fresh water which is becoming ever scarcer.
Algae on the other hand can be produced in worthless desert land, it can use brackish and salt water, and it can digest sewage, and effluent from feed lots. It is also much more efficient. While corn based ethanol can only create about 50 gallons of fuel per acre, algae has the potential to create millions of gallons of fuel per acre per year.
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/r...So if biofuels from algae is so attractive why aren't entrepreneurs jumping on this bandwagon? The answer is they are.
"PetroSun has announced that within the next three years, it plans to start producing 2.56 Billion gallons of algae oil per year! That is 11 times America's total biodiesel production in 2006. From 1 company. In 3 years. From algae!!!"
"But that is only half the news. Soy oil is currently selling for $2.81 per gallon. This is why the biodiesel industry needs tax subsidies. PetroSun plans on selling algae oil at a price to shadow petro oil plus transit cost. Today, petro oil is selling for $72/barrel. Using PetroSun's formula, it would sell its algae oil for $1.71 per gallon -- 60% of the price of soy oil!!! No subsidies needed."
http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread.php...If algae is so great at making biodiesel should we all run out and buy diesel vehicles? Right now that might be a good idea even without biodiesel because diesels are anywhere from 20% to 40% more efficient than gas engines. You can buy diesel vehicles that are just about as efficient as hybrids. If you had a diesel car wouldn't it be great if you could create your own biofuel that wouldn't increase greenhouse gases in your back yard free? Well now you can.
http://making-biodiesel-books.com/algae-...