Air traffic pollution and impact on environment

Real World Aviation
#1

Hello everyone,

I recently read some news about the development of electric planes. And I thought “mmh, maybe I should be more concerned about the impact of aviation on global warming and stuff like that…”. So I checked a few statistics and I was impressed about how aviation could impact the environment.
To make it simple, planes could be responsible for around 3.5% of the climate change nowadays, and scientists predict an impact of 15% in 2050, for the worst scenario (because of the continual increase of travel and fret).

I did some research to see if a topic about it has already been created and I didn’t find anything. So tell me, what is your thoughts about air traffic pollution, here’s a little survey you can do (be honest, Zuckerberg already knows everything about you, so, no need to lie). Feel free to share your opinion too if you want !

  • I really don’t care !
  • I already thought about it, but I rather don’t care
  • I think about it, sometimes, but guess I can’t do anything to change it
  • I think about it every time I fly and I feel bad
  • I feel concerned and try not to travel by plane
  • I protest everyday about it !

0 voters

In the end, I redirect people who are interested in increasing their knowledge about this topic to the English Wikipedia article which is pretty complete and full of sources, so I think it’s a great place to start reading.

6 Likes
#2

But per person air travel is more environmentally friendly than travelling by car, train or boat for the same distance. 😊

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#3

That’s what I thought too. Of course the quantity of fuel used by a plane seem to be impressive but it’s more efficient comparatively to road traffic.
I think this is especially the case for new planes like the A380 or 777 and I don’t agree with the most pessimist scenario which says that aviation could be responsible to 15% of climate change in 2050 because even if we don’t make electric planes, the new ones are way more efficient than the old planes, like a 747-200 for example.

#4

I think there is something to the logic. I remember that during the 9/11 grounding of flights that there was an impact to the temperature due to the lack of contrails. The contrails act as artifical clouds that trap heat.

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#5

While there will always be advancements in technology, commercial aircraft are still the most efficient way to travel. That is, if people MUST travel. I’m sure hybrids will be introduced in the future but if you look at the stats, it way better than driving from a resource using standpoint.

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#6

Who is this Zuckerberg you speak of?
Although air travel does burn fuel on a daily basis, unlike trains or car, there are no exhaust or gas coming out from its engines. As oppose to a car’s fuel burn rate that lets exhaust into the air (which is way worse)

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#7

Thanks for this article @KevinMc88 I haven’t read it yet.

I agree with that. If I have to travel from A to B, I rather take a plane. If there’s no doubt about the fact that road traffic is less efficient, I may hesitate with trains which can be very efficient regarding the energy they use to travel (electric or fuel…)
On the other hand, you can know cross the Europe for 40$ with a low-cost seat. So, inevitably, people are using much more air travel than forty years ago which leads to an massive increase of fuel consumption and environment pollution.

#8

Forty five percent of you guys don’t care about this serious and real world problem? This isn’t about a game, this is real life, and if you don’t care about this problem, there are gonna be some serious issues with our planet.

EDIT: Oh okay now its 26 percent

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#9

Zuckerberg is the CEO of Facebook…

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#10

I’m actually impressed by the result of the survey, a lot of people don’t feel concerned about this.

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#11

With the use of technology in society every day everything gets worse and companies increasingly care less about the environment shame as they end up with their own planet but you have to wait for a company that cares about the environment that creates a plane that makes less pollution I’m sorry for my bad spelling English is not my native language

#12

I am a tree-hugger kinda guy (not literally), but none of these poll options really reflect my reasoning, which is that air travel is per person more efficient than car and boat travel, so it is good. However, I still think it is a global priority to lower the carbon and greenhouse gas emissions of aircraft.

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#13

I do not worry but now if we are wiping out our planet and. with ourselves

#14

Ehrm… what are you saying? That aircraft engines have no exhaust gases?

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#15

I think that aircraft manufacturers are working on making engines and fuels cleaner, I know Airbus is doing something like that, I should look into it.

#16

There is a night and day difference between less exhaust and no exhaust. Even if there are only 1 gram of emissions that’s over 100,000 grams a day, whereas if it’s 0 then there are, well, 0

#17

If you take your time to read this then… i’m truly thankful for you ^^
It goes slight off-topic but it’s connected in all ways to air travel!

If we want to make a difference then we’ll have to work together.

Let me explain!
If we all began to fly less and less, then sure that seems like a reasonable solution right of the bat, wooo, we solved the issue… No, not really…

What would happen is the manufacturers (I’ll be referring to Airbus, Boeing mainly but also other minor ones as well) would be stuck on their current economy, meaning no further development in eco-friendly engines or compartments of the aircraft it self.

Now look B787 & A350 are made out of what? Composite material. I know we are talking about CO2 emissions… but this is a step forward in the right direction. As planes starts to become made out of renewable resources then just like how busses and other vehicles in many countries drives on natural gas, well the airplane could go that way soon.

We already see Engines that burns less fuel per seat! And by traveling more frequently you’re economically contributing to the companies and airliners. The profitable income of each manufacturer increases their chance of developing engines that are even more eco-friendly. And NO, i’m not telling you to fly every other week because you can!

Now this CO2 talk is very broad area and without going off-topic i’d like to end by saying… or asking a question to you. Answer in for yourself quietly or load by giving me a response.

Do you want to change this fact that our world is getting engulfed in toxic spread by those machines we use of…?
Then what can you do?
In the poll above i picked number 3 but that’s not my true voice. Matter in fact i do worry from times to time but is there something i can do? Well of course there is, there is always something you and only YOU can do to change for the better for the worse. But now that opportunity hasn’t popped up yet… But one day it will and that day you and me and everyone will have to seize it and make the best out of.

Now what is your inner voice telling you? Are really not caring about our world falling into hands of evil that we created ourselves or are willing to safe this world?

Fly less isn’t an option and neither is fly more… there’s a balance in between that you yet to discover and when you do… you know what to do…!

(Note: All that i’ve written here from my personal knowledge and thoughts about the future and present times about the connection between Aviation & CO2 emissions! Their relation to each other.)

If i said anything wrong then feel free to correct me, anything you’d like to add then do so and lastly thank very much for reading :)

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#18

Yes, i don’t understand why people Bring up the same damn facts, if we stop flying we would go by car

#19

Your point of view is interesting, but there’s something that bothers me a bit. You say:

What you call “eco-friendly” engine, is more “fuel-friendly” engine for the manufacturers. I don’t think their main preoccupation is to reduce pollution with future development. What they want is to reduce fuel consumption so costs will be reduced too.
I just think you are a little too optimistic in the way manufacturers see the impact of aviation on the environment. They probably think about the consequences of climate change, but everyone’s heading to make profit before anything else, the only good news is that by trying to increase their income they are also being more “eco-friendly”.

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#20

Yeah, you added some valuable details there.
They indeed trying make more eco-friendly engines by their increase in income.
And the fuel-friendly you said, that’s is very true. Burning less fuel per seat and they are saving fuel. You have some interesting points.

1 Like