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Kai is an inspiration to me. He’s a former airline pilot who loved his work, but could no longer bring himself to participate after discovering the global environmental impacts of his industry. Kai and his partner Sheila have taken steps to simplify their lives and reduce their impact on the Earth, and are currently in the … Continue reading
Washington State’s King County (encompassing Seattle) just released their latest report on local climate emissions. The analysis, developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute and others, tracks both local emissions as well as emissions associated with the production of goods or services imported into the region. According to the report, air transportation constitutes 9% of King County’s total … Continue reading
After the short-sighted US Congressional attack on the European aviation cap and trade program, it’s exciting to see the British Parliament come back with a muscular response. According to Bloomberg: “Airlines using U.K. airspace should be grounded if they refuse to comply with the European Union’s greenhouse-gas emissions-trading system, according to a panel of lawmakers. Any … Continue reading
Under California’s cap and trade program, money collected by the state from climate polluters need to be reinvested in emissions-reducing projects. Governor Jerry Brown‘s made the connection between transportation projects and the climate, and suggested using cap and trade revenues to fund the California High Speed Rail project—a smart financing idea that implicitly acknowledges the … Continue reading
The New Yorker castigated President Obama for his “climate betrayal,” for his attack on global aviation climate regulations. Read staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert’s article, the best short overview I’ve seen of the global battle over aviation and climate. “Some international disputes are significant for symbolic reasons, others for substantive ones. The current conflict between the … Continue reading
Aviation justice activists around the world celebrated last month as the top court in the European Union upheld EU policy regulating aviation emissions, making Europe a world leader on the issue. Read the full press release from the US-EU coalition of aviation/environmental NGOs working on the issue: Environmental groups hail court decision on aviation climate … Continue reading
ICAO, the UN agency responsible for regulating aviation, has failed to take any leadership on aviation and the climate crisis. Now they adopted a declaration attacking the European Union’s pioneering attempt to have air carriers pay a market-driven price for the climate pollution they generate. This is the culmination of 26 nations ganging up on … Continue reading
For shame. The US House of Representatives has passed HR 2594, a bill that would literally ban American airlines from following European Union climate pollution laws. It passed by voice vote, meaning there’s no record of each representative’s position. If this legislation gains traction in the Senate, it might spark a trade war with the … Continue reading
A group of American airlines had sued the European Union for trying to use market-based measures to limit greenhouse gas pollution for aviation, but an initial ruling from the European Court of Justice‘s Advocate General found that the policies were valid under international law. According to Transport & Environment: “In a thorough and comprehensive opinion, … Continue reading
A broad coalition of environmental and development groups came out strongly against HR 2594, the House bill that, if passed, would make it illegal for American airlines to comply with European Union climate protection policies. The group consists of: ActionAid USA, Earthjustice, Environment America, Environmental Defense Fund, Greenpeace USA, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources … Continue reading
Aviation Justice 