The Sierra Club is celebrating Earth Day this year with the gift of CO2. The winner of their big Earth Day promotion receives a round trip flight from anywhere in the US to Seattle—possibly as climate-destructive as driving a car for 10 months. When did environmental groups start ignoring climate change? The aviation industry is … Continue reading
Transport & Environment points out the revolving door between the regulators and the putatively regulated, as they look at Dr. Julie Oettinger, one of the key administration officials involved in US response to the EU ETS. Per her official FAA bio: “Julie Oettinger joined the Federal Aviation Administration on June 7, 2010. As Assistant Administrator … Continue reading
About half of the airborne lead in the United States came from avgas, the aviation fuel used by small piston-engine planes. Friends of the Earth formally petitioned the EPA to take action in 2007, as there is no safe threshold for lead exposure, which is particularly harmful for children. However, the EPA sat on its … Continue reading
The possible passage of HR 2594, the House bill that would make it illegal for US airlines to comply with EU aviation environmental policies, is sparking serious worries about a trade war between the US and Europe. The cause? A greenhouse gas emissions trading plan that would add about $3 to the price of a … Continue reading
In a bold editorial, the New York Times assesses the role of aviation emissions, and lauds the EU ETS, the European Union’s program under which airlines will have to start paying for the environmental impact of their flights: “Aviation amounts to about 2 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, a share projected to rise quickly … Continue reading
