Steady Increase in Flights Will Outweigh Carbon Cuts

[unhappycamper]

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/increase-in-flights-will-outweigh-carbon-cuts-17875



Even if the aviation industry tries to reduce its carbon emissions, they will be outweighed by the growth in air traffic, even if the most contentious mitigation measures come into force, according to researchers in the UK.

Steady Increase in Flights Will Outweigh Carbon Cuts
Alex Kirby, Climate News Network
August 10th, 2014

LONDON − The aviation industry insists that it is making only a tiny contribution to global warming, with just 2 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions coming from its aircraft.

The problem is the speed at which aviation itself is growing. One aircraft builder believes the number of planes in service in 2011 will have doubled by 2031.

Whatever the industry’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions, they will be outweighed by the growth in air traffic, even if the most contentious mitigation measures come into force, according to researchers in the UK.
Cut Substantially

More aircraft, more flights and more passengers mean more fuel will be burnt and more CO2 emitted − so much more that air traffic growth is likely to prevail over emissions cuts, unless demand for flights is cut substantially.

--

I'd be willing to bet the thousands and thousands of military flights in and around Afghanistan and Iraq added a bit more carbon to the atmosphere. NOTE: F/A-18s, B-1s, shithooks, Blackhawks, Apaches, C-17s, C-5s, C-130s, drones add to the carbon also.

Back in my day we had the Clean Air Machine: