Airlines Look For Sustainable Jet Fuels
by Antonio Pasolini
Air travel accounts for 2 percent of all emissions, but it gets a lot of attention in any conversation about climate change mitigation efforts. While Obama wants new limits on aviation emissions, the UN’s International Civil Aviation is also expected to set new limits early next year. Besides, the public wants to feel better about flying.
The use of alternative jet fuels gains media traction every now and then, and we are now in one of those moments. The New York Times has run a feature story about the topic, mainly in connection with United Airlines’ use of farm animal waste in an upcoming flight scheduled for the summer. The airline is also investing $30 million in Fulcrum BioEnergy, which turns municipal waste into aviation fuel.
This is not the first time United Airlines ventures into alternative fuel. Back in 2011, the company made history when it flew between Houston and Chicago on a fuel blend that included Solazyme’s algae biofuel, the first commercial flight powered with algae. Called Solajet, it consists of a 40/60 blend of algae-based fuel and petroleum-based traditional jet fuel.
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Image credit: United Airlines
Antonio Pasolini is a journalist based in Brazil who writes about alternative energy, green living and sustainability. He edits Energyrefuge.com, a top web destination for news and comment on renewable energy, and contributes articles on emerging technology to Gizmag. He is also a happy herbivore.
