Help In These Times raise $10,000 in three weeks! Donate now to support original and incisive journalism!

Sins of Omission

As the FAA seeks to expand air travel, is it giving concerns about aviation’s effects on climate change the attention they deserve?

By Megan Tady

As the Bush administration moves forward with plans to double or triple air traffic capacity by 2025, the government may be placing concerns about aviation’s impact on climate change on stand-by. Congress created the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) in 2003 to institute the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), a program designed to transform America’s air traffic control system… return to article

  • subscribe to print magazine

  • Zoom OutZoom In Reader Comments (3)

    Page 1 of 1 pages

    I thought marine vessels were a bigger source of pollution than airplanes? Why not cover that issue and push for tigher standards there?

    United States Posted by Moose on Aug 15, 2007 at 3:25 PM

    The real problem with jet travel is the stratosphere.  There is no mixing between the stratosphere and the troposphere so there is no natural means for the CO2 to be removed from there.  There is also the problem with contrails.  These man-made high clouds act as a blanket and trap heat.  In fact, just after 911 when air travel was banned there was a noticeable clearing of the skies and a corresponding drop in overall temp. in the US.  It all points to a need to curtail travel and shipping over all.

    United States Posted by chuckchuck on Aug 15, 2007 at 4:35 PM

    Reducing air travel is one of the many life style changes essential to reducingh global warming. We need to turn back the clock to the 1950s when we lived conffortably with litle tourism and visiting by air.
    John Burton

    United States Posted by John Burton on Aug 22, 2007 at 3:26 PM
    Page 1 of 1 pages

  • register a new account »Posting Security

    To participate in our forums, please register for a free account.
     

    Retreive lost password »

Popular Discussions