XXI century thread: Our passion for flying affects Earth

nic_biso · Post by **nic_biso** » 24 Jun 2007, 10:19

There are more and more studies on the global warming and always one of the key factors is the aviation industry, which causes so much damage to our environment and planet.

Have you ever thought when you were flying, that you are actually taking part in the process of global warming and deterioration of our living conditions?

Should we feel guilty in any way that we are easily but surely destroying our planet?

Many would say: “Who cares if I’m in the plane or not? The flight will take-off with or without me anyway…”
Well, that’s not the case, because where there is a demand for air transport, there is also an offer, which comes exactly from our ‘passion’ or need for flying.

On the other hand, if we are selfish, we should try to fly as much as possible now, until the planet runs out of cheap fossil fuel, as the fuel price will go higher over the following years, and flying would become more and more expensive…

This thread is dedicated mostly to those people who sometimes fly just for the sake of it, just because they found a cheap fare etc… not necessarily because they really have to get somewhere and the only available option is flying. I suppose many members of this forum are in this case, as I am too…

What do you think?
Nick

fokker_f27 · Post by **fokker_f27** » 25 Jun 2007, 14:03

I think global warming is 100% natural, strong evidence suggests it.

regi · Post by **regi** » 25 Jun 2007, 14:56

Okay guys, just let us all say he is right, we will think about it and we respect his opinion.
Back to businnes now.

Post by **ElcoB** » 25 Jun 2007, 15:18

regi wrote:Back to businnes now.

Well, that's the question : how long will this business last ?

Post by **ElcoB** » 25 Jun 2007, 15:21

fokker_f27 wrote:.... strong evidence ....

I'm very, very curious about your sources...

nic_biso · Post by **nic_biso** » 25 Jun 2007, 15:55

From your replies I can understand that you don’t give a s**t on global warming and other stuff related to it!
Maybe you don’t care but I’ve been ‘cooking’ at almost 40 degrees C, already for 2 months now. In Europe, not Africa.

Let’s forget about this crap…
Let’s keep flying guys!

regi · Post by **regi** » 25 Jun 2007, 16:58

flying will continue, no doubt about that. Even if the price of petrol becomes too high - not because there is less of it, but because it will cost too much to get it ( deep ocean drilling ) .
Aircraft diesel engines is an option. But no diesel , but bio fuel.
And natural gas, see that russian prototype with the large gastank on its fuselage.
So, no worries.
Oh yes, if somebody is worried about the climate being destroyed by jet airplanes, let us go back to the 1940's design of...the nuclear driven airplane!
www.aboutnuclear.org/view.cgi?fC=Space,History

So Bisco, if you want to blame somebody for the 40 degrees you have now already for 2 months, blame it on the Americans who abandoned the use of nuclear powered airplanes -because oil was cheaper. Or blame it on Greenpeace who made nuclear power undiscusable.

I am sure you will write now angry letters to Green Peace, right?

Ozzie1969 · Post by **Ozzie1969** » 25 Jun 2007, 18:19

nic_biso wrote:From your replies I can understand that you don’t give a s**t on global warming and other stuff related to it!
Maybe you don’t care but I’ve been ‘cooking’ at almost 40 degrees C, already for 2 months now. In Europe, not Africa.

While I'm sitting here in another day of pouring rain, my heart bleeds for you... (not).

Flybe · Post by **Flybe** » 25 Jun 2007, 19:45

Quite hostile answers from most people here. It was to be expected, they feel like their hobby (or work for many) is under attack.

Still there is some truth in your remarks. And what is more important: hobby or future?

No one is saying aviation needs to come to a full stop. But it needs to start initiating a change. Again no one says it has to be done from today till tomorrow, but aviation, as like any other industry, has to start thinking of how they can do better.

At the end, the customer is becoming more aware, and it will become a selling asset to the customer. Change will come, eventually, but benefits will come to those who are the first to recognise that new demand from the customer, and those who act accordingly.

Greets,

Pieter

fokker_f27 · Post by **fokker_f27** » 25 Jun 2007, 21:49

ElcoB wrote:
fokker_f27 wrote:.... strong evidence ....
I'm very, very curious about your sources...

You should watch the Great Global Warming Swindle.

Although there have been claims against it, they are practically laughable: they're accusing them of using "old graphs" while the graph that they want them to use (the "hockey stick") is pretty much corrupted.

Post by **ElcoB** » 25 Jun 2007, 22:45

fokker_f27 wrote: You should watch the Great Global Warming Swindle. :

Yes, this documentary film....I did see it.
For the real significance of this film,

start here.

To be clear: the documentary is made by a TV producer, and most of the arguments in it are debunked, some even are complete nonsense. ( see the above link).

Sure we have to be critical, but denial of coming problems is even less helpfull.

The general conclusion of the

IPCC :

Current warming trends are unequivocal. It is very likely that greenhouse gases released by human activities are responsible for most of the warming observed in the past fifty years.
These trends are projected to continue with greater intensity over the course of the 21st century and beyond.

This remark by Flybe is very accurate:

Change will come, eventually, but benefits will come to those who are the first to recognise that new demand from the customer, and those who act accordingly.

fokker_f27 · Post by **fokker_f27** » 26 Jun 2007, 15:26

ElcoB wrote: To be clear: the documentary is made by a TV producer, and most of the arguments in it are debunked, some even are complete nonsense. ( see the above link).

How can you be so sure of that? One can't trust that if you know how much nonsense there is in the pro-global warming arguments. Most graphs in Al Gore's film are shown in such a way that they look bad, but really aren't. There has been a LOT of tampering with the data, too, and not all of it came from reliable sources.