Recent studies have shown that one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions is airline travel. Studies have shown that short haul flights can have devastating effects on the environment when compared to other types of travel such as train or bus. This has led some to claim that air travel will someday be viewed with the same type of disdain as smoking in public. Air travel has been down all over the world, partially because of the global economy, but also because people are now finding new ways to get to their short haul destinations. Some airlines are preemptively preparing for the day when traditional air travel will be a social taboo by inventing planes that can run on alternative sources of fuel.
KLM is one such airline who recently announced the first successful flight of a plane powered by sustainable biokerosene. The one and a half hour flight above the Netherlands was taken in a Boeing 747 which was powered by a mixture of biokerosene and traditional kerosene. KLM is taking proactive steps against the rising cost of traditional fuel as well as the public backlash against air travel. A spokesman for the airline claimed that using biokerosene can reduce CO2 emissions significantly, in some cases up to eighty percent. Scientists say that airline travel accounts for around four percent of overall carbon emissions, so a reduction in this number would mean significant gains for the environment.
The main issue is not whether or not this technology will work, but exactly how quickly supplies can be created so that planes all over the world can make the switch.
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