Do you want to do something to help this planet? Stop flying.

[stevenleser]

9. Dont attack air travel, support Better solutions: Enviro Friendly Jet engines + High Speed Rail

I think rather than attacking air travel, a better idea is to throw support behind efforts to bring high speed rail throughout the US and efforts to make jet engines more environmentally friendly and throw out less CO2. Of mass transit solutions, europeans are much more apt to take trains for trips of between 120-500 miles than we are, but that is because their system is better. They would not do that if their train system was as inefficient and slow as ours is.

Here is a project in the EU to make more environmentally friendly jet engines that put out 20% less CO2

http://ec.europa.eu/research/transport/projects/items/_eefae____efficient__eco_friendly_aircraft_engines_en.htm

New cleaner aircraft engines will soon be tested under aegis of the EEFAE project, co-funded by the EU and involving all of Europe’s major aero-engine companies. Researchers say the project will bring multiple benefits to civil aviation via reduced NOx and CO2 emissions and substantially lower engine purchase and operating costs.

The five-year ‘Efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft engine’ project will receive a total of €101.4 million in funding, half from the European Commission and the other half from EEFAE’s 20 industrial, university and research partners.

EEFAE partners have set ambitious objectives, namely to bring down an engine’s nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions, fuel consumption and life-cycle costs. For instance, EEFAE aims to reduce CO 2 emissions by as much as 20 percent and NOx emissions by an impressive 60-to-80 percent, while, at the same time, cutting engine life cycle (repair and maintenance) costs by nearly one-third.
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