Climate Change News
Below are news items on climate change – many with relevance to aviation
Used cooking oil imports for use as biodiesel may, in fact, fuel palm oil deforestation
It had been assumed and hoped that used cooking oil (UCO) might be a genuinely low carbon fuel, causing a lot less environmental damage that other liquid fuels. Because UCO is classed as a waste product within the EU, UK fuel producers are given double carbon credits for using it in their fuels. This has sparked a boom in demand for used cooking oil that is so great it is being met in part with imports from Asia. A new NNFCC study found that in fact rising demand is increasing deforestation, for more palm oil plantations. The price they can get selling used cooking oil to makers of biodiesel is far higher than the price of new palm oil - so they pocket the difference. This provides the perverse incentive to make money by selling more used oil, just replacing it with (cheap) palm oil. Between 2011 and 2016 there was a 360% increase in use of used cooking oil as the basis for biodiesel. The available evidence indicates that palm oil imports into China are increasing, in line with their increasing exports of used cooking oils. The NNFCC authors want the government to review the practice and perhaps end the EU's double credit for imported oil.
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France to impose small tax on tickets (just €1.5 or €3) on departing flights due to carbon
France is set to introduce an "eco-tax" for all flights from French airports, the government has said. From 2020 economy class tickets on flights within France or within the EU will have a tax of €1.50, and €9 for business class tickets within Europe. It would be just €3 for flights (leaving French airports) outside Europe in economy class, and €18 for these flights for business class tickets. The tax might raise about €180m per year from 2020, which will apparently be invested in greener transport infrastructure, notably rail. But flights to the French Mediterranean island of Corsica and also the French overseas departments – which are hugely dependent on air links for their existence – will be exempt. A similar tax was introduced in Sweden in April 2018, which imposed an added charge of up to €40 on every ticket in a bid to lessen the impact of air travel on the climate. Several other EU countries also have small taxes. The industry has been under fire over its carbon emissions, which at of the order of 280 grams of CO2 emitted per kilometre travelled by a passenger (depending on type of plane, how full it is, length of flight etc) far exceed all other modes of transport.
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“Is flight shaming the next climate change conversation?”
Legendary British documentary film-maker and conservationist Sir David Attenborough says air travel should be more expensive to help tackle climate change. It is extraordinarily cheap now. While most of us will not feel major effects for several years, he says "the problems in 20, 30 years are really major problems that are going to cause great social unrest and great changes in the way we eat and how we live.” How we currently live in the developed world is very much dependent on cheap air travel, which people have come to expect almost as of right. IATA expects a 4.6% increase in the number of air tickets sold this year, compared to last. Campaigners say it’s time we thought more about how often we fly. Tim Johnson, director of AEF, said “[People] may start recycling plastics and try and turn down the thermostats in their homes, but actually, all those savings could be wiped out in one go by taking even one short-haul flight.” Johnson says the air travel industry is starting to realise it needs to act if it is to be part of the solution in reducing emissions, and its awareness (and worry) that public opinion may slowly start changing, as realisation of the extent of aviation's climate impact grows. People need to start making informed choices about their travel carbon impact.
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CCC report shows up government failure to do anything to tackle UK aviation carbon emissions
The latest annual Committee on Climate Change (CCC) progress report, submitted to parliament and government, says the UK is not making much progress on cutting CO2 and the time to strengthen climate policy is “now”. The UK government only has 12-18 months left to raise its game on climate policy, or not risk “embarrassment” as the likely host of the COP26 UN summit late next year, but risk failing to get anywhere near "net-zero" before 2050. On aviation, there has been no progress on a limit for aviation emissions in line with carbon budgets. The CCC's chief executive, Chris Stark, says the government “has not set out the implications of limiting emissions for aviation demand”. Nor has it formally included those emissions within the UK’s carbon budgets, despite stating its intention to do so. This was a missed opportunity that should be remedied within the year. The CCC will write to the (new?) secretary of state for transport to set out the scale of the net-zero challenge for international aviation and shipping. Just having a net-zero target "will not magically fix this problem" - it needs positive and effective action, from right now. Not just nice words.
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You have to laugh – Heathrow’s unwitting, foolish irony… climate change will make their runway harder to use!
Heathrow proposes increasing the number of flights, and hence its carbon emissions, by about 50% (though it tries to make out there will be no net increase, as all will magically be "disappeared" using novel technologies, which are not yet proven). But in its consultation, it worries about how climate change [that same problem its expansion is massively contributing to!] might affect its operations. Heart bleeds ...Some of the problems they express concern about, and which might make it harder to get maximum use out of their new runway, are: higher average temperatures and more heatwave events, reduced summer rainfall, more frequent intense rainfall events; potentially increased extreme wind and storm events; and fewer extreme cold events. These could cause increased flooding, construction sites being flooded, overheating in buildings and public spaces, failure of equipment in extreme temperatures or high winds, water shortages, operational disruption from storm events. More rain could affect the runway and underground foundations, structures etc. Increased summer temperature and increased winter temperature variability could cause damage to the tarmac and asphalt and affect operations. Oh dear, oh dear ...
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Study highlights the non-CO2 climate warming impact of aircraft contrails, that is currently ignored by governments
The issue of how much global warming is caused by the contrails from aircraft is complicated, and there is no firm agreement about how it should be added to the climate impact of aviation - in addition to the CO2 itself. Contrails are ice crystals that form high altitudes, in certain conditions, around sooty particles from burnt fuel - they then often become large areas of cirrus cloud, that can last for hours - trapping heat, (like a blanket) which does not radiate back out into space. A new study sheds more light on this issue, and says the contrails are having a bigger impact on global warming than usually recognised. While the CO2 from flights will stay in the atmosphere for decades or centuries, the impact of the increased cloud cover from contrails is quite short term. With the huge expansion of the aviation industry, that it is hoping for in future decades, this will only get worse. Its effects might triple by 2050. That is the year in which Britain is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions, though that includes only CO2 from domestic but not international flights. The UK currently takes NO account of the impact of contrails, which conveniently makes the overall climate breakdown impact of aviation appear smaller than it is, in reality.
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Crowdfunding appeal: Bristol Airport is Big Enough – Help Stop Further Expansion
Bristol Airport plans to significantly increase its passenger numbers, to grow eventually to 20 million passengers per year from a current level of 8.6 million. A group of environmental campaigners and local residents are raising money - through crowdfunding - to fund an important legal challenge to the airport's planning application, that is being dealt with by North Somerset Council. The group hopes to employ a well respected barrister, Estelle Dehon, who is expert in environment and planning law (with particular expertise in climate change matters). She would be able to legally analyse the 400 plus planning documents on the application, on the Council's planning website, and offer campaigners and the committee expert evidence for refusal. Estelle has previously worked on the Plan B fight against Heathrow’s third runway. The coming decade is absolutely critical in averting the climate crisis that is upon us. Yet, that same decade is to be used by Bristol Airport to increase the carbon emissions of flights using the airport, by over 500,000 tonnes per year. In addition to the carbon issue, many people in Bristol would be exposed to a range of air pollution substances, including NO2 and black carbon - as well as increased noise nuisance.
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Research shows planned growth of Heathrow and other airports ‘will stop UK hitting climate change targets’
The planned growth of Heathrow and other airports is likely to stop the UK hitting its 2050 net-zero climate goals, researchers have warned. UK airports are set to increase capacity by some 59% by 2050 - that does not fit with the government-backed carbon target. It’s more than double the increase accounted for in a report outlining the net-zero target by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), according to researchers (Dr Declan Finney from Leeds University and Dr Giulio Mattioli from the Technical University of Dortmund). Heathrow has now published its consultation, aiming to increase its number of flights by about 50% with a 3rd runway. Even Heathrow expansion itself could breach the carbon limit there should be for aviation, but all the other airports plan expansion too (Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Bristol etc). "These airport expansion projects need to be urgently reconsidered if the government is to follow the carbon reduction plan set out by the CCC report.” The CCC has accounted for some growth in aviation, but said it cannot be “unfettered”. The researchers pointed out that adding runway capacity is not just a response to higher demand - it would make flying easier and cheaper - so increasing the numbers of air passengers. The opposite to what is needed, to cut aviation CO2.
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Leo Murray: Why a third runway at Heathrow is a litmus test for environmental breakdown
If Heathrow's 3rd runway plan goes ahead, it will be a sure sign that the UK is incapable of effectively responding to the climate crisis. "Common sense might suggest that massive expansion at the UK’s single largest source of carbon emissions cannot possibly be consistent with plans to eradicate Britain’s net contribution to climate change. But the consultation documents assure us that there will be no increase in carbon emissions from the airport’s operations after 2022 – although there will be a 50% increase in flights." ... On how the emissions are to be dealt with by offsetting: "Offsetting is problematic in principle – it actively defers structural change in high carbon sectors. It’s also demonstrably ineffective in practice. Less than 15% of offsets under the UN's CDM were found to have actually reduced emissions ... which is why the CCC explicitly advised the Government against using offsets to meet the UK’s Net Zero target." Due to devious policy manipulations, it will not be possible to challenge planning permission for the new runway on climate change grounds - they will not be considered a legitimate complaint. "Our collective ability to reflect on the wisdom of this project is a litmus test of our ability to rise to the epic challenge of environmental breakdown."
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Heathrow’s 3rd runway is equivalent to bolting an extra airport onto one that is already the world’s most disruptive
The Heathrow consultation sets out Heathrow’s assessment of the impacts of expansion on local communities and the environment, and their plans (such as they are ...) to mitigate these impacts. Speaking for the No 3rd Runway Coalition, Paul Beckford commented that: “Our communities will be destroyed by these expansion proposals, with 783 homes demolished and another 3,000 homes rendered unliveable owing to the construction and pollution. 2 million more people will be exposed to aircraft noise at levels that have a detrimental impact on health and millions will be exposed to significant increases in air pollution from vehicles accessing the airport as well as the 700 additional planes in the skies every single day. Every community across London and the Home Counties will experience the impacts of these proposals..." Paul McGuinness, Chair of the Coalition said: "Statistically, Heathrow is already the world’s most disruptive airport. It lies at the heart of the UK’s most densely populated region and has a hopeless environmental record, regularly breaching air quality targets. And all of that comes with just two runways. Heathrow’s plan equates to bolting another major airport on top of its current, disruptive operation."