The Air Over There

Airlines must pay for emissions, E.U. says

Posted at 10:30 AM on 27 Jun 2008

All flights into, out of, and within the European Union will be included in the bloc's emissions-trading scheme as of 2012, the E.U. Parliament decided Thursday. If the plan is given final approval, airlines will have to cut emissions 3 percent in 2012 and 5 percent per year from 2013 on. Airlines would buy 15 percent of their emissions permits from the E.U.; the rest would be allocated for free. Big Air Travel strongly opposes the plan, saying it would be extra expense for an already struggling industry. The United States is also opposed, and insists that forcing non-European airlines to cap emissions would be illegal under international aviation rules. E.U. officials say the plan is legal, and hope that it's just a first step toward an eventual global agreement on aviation emissions.

sources: Associated Press, Reuters, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal

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Comments: (7 comments)

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Yes!

by Tasermons Partner at 11:38 AM on 27 Jun 2008

Airbus Losers

Just becase the French can't build a real airliner is no reason to penalize Boeing.

Try going to school and learning aeronautics and Forier transformations instead of lounging at the Sorborne....

by jabailo at 11:34 PM on 27 Jun 2008

Double Yes!

by jbosborn at 6:24 AM on 29 Jun 2008

It gould be better

If someone would design an on-board reformer for jets then you could cut their fossil fuel consumption and CO2 pollution by up to 60% in one shot. And yes the US Air Force was playing with H2 fueled jet engines a while back so they CAN run on hydrogen.

Mike Johnston

by enki at 7:53 AM on 29 Jun 2008

Re: Airbus loser

I guess you mean Fourier transforms, named after Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier the famous French mathematician.

Fourier is also famous for his discovery of the greenhouse effect (in 1824).

by undyau at 4:44 PM on 29 Jun 2008
[ Parent ]

haha

that's hilarious...

jabailo - c'mon, man. that's such an ignorant comment.

and regardless of whether the airline business is struggling or not, we need to begin to cap their pollution emissions. If the coal industry were "struggling", should it mean that we should cut them slack? Airlines have become an integral part of the global economy and way of life, but does that not mean we can't adapt? How about more increased utilization of other communication technologies (see&share, teleconferences, etc.)???

And for the remaining travel, how about the respective governments subsidize the airline companies more than they do currently (idealy take some of the billions they give to the oil companies)? The current situation is ridiculous...The rising price of oil is hurting everyone but the companies responsible for it in the first place (windfall profits, yada yada)

by solarwind at 9:35 AM on 30 Jun 2008

Airlines must pay for emissions, E.U. says

It bothers me to read things like "The United States is also opposed, and ..." The United States doesn't support or oppose anything by consensus. You are talking about an administration, that usually operates out of its own agenda and more frequently than not completely out of touch with the preferences of the population.

Usually Grist is more careful to state more specifically "The Bush administration opposes ..." or "The State Department supports ..." etc., as there is seldom even unanimity in the Bush administration itself.

"Listen to those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who have found it." -- Andre Gide

by PVHoward at 10:24 PM on 02 Jul 2008

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