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Aviation contributes 3.5% to the drivers of climate change that stem from humans
- PaulHoule 6y agoThe aviation industry points at this figure and says "hey, why are you bothering us instead of the cement industry?" one aspect is that aviation is a (long term) growth industry although the players seem to think it's boring. another is that paths to electrification are clear for the car but not so for airplanes. part of it is that technology is not just "thirsty for hydrocarbons" but it is thirsty for the right kind of hydrocarbons. Back in the day we poisoned ourselves with lead to get desirable burning characteristics from gasoline. Methane is burned at the wellhead in places today because the price is so much less than heavier hydrocarbons. Methanol, Ethanol, 1-Butanol, Biodiesel, DME, and similar fuels are qualified for use on the ground. Sustainable fuels for aviation use are maybe 30 years behind where they are on the ground. There is still desperate talk of building up the same hydrocarbons they use today via the Fischer-Tropsch process, probably the greatest technological "white elephant" in human history.