EU to Regulate Emissions From Airlines
by Eric Kane, New York, NY 
on 11.15.07
As airlines and airplane manufacturers continue to concentrate on increasing capacity, the European Union (EU) took an important step in regulating greenhouse gas emissions from the civil aviation sector. Earlier this week, the European Parliament approved a plan that would require EU-registered airlines to apply for emissions permits beginning in 2011. Similar to other polluting industries within the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, airlines will be required to reduce their emissions or offset excess emissions by purchasing additional credits or investing in international climate protection projects.
This announcement is of particular importance as emissions from aviation have doubled since 1991, and were expected to increase by an additional 50% by 2012. Under the new plan, each airline would be allowed to emit 90% of its average emissions for a 2004-2006 reference period. The aviation plan is part of the EU's effort to reduce its total greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by the year 2020.
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each of us should self regulate our flying
take as much of our money away from the airlines as possible, until they find a true green and sustainable fuel
the true cost of flying is the elimination of our chance to tackle global warming
it is the dirtiest form of transport we can choose
we dont have to give it up full stop, but we all need to question every flight
our personal carbon obesity problems are led by flying
each of us should self regulate our flying
take as much of our money away from the airlines as possible, until they find a true green and sustainable fuel
the true cost of flying is the elimination of our chance to tackle global warming
it is the dirtiest form of transport we can choose
we dont have to give it up full stop, but we all need to question every flight
our personal carbon obesity problems are led by flying
In Europe, you don't really need to fly - you can get pretty much anywhere by train. Taking the train consumes far less energy and produces far less CO2 than flying, and it is less stressful too.
We should not forget that train also is requieres energy. And even if there is no polution directly from the train there is polution when the energy in need is produced, most countries have coal and nuclear power and this is not good. In some countries there is water power but not so many but this is also destroying the environment. There is always a problem.
I think it is very good that EU now will try to reduce the polution from airlines, how it is now the tickets are just geting cheaper and more people travel because it is so cheap. I am thinking of all the planes that are flying even with minimal number of passengers, this is polution that is waisted and a restriction might make a differencefor this not to happen.