Hi readers, for today’s post we will be looking at air pollution from the act of flying and travelling by planes.
Flying by plane as a major challenge for the environment, also known as aviation pollution, is one of the greater emitters of air pollution. As people lives improve further, with advancements in the mode of transport such as air travel, this has allowed people to travel for business purposes, leisure and recreational activities.
Air travel as the most preferred mode of transport for people as it connects far-flung destinations at the presence of comfort. For instance, in 2011, an estimated 200 million passengers passed through mainland UK airports, with government forecasting that it will rise to 313 million in 2030 (Environmentalp, 2018). While some may argue that the benefits that aeroplane as a mode of travel bring to people are numerous, ranging from tourism, imports, exports and business, we have to carefully understand the hidden negative impacts from air pollution. Aeroplanes are responsible for an increasing proportion of air pollutant emissions, both at the local and global level. Aircraft jet engines, produce carbon dioxide C02, nitrogen oxides Nox, carbon monoxide CO, oxides of sulphur S0X, unburned or partially combusted hydrocarbons VOCs, particulates and others (Schlenker & Walker, 2015). The main pollutant includes nitrogen dioxide (NO2). NO2 is formed by nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from surface traffic, aircraft and airport operations. Apart from that, PM2.5 is also emitted as particulate emissions from jet exhausts.
Why are these pollutant harmful?
The pollutants are emitted at different rates during various phases of operation such as idling, taxing, takeoff, flying and landing (Schlenker & Walker, 2015). For instance, NOx tends to be emitted during high power operations such as takeoff and landing. Nox in the lower atmosphere tends to be the source for the production of ozone (Environmentalp, 2018). The ozone as a pollutant also contributes to global warming, thereby increasing global temperature.
The UN aviation body forecasts that aeroplane emissions of CO2, a major greenhouse gas, will reach above 900 million metric tons in 2018 and then triple by 2050 (Tabuchi, 2019). However, another new research from the International Council on Clean Transportation, found that emissions from global air travel may be rising more than 1.5 times as fast as the UN (Tabuchi, 2019). Although aircraft now consume fuel more efficiently due to improvements in technology, the rising demand for air travel results in a climate challenge for aviation (Tabuchi, 2019).
To conclude, human activities such as travelling by aeroplanes and their dependence on the aeroplane industry for travelling, involve the emissions of N0x, C02 and other greenhouse gases into the Earth’s atmosphere. With the rising demand for air travel in the near future with the exception of unforeseen global pandemic events such as COVID-19, the acceleration of air travels contribution to global warming will increase further.
For the upcoming post, I will be sharing some insights with regards to air pollution from the Aviation Industry and its implications on health. Till next time!
References:
Environmentalp. (2018, November 26). Aviation Pollution. https://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/policy-areas/air-quality/air-pollution-and-transport/aviation-pollution/
Schlenker, W., & Walker, W. R. (2015). Airports, Air Pollution, and Contemporaneous Health. The Review of Economic Studies, 83(2), 768-809. doi:10.1093/restud/rdv043
Tabuchi, H. (2019, September 19). ‘Worse Than Anyone Expected’: Air Travel Emissions Vastly Outpace Predictions. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/climate/air-travel-emissions.html
https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/7/25/8881364/greta-thunberg-climate-change-flying-airline