AUDIO: A more sustainable aviation fuel helps airlines reduce carbon emissions

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL
  • Runtime: 2:11
  • Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download

MORE THAN 38 MILLION PASSENGERS TOOK TO THE SKY FROM PHOENIX SKY HARBOR LAST YEAR. AND ALL THOSE PLANES LANDING AND TAKING OFF LEAVE BEHIND A CARBON FOOTPRINT. BUT AS CRONKITE NEWS REPORTER, AUTRIYA MANESHNI (AW-TREE-YUH MA-NESH-NEE) EXPLAINS, SOME AIRLINES ARE STARTING TO USE SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL TO REDUCE THAT FOOTPRINT. 

———– 

MIKE ROLLAND IS BACK TO TRAVELING BY AIR DURING THE PANDEMIC. 

<Mike Rolland/Traveler>

“Before COVID, two to three times a year, but this is my first trip in over two years.” (6 SECONDS)

ROLLAND RECENTLY TRAVELED THROUGH PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. AND SO ARE OTHERS LIKE CONNOR MULLINS WHO’S  TRAVELING A LOT. 

<Connor Mullins/Traveler>

“I travel about every two months or so.” (4 SECONDS)

FOR CLAUDIA MCIVOR, TRAVELING BY PLANE COMES DOWN TO CONVENIENCE AND SPEED.

<Claudia McIvor/Traveler>

“I lived in Florida and my dad used to live in Virginia, so I had to choose between a 15-hour drive or a two-hour flight.” (8 SECONDS)

BUT AS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE FLY EVERY YEAR… THERE IS AN IMPACT FROM CARBON EMISSIONS. THE AVIATION INDUSTRY ACCOUNTS FOR TWO POINT FIVE PERCENT OF HUMAN MADE CARBON EMISSIONS. THAT’S ACCORDING TO OUR WORLD IN DATA.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER? CARBON EMISSIONS CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. 

WITHOUT ANY CHANGES, AVIATION COULD CONSUME 22-PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S TOTAL CARBON BUDGET BY 2050.

SO SOME AIRLINES LIKE UNITED AND K-L-M ARE TURNING TO SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL AS A SOLUTION. TIMOTHY TAKAHASHI IS AN AEROSPACE ENGINEERING PROFESSOR AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY. 

<Timothy Takahashi/Prof. Of Practice, Aerospace Engineering, ASU>

“So when people are talking about sustainable fuel for airplanes, most of the time they are talking about liquid fuels that are made from some biological source so a fermentation product, it could be corn, could be used waste oil and the like.” (17 SECONDS)

SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL IS A DROP-IN FUEL. THAT MEANS  IT CAN BE SHIPPED AND BLENDED WITH TRADITIONAL JET FUEL. 

TAKAHASHI EXPLAINS HOW THE FUEL IS MADE. 

<Timothy Takahashi/Prof. Of Practice, Aerospace Engineering, ASU>

“We’re going to recirculate carbon atoms that already exist by having plant life, fix carbon atoms into either cellular structure and then we’re going to brew that up in a combustible fuel that can easily be transported and used to power an airplane” (17 SECONDS)

AIRLINES, SUCH AS AMERICAN, SOUTHWEST, JET BLUE, UNITED AND KLM… HAVE ALL MADE A COMMITMENT TO USE SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL IN THEIR FLEET. 

UNITED MADE HISTORY AS THE FIRST AIRLINE TO FLY A PASSENGER PLANE ON 100-PERCENT SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL….LAST DECEMBER. .

I’M AUTRIYA MANESHNI, CRONKITE NEWS.