Commercial aviation contributes significantly to global warming, and the problem will worsen with industry growth despite technical improvements, a US General Accounting Office (GAO) report has concluded.
The Congressional watchdog agency found that, in the USA, aviation emissions in 1997 accounted for only about 3% of greenhouse gases and other global warming emissions, but noted that jet emissions are deposited directly into the upper atmosphere where carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas emitted by jets, can linger for up to a century.
Combined with other exhaust gases, the mix can have two to four times as great an impact on the atmosphere as pure carbon dioxide emissions, says the report. Technological improvements alone cannot offset the effects of air travel growth, the GAO predicts.
The GAO appeals for research on more efficient aircraft and engines, but notes that NASA plans to slash research funding. For example, the funding for NASA's Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project - the only US government study that tracks aircraft emissions - is set to be terminated after the current fiscal year. The Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology programme, intended to reduce aircraft emissions, continues.
Source: Flight International
