Aviation industry told to reduce emissions and protect environment
Aviation industry told to reduce emissions and protect environment
The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali
The aviation industry, which contributes less than 2 percent of
total carbon dioxide produced globally, has been told to cut
emissions to help reduce global warming and protect the
environment and related tourism industry.
Climate Action Network Australia (CANA) coordinator Danny
Kennedy said the airline industry had done little to reduce
emissions.
"We think the aviation industry should take responsibility for
its global warming contribution. But instead, there is not really
any improvement in terms of efficiency in airplane engines,"
Kennedy told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the Pacific
Asia Travel Association (PATA) conference on Tuesday.
Kennedy said a return trip from New York to London created 440
tons of carbon dioxide.
"That's equivalent to 80 big trucks traveling around all
year ... that is still a lot of pollution to control," he said,
adding that carbon dioxide emissions will increase 30 percent in
the next decade.
International Air Transport Association (IATA) spokesman
Anthony Concil said the aviation industry had undertaken steps to
reduce the impact of its activities on the environment.
Measures included using the latest engines and using routes
that were more direct, some of which helped cut flights by up to
30 minutes and thus reduced the use of fuel.
Global warming is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and
other gases that cover the world and trap in heat. Burning fossil
fuels such as coal, oil and gas are the major sources of
emissions.
The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) reports that the year 1998
was the warmest year ever measured. The top ten warmest years in
the last 120 years occurred after 1981. The top six occurred
after 1990.
The impact of global warming, among other things, are rising
sea levels due to the melting of the polar ice caps as well as
changing weather patterns around the world.
Kennedy said that due to global warming countries would lose
some of their natural tourism assets.
Indonesia, Fiji and Maldives, for example, could lose a number
of their islands as the raising sea level would drown small
islands.
"Global warming also create more cyclone in these areas making
them less safe for tourists to visit," he said.