Odds are, if you fly on a somewhat regular basis, your air travel is the largest component of your personal carbon footprint. For some travelers, it has created a sense of shame and alarm. I wrote about what the science says about the climate impacts of air travel and unpacked some of the ethical questions embedded therein.
Impulse Control
Aviators Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg recently completed a flight around the world powered solely by solar energy. The journey was a stunt, but organizers hope that it will inspire the world to think more conscientiously about the environment. As for aviation, many engineers are concerned that air travel is already very close to its peak efficiency, so there is very little room for improvement. With global demand for air travel on the rise, commercial air travel is poised to have a growing impact on the environment.
Hydrogen in, water out
Several automakers in China and the United States have their sights set on battery-powered cars and trucks. For Japan, hydrogen is shaping up to be their strategic bet. Companies in the resource-strapped island nation are building up infrastructure to import and distribute hydrogen, while major car companies like Toyota are bringing to fuel cell cars to their showrooms.
Das Auto
In diesel engines, you have to balance price, performance and pollution. Most designs can only deliver in two categories, but Volkswagen claimed to win in all three with its turbocharged direct injection diesels. The claim was too good to be true.
Scientists say diesel, with its inherently good fuel economy, could be tweaked to be efficient, quick, clean and cheap, but getting combustion right is a challenge.
Volkswagen's U.S. chief Michael Horn (center left, gray hair), faces cameras before a House hearing on the company's emissions cheating
New American Muscle
On the floor of the Detroit auto show, engineers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory presented a 3D printed Shelby Cobra. Automakers are now looking to printing to speed up development time and shrink the carbon footprint of their production cycles.
The Strati, a 3D printed car from Local Motors
Grounded Dreams
The National Transportation Safety Board released its report on lithium ion battery fires in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The entire fleet of this new airliner was grounded after flames and smoke erupted in several aircraft. The investigation showed engineering problems with the batteries, as well as deficiencies in testing and safety systems.
0 to 54 MPG in 11 Years
In the United States, average fuel economy in light duty vehicles (most retail cars and trucks) is about 30 miles per gallon and rising, but by 2025, vehicles will have to average 54.5 miles per gallon. Automakers are now scrambling to come up with new ideas to deliver the same performance consumers expect with better fuel efficiency.
A Nissan Altima mounted on a dynamometer at EPA's fuel efficiency testing lab