I applaud the airports for taking steps to use less energy, generate fewer emissions, and recycle more, as reported in a USA Today story last week that I had perused while at ITEXPO West.
Yet if these facilities, and their airline masters truly want to go green they should:
* Invest in European-styled electric high-speed rail links to replace short-haul flights.
A Hydro-Quebec report published in 2006 revealed that such air travel can release as much as 340 grams of CO2 per passenger-kilometre as compared with zero for a passenger in a high-speed electric train, powered from hydroelectric dams. In contrast, long-haul flights, for which there is no competition (other than the ultraclean choice of conferencing) release as little as 102 grams.
Short haul flights also eat up runway space, whose expansion chews up life-giving greenspace. More runway wear-and-tear also means more pollution-adding construction and maintenance.
*Shift access to mass transit and shared-ride away from private vehicles. Invest in rapid transit and subsidize off-site airport buses to transit centers, like existing commuter rail/bus stations near where users live. Pay for this by hiking parking fees to discourage single occupancy vehicle access.
Yet if these facilities, and their airline masters truly want to go green they should:
* Invest in European-styled electric high-speed rail links to replace short-haul flights.
A Hydro-Quebec report published in 2006 revealed that such air travel can release as much as 340 grams of CO2 per passenger-kilometre as compared with zero for a passenger in a high-speed electric train, powered from hydroelectric dams. In contrast, long-haul flights, for which there is no competition (other than the ultraclean choice of conferencing) release as little as 102 grams.
Short haul flights also eat up runway space, whose expansion chews up life-giving greenspace. More runway wear-and-tear also means more pollution-adding construction and maintenance.
*Shift access to mass transit and shared-ride away from private vehicles. Invest in rapid transit and subsidize off-site airport buses to transit centers, like existing commuter rail/bus stations near where users live. Pay for this by hiking parking fees to discourage single occupancy vehicle access.
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Airlines actually hate short-haul flights. The margins are thin, there is more competition form low-cost carriers, and they often have to operate at a loss when the yact as a feeder onto long-haul flights. In fact, there are airlines that are already investing in high-speed rail services. British Airways owns a stake in Eurostar, while Air France-KLM does codeshares with French TGV trains and also wants run trains between london and Paris.
In short, Airlines can and will see highspeed rail as an opptunity, not a threat.