Sustainability has always been a topic of interest to me, so given the opportunity to write this blog I knew I wanted to integrate it somehow. My knowledge regarding the airline industry was limited, yet something I hoped to learn more about, and as such I felt the two would be a good fit. Going into this my belief was that the only real concern the airline industry had to focus on, in the aspect of sustainability, was due to carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions. However, through this process I have learned that the airline industry is more complex than I once thought and there are multitudes of ways in which airlines are, and can take steps to become more environmentally friendly.
My first look into the environmental aspects of the airline industry was a very broad introduction to the area which overwhelmed me due to the vast amount of information available. Straight away my idea of a very specific problem within the industry—greenhouse gas emissions—was thrown out the window and I became more open-minded about what I was about to find.
I then continued on with an airline I was something familiar with, due to previous research into philanthropic work, Virgin America. Virgin America sets the bar for being environmentally conscious as their eco-friendly roots are deeply involved with their basic practices, one of their main goals being “…to build an airline from the ground up that makes environmentally-sustainable practices part and parcel of our business model…”. It is important for companies to step up and act as a leader in sustainable practices and Virgin America has done just that be being the first airline to list their carbon footprint. By providing this information to the general public Virgin America is allowing consumers to make more informed decisions when choosing their airline providers.
Next I addressed the topic of what it means to become carbon neutral. Looking into carbon neutrality, the main company that stood out in the spotlight was NatureAir, based out of Costa Rica. Not only are they a carbon neutral airline, but this is primarily due to them taking this into their own hands by offsetting 100% of their carbon emissions. While other airlines may offer the opportunity for their passengers to purchase carbon offsets, NatureAir takes responsibility for their own actions which I think is to be highly recognized. I knew about carbon offsets prior to this, yet had never heard of an airline that was so aware of their impact on the environmental and take it so seriously.
Keeping sustainability in mind it is important for the airline industry to look at the resources which will be available in the long term. It is common knowledge that oil is not a renewable energy source and as such there is a finite supply. As a result it is important for the airline industry to look to alternative fuel sources for future supplies. Before this research I had heard about alternative fuel sources, yet had no idea what they consisted of. Learning that everyday items such as algae and non-food cellulose can be grown to develop biofuels is something that fascinates me.
Finally I looked at the topic of recycling—something that I never really considered to be part of the airline industry. But just as important as recycling is in our everyday lives, it needs to be treated as a necessity in the air as well. To me recycling seems like a common sense thing to do, something that simply should just be done. Being confronted with numbers such as “…9,000 tons of plastic, enough aluminum cans to build 58 Boeing 747 jets, and enough newspaper and magazines to cover a football field 230 meters deep” blew my mind. I think recycling is something that should be mandatory and with Green America publishing the What Goes Up Must Come Down: The Sorry State of Recycling in the Airline Industry report it has allowed the public to be informed of what is really happening in the airline industry, and will hopefully result in stronger pressures towards the airline industries in regards to establishing policies and procedures in concern to recycling.
Through contributing to this blog I have been able to peel back the layers regarding the environmental state of the airline industry including the strides it has made, and how far it still has to go. I want to thank those who have followed this blog for their support and I hope you have been able to learn a little bit more as to the current state of the airline industry.
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