THE GLOBAL aviation sector consumes over one billion litres of fuel a day, according to a 2021 research paper published in IOP Science. The sector was also directly responsible for 2 per cent of the global carbon emissions in 2021, as per the International Energy Agency (IEA). “If things continue as they are, emissions from the sector will not meet net-zero targets,” says Lynnette Dray, a senior research associate at University College London who specialises in aviation emissions and airline competition.
Little wonder, the sector is exploring a host of green technologies that include cleaner fuel sourced from biomass, hydrogen and e-aircraft. The technologies are in the early stages and success will depend on several factors.
SOURCING GREEN FUEL
This February, Indian Oil, the country’s largest aviation fuel provider, announced that at least 2 per cent of its aviation fuel by 2030 will be sourced from ethanol, a green fuel made from plant waste. The company has tied up with LanzaJet, a US-based fuel manufacturer that has a refinery in Panipat, to achieve the target.
Sustainable aviation fuels are hydrocarbon molecules sourced from plant or animal material and usually blended with conventional aviation fuel sourced from fossil fuels. The green hydrocarbon molecules are collected through a process called hydrodeoxygenation, in which oxygen and other impurities such as sulphur and nitrogen are chemically removed.
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THE CIRCULARITY ARGUMENT
A circular economy can help India achieve its developmental aspirations while following the low-carbon pathway. It will also help address the challenges of waste management, pollution and overexploitation of natural resources. Industries are already innovating to reuse high-volume wastes and have shown that the transition can usher in both environmental and financial windfalls
Banking on flawed drug voluntary licences
The Medicines Patent Pool is pushing for more VLs, but its bad deal with Novartis on a cancer drug shows the pitfalls
Lasting solutions
For the first time, the UN has recognised the role of indigenous communities in tackling aridity. A repository of traditional knowledge India has the wherewithal to lead the way
IMD at 150
India's journey into modern weather forecasting took a decisive turn 150 years ago with the establishment of India Meteorological Department during the British rule. The agency has come a long way since then, shaping the way the country predicts and responds to its diverse climate challenges
Every drop counts
In drought-prone Marathwada region, 14 villages have managed to counter water shortage by budgeting the resource
Threat to survival
Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam faces ecological challenges as railway electrification and hydrocarbon exploration endanger its fragile biodiversity
'Migration is going to be a battlefield'
AMITAV GHOSH is one of the foremost chroniclers of our times. His literary sojourn includes writings on topics that range from languages to climate change to human lives. His latest book, Wild Fictions, brings some of his works on these issues under one title. In a conversation with RAJAT GHAI, Ghosh shares his views on the future of human movement. Excerpts:
Face of future
California wildfires confirm forest fires are intensifying in a hotter world, emitting substantial amounts of greenhouse gases and reinforcing global warming
Friends of the forest
Residents of 30 villages in Uttarakhand establish a model for public participation in saving forests from wildfires
Climate-crazy playbook
Just hours after his second (and final) term began on January 20, US President Donald Trump unleashed 46 presidential actions. Several of these are centred on the US' climate commitments, energy transition, migration and trade policies, and are likely to have negative global implications
