Supersonic Jets Could Be Major Polluter
The only viable supersonic passenger jet, the Concorde, was taken out of service in 2003. At a speed of 1,300 MPH, it cut the flight time between New York and London by half. However, an accident hurt the Concorde’s safety record, and it became too expensive a venture. Two decades after its last flight, it may be replaced by “Quesst,” a high-speed plane that still has some problems to solve before it can go into commercial use.
Quesst
According to Climate Central, “But critics say the expensive program, a partnership with Lockheed Martin—now expected to cost $840 million, 80 percent over its initial budget—is pouring resources into a quest that the agency’s own research shows would worsen the damaging climate impact of global aviation.” With experiments with electric-powered engines and other propulsion systems that emit less greenhouse gasses, the project would seem to be going in the wrong direction.
Climate Central
Climate Central also points out that the market for these aircraft is so small that emissions are hardly the issue. However, that is the point. As industry after industry makes an excuse why its greenhouse gas emissions do not matter or that they are essential to the economy, the problem of global warming worsens, even if by only a little. Air pollution has killed millions of people.
Until companies no longer use excuses for why their products and services do not contribute, the trend of air pollution cannot be accomplished.
More from ClimateCrisis 247
- after the storms comes the reckoning: Home Insurance Rates Surge in Florida, Elsewhere
- A Cruel COP-out: Climate Disaster Looms As Rich Nations Give Up Poor Neighbors
- The heat is on — and that’s Why Climate-caused Migration is set to Reach 700 Million
- ‘Every hurricane in 2024 was stronger than it would have been 100 years ago’
