Tyndall report on climate

3rd November, 2006

The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change published another report in Sep 06. It outlines a route to a low-carbon economy. The report shows that if constraints are not put on the growth in volume of aviation, the rest of the economy will have to be re-structured to make room for it.

The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change published a report in Sep 06 which, in the authors’ words “Demonstrates both the need and the means by which we can make a successful, low-carbon economy a reality in our lifetimes.”Although the report is not primarily on aviation, the report reaches some key conclusions about it. If the necessary reductions in carbon emissions are to be achieved and if constraints are not put on the growth in volume of aviation, the following all need to happen:1)There must be significant improvements in fuel efficiency of aircraft – improvements which will not be achieved with a ‘business as usual’ scenario.
2)About half of aircraft fuel must be ‘biofuel’ ie fuel derived from crops. This would take up large areas of land at the expense of food production and ecosystems.
3) The entire electricity grid must be ‘decarbonised’, ie no burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity.For more information see Friends of the Earth web site