Blog 7.2 Environmental Factors

Our world is changing, by us, with us and through us. Today some of the biggest concerns are the push for clean energy, the conservation of lands and to limit the carbon footprint so that future generations may live in a world that is better, cleaner and more effieicnt than the one we have today. 

With that being said, I believe that the biggest concern for an airport manager is pollution, more specifically site pollution and emissions. Unfortunately, pollution is a global issue, however I will only be concerned about thoughts from articles related to the United States regarding pollution. According to the Air Transport Action Group, 2020 the aviation industry accounts for 2.1 percent of all C02 emmissions as well as aviation accounting for 12 percent of all tansportation related emmissions (Air Transport Action Group, 2020).

Throughout the different stages of flight, the gasses from aircraft engines create different types of negative impacts (Sameh & Scavuzzi, 2016). On ground level and most impactful from the airport environment is the degradation of air quality in the local surrounding area which can adversely impact peoples health and welfare (Sameh & Scavuzzi, 2016). Because of this, the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) established emission standards for which shall be adhered to in the certification of an engine (Visser et al., 2009). 

Unfortunately, carbon emissions and pollution is not an overnight fix and it is going to take our very best minds to cure this issue. One of the best strategies for this emissional narrative has already entered the stage, we just need to continue the push for further understanding and development. Which is the hydrogen jet engine which will make for an emission free flight (Ahlgren, 2022). The hydrogen jet engine is still an internal combustion engine that uses hydrogen burned as a gas rather than gasoline or jet fuel which because of its chemical properties releases zero emmissions (Ahlgren, 2022).

This would in fact disclose aviation from the emmisons chart entirleny and in return airport concerns would no longer be limited by enviormental fatcors such as aircraft emmisions.

References 

Ahlgren, L. (2022, February 22). How does a hydrogen jet engine work? Simple Flying. Retrieved August 22, 2022, from https://simpleflying.com/how-does-a-hydrogen-jet-engine-work/#:~:text=The%20fuel%20cells%20generate%20electricity,turbine%20engine%20to%20generate%20thrust.

Air Transport Action Group, (A. T. A. G. (2020, September). Facts and Figures. Facts & figures. Retrieved August 22, 2022, from https://www.atag.org/facts-figures.html#:~:text=The%20global%20aviation%20industry%20produces,carbon%20dioxide%20(CO2)%20emissions.&text=Aviation%20is%20responsible%20for%2012,to%2074%25%20from%20road%20transport.

Federal Aviation Adminastration. (2022, June 15). Air Traffic by the Numbers. Air traffic by the numbers. Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/by_the_numbers/

Sameh, M. M., & Scavuzzi, J. (2016, July). Environmental sustainability measures for airports - mcgill university. Occasional Paper Series. Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://www.mcgill.ca/iasl/files/iasl/vii_sustainability_and_environmental_protection_measures_for_airports_final.pdf

Visser, H. G., Hebly, S. J., & A., W. R. A. (2009). Management of the environmental impact at airport operations. Nova Science Publishers.