Image of the Day: Flight Madness

The Urge to Pollute the Air: An Acute Mental Illness?

Customers wait in line after a computer glitch crippled the baggage handling system at the American Airlines’ Terminal 8 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport July 30, 2008. REUTERS/Joshua Lott. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair use Notice!

Flying-General (Emissions from a single passenger)

(Source) The average passenger miles per gallon for a domestic or international trip originating in the U.S. equals 33.4, according to “Transportation, Energy, and the Environment”, Section A – U.S. Energy Consumption and Transportation Sector Energy Consumption, Table 4-21. (Note that this is not much better than the average automobile, if driven with only one occupant.)

Burning a gallon of jet fuel releases 21.095 lbs of CO2. Combining these two factors:

(Source)

Based on the Climate Neutral Network’s analysis, an additional 8% has added to the total to account for the emissions associated with the upstream refining of jet fuel. The result is that 1.36 lbs. of CO2e are created for each passenger mile traveled (0.63 x 2 plus 8%). It is important to note that many carbon calculators on the Internet, do not account for these additional emissions and hence, significantly underestimate total Greenhouse Gas emissions. (Source)

[Note: The ‘upstream’ CO2 footprint could be as much as 31.35% which includes extraction of crude oil, transport to refinery, refining to jet fuel, transport to airports, storage, etc. making a grand total of about 1.66 lbs. (751g) of CO2e for each passenger mile traveled.]

Related Links:

• Photos Album
• How Your Pollution is Calculated

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Volcanic Activity News

For New Volcanic Activity/Unrest See

SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report

23 July-29 July 2008

New Activity/Unrest:

Anatahan, Mariana Islands (Central Pacific) | Chaitén, Southern Chile | Chikurachki, Paramushir Island | Cleveland, Chuginadak Island | Dukono, Halmahera | Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka | Llaima, Central Chile | Manam, Northeast of New Guinea (SW Pacific) | Okmok, Fox Islands | Reventador, Ecuador | Soufrière Hills, Montserrat

“Garden of the Fugitives.” Plaster casts of some of the victims of Mount Vesuvius eruption [AD79] are still in the ruins of Pompeii. A few hours after Mount Vesuvius exploded Pompeii and its residents were buried under 3 meters of volcanic ash. Photo copyright: Aschwin Prein. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

Ongoing Activity:

Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia) | Bezymianny, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Kilauea, Hawaii (USA) | Krakatau, Indonesia | Rabaul, New Britain | Sakura-jima, Kyushu | Santa María, Guatemala | Semeru, Eastern Java (Indonesia) | Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia) | Suwanose-jima, Ryukyu Islands (Japan) | Tungurahua, Ecuador | Ubinas, Perú

The skeletal remains of a young woman killed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. The skeleton, unearthed from the ruins of Herculaneum in 1982, was named the “Ring Lady” because of the emerald and ruby rings found on the woman’s left hand. Two gold bracelets and gold earrings were also found by the woman’s side. (Source: Wikipedia)