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Over 150k Flights: Airlines Just Flew the Busiest Day in Recorded History

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Re: Over 150k Flights: Airlines Just Flew the Busiest Day in Recorded History

#21

Post by adrianN »

buellerbueller wrote: post #18
bestouff wrote: post #4

Yes let's continue burning fuel. It's fine.

I guess if you are really serious about saving the planet from airplanes, you could start a network of similar-feeling folks and begin randomly bombing enough flights to terrify the world into not flying. Give yourself an edgy name, like the Children of Kali, to make it stick. Honestly, if you think the stakes are that high then you implicate yourself with anything but fully committed action. Anything less, and you j…

That is a terrible way to get the necessary support for climate action and would be actively harmful to the cause.

This argument has been made so often and in so much detail that I’m surprised to still see people suggest climate terrorism in, presumably, good faith.

Re: Over 150k Flights: Airlines Just Flew the Busiest Day in Recorded History

#22

Post by RankingMember »

richwater wrote: post #9

The new Airbus Project Sunrise aircraft also set the record for longest passenger aircraft flight

Just looked that up. Good lord, they need to amend the universal declaration of human rights to include flying people 24 hours straight in coach as a violation.

Re: Over 150k Flights: Airlines Just Flew the Busiest Day in Recorded History

#23

Post by K0nserv »

jjice wrote: post #15
megablast wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What?? In Europe there are lots of viable alternatives. Same as Asia!!

For transport you're right. I think the parent your referring to was specifically saying there's no alternative way to power a plane. That's my assumption at least.

I was saying a bit of both. megablast is correct that there are alternatives, but I'd maybe quibble with "viable". For example you can get from Stockholm to Umeå with a 1 hour flight or a 6-8 hour train journey, is the train a viable alternative? For aviation there aren't alternative fuels and on many journeys even the alternative transport options aren't in the same ballpark.

Re: Over 150k Flights: Airlines Just Flew the Busiest Day in Recorded History

#24

Post by tonyedgecombe »

K0nserv wrote: post #8
bestouff wrote: post #4

Yes let's continue burning fuel. It's fine.

Flying is a bit unique in that there aren't really viable alternatives. It also accounts for a fairly small portion of emissions. Land transport (cars and trucks), power generation, and heating are where the big wins exist with viable alternatives.

It only represents a small portion of emissions because so few people fly. For the people that do fly it represents a large portion of their emissions.

It’s also the activity least likely to be decarbonised.

Of course there are alternatives, I haven’t flown on a plane since 2001.

Re: Over 150k Flights: Airlines Just Flew the Busiest Day in Recorded History

#25

Post by noosphr »

Wildgoose wrote: post #13

This seems like madness to me. A fully loaded 747 has around 140,000 litres of energy-dense jet fuel containing between 2.2 and 2.9 GWh worth of energy - or around two hours output of a typical power station. This level of profligacy is simply not sustainable.

Yes, we need to shut down the power plants. People lived without electricity for millions of years, they can always get back to it. /s

Re: Over 150k Flights: Airlines Just Flew the Busiest Day in Recorded History

#26

Post by lbriner »

RankingMember wrote: post #20
jjice wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For transport you're right. I think the parent your referring to was specifically saying there's no alternative way to power a plane. That's my assumption at least.

I'd like to see an attempt at modern air cruises on giant zeppelins.

Then the plane takes longer than the train!

Re: Over 150k Flights: Airlines Just Flew the Busiest Day in Recorded History

#27

Post by ortusdux »

bestouff wrote: post #4

Yes let's continue burning fuel. It's fine.

Here is a good list of 'fuel per seat (in mpg)' numbers for various airplane configurations and flight durations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_economy_in_aircraft#Examp...

The total average across the industry in 2018 was between 67 and 81 mpg. Modern planes are in the 100-120mpg range.

Re: Over 150k Flights: Airlines Just Flew the Busiest Day in Recorded History

#28

Post by RankingMember »

Wildgoose wrote: post #13

This seems like madness to me. A fully loaded 747 has around 140,000 litres of energy-dense jet fuel containing between 2.2 and 2.9 GWh worth of energy - or around two hours output of a typical power station. This level of profligacy is simply not sustainable.

Parkinson's Law needs a moderator in the form of agreed-upon limits. How we get there, I have no idea, but it's well-overdue.

Re: Over 150k Flights: Airlines Just Flew the Busiest Day in Recorded History

#29

Post by RankingMember »

noosphr wrote: post #25
Wildgoose wrote: post #13

This seems like madness to me. A fully loaded 747 has around 140,000 litres of energy-dense jet fuel containing between 2.2 and 2.9 GWh worth of energy - or around two hours output of a typical power station. This level of profligacy is simply not sustainable.

Yes, we need to shut down the power plants. People lived without electricity for millions of years, they can always get back to it. /s

To me, the parent's statement was a comment on the enormity of aircraft fuel used.

Re: Over 150k Flights: Airlines Just Flew the Busiest Day in Recorded History

#30

Post by twister2920 »

noosphr wrote: post #25
Wildgoose wrote: post #13

This seems like madness to me. A fully loaded 747 has around 140,000 litres of energy-dense jet fuel containing between 2.2 and 2.9 GWh worth of energy - or around two hours output of a typical power station. This level of profligacy is simply not sustainable.

Yes, we need to shut down the power plants. People lived without electricity for millions of years, they can always get back to it. /s

not really the same thing
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