Pirate's Cove

Actually, I was hoping they would win on this

Teens Who Successfully Sued Hawai?i Over Climate Change Lose On Aviation

The Hawaiian islands are overrun with feral pigs

The Hawai?i Department of Transportation has made plant-based jet fuel a centerpiece of its final plan to reduce carbon emissions under an agreement with a group of Hawai?i teens who had sued the state over climate change.

The teens had objected to a draft plan to use the fuel – the airplane equivalent of biodiesel – as a tool for implementing the settlement, which requires the state to eliminate all carbon emissions related to transportation in Hawai?i by 2045.

The settlement involves all forms of transportation, but aviation is the biggest problem. Interisland air travel produces more than 50% of Hawai?i’s transportation emissions, and there is no existing technology to cut that to zero.

The settlement called for the Department of Transportation to create a plan to meet the 2045 deadline. In a draft plan issued in June, the department identified the bio-jet fuel as the best solution for reducing aviation emissions. The teen plaintiffs objected, saying the bio-jet fuel wasn’t 100% carbon-free and carried other negative environmental impacts. Instead, they said the state should focus on electric airplanes.

But the aviation industry says electric airplane technology is limited and that the best tool is bio-jet fuel, known in industry parlance as sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF. The industry says SAF produces 50% to 80% less carbon than regular jet fuel.

The kiddies do not like the use of this “fuel”, and, I agree with them: until all electric planes and helicopters are available I think the use of the planes and helicopters should be banned for inter-island use. Not even using the “bio-fuel”, which is barely available. It’s not like Hawaii has the manufacturing base for it. It would have to be transported in by fossil fueled tankers, just like gas, diesel, and oil now.

Keep fighting, kids! It would mean a lot fewer visitors coming to Hawaii for vacations and weddings and conventions and stuff, reducing that carbon footprint!