First transatlantic flight using “100% sustainable” jet fuel is greenwashing bull***t brought to you by Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic.
Greenwashing used to be a minor art form, but has now just become a daily fixture in the news cycle. You have to keep your eyes open so as not to be completely fooled and taken in by the sharks that prey on the weak-minded.
Noted carbon emitter extraordinaire, Sir Richard Branson, is back to his old marketing games trying to pass off burning fuel on a transatlantic flight as ‘sustainable’. Here’s the greenwashing campaign via The Guardian (a tool and accomplice in global greenwashing circles):
The first transatlantic flight by a commercial airliner fully powered by “sustainable” jet fuel will take off from London Heathrow this morning.
The Virgin Atlantic flight, partly funded by the UK government, has been hailed by the aviation industry and ministers as a demonstration of the potential to significantly cut net carbon emissions from flying, although scientists and environmental groups are extremely sceptical.
Airlines have previously flown on a blend of up to 50% of alternative fuels, called sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), and flight VS100 will operate under special dispensation with no paying passengers, using fuel made mostly from tallow and other waste products.
One of those onboard, the transport secretary, Mark Harper, said: “Today’s 100% SAF-powered flight shows how we can decarbonise transport both now and in the future, cutting lifecycle emissions by 70% and inspiring the next generation of solutions.”
Virgin Atlantic said the flight to New York would show that SAF was a safe replacement for normal kerosene jet fuel. The Virgin Atlantic founder and president, Sir Richard Branson, also onboard, said: “The world will always assume something can’t be done, until you do it.”
Airlines see SAF as a critical route to cutting net emissions, because it can be used in existing planes. However, the availability of the fuel now is less than one-thousandth of the total volume of jet fuel used worldwide.
Okay, so let’s check the basic facts:
First, they are burning fuel on a transatlantic flight. And there are only a few people on board! And they call it ‘decarbonizing’! What kind of bull***t like this do people swallow? ‘Nuff said about the actual facts.
TD rarely publishes anything negative, but greenwashing is one topic we don’t and won’t shy away from. You need to reduce the amount of transatlantic flights, or capture your carbon output, or develop an alternative method (electric, hydrogen, etc.) if you want to reduce the carbon footprint of these (and all) flights. Period. Using cow dung and lard is not the answer. DW | Editor
