The aviation industry is reportedly one of the major contributors to global warming through emission of greenhouse gases from planes. Emission rates from airlines stand at about 2 percent globally but are growing rapidly causing alarm. United States’ Environment Protection Agency (EPA) with incumbent federal government led by president Obama is now obligated to find a solution to this issue. EPA is mandated to set up standards that would regulate airlines and work with International Civil Aviation Organization to set up strong measures to promote quality of Air. However, the agency insists that the airlines also have a responsibility towards improving the issue of carbon emission. Withal, the most effective a way to cut down carbon emissions from airlines is by buying new planes that have efficient engines.
Greenhouse gases blanket the earth trapping heat to increases its temperatures. With the skyrocketing emissions from the aviation industry, the situation may get worse especially with the increasing detrimental effects that come along with global warming. The long-term effect is the shifting of major climatic patterns and zones causing floods, drought, and ice melting among other impacts in different parts of the world. Therefore, humans need to act first because they are the most impacted with global warming. Since the airline industry has been identified to be a major threat to earth’s temperatures, there should be significant policies and measures to ensure that planes promote quality of the atmosphere. Still, there are a large percentage of emissions that does not come from planes that should be observed. Industrial and motor vehicle emissions are threats, as well, hence national and international agencies should work together to provide measures for all these carbon sources.
New York Times Article: E.P.A. Takes Step to Cut Emissions from Planes
By JAD MOUAWAD and CORAL DAVENPORT JUNE 10, 2011
Work Cited
“E.P.A. Takes Step to Cut Emissions from Planes.” The New York Times – Breaking News. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2015.