Biofuelishness
“Sit back and relax” the captain said. “We will be traveling at a speed of 340 knots and an altitude of 32,000 feet. Pay no attention to the smell of burning french fries and corn chips as that is only our new biofuel engines.” At that point all they have to do is double the price of cocktails or stock the push cart with Valium and the airlines could be in the black for the first time in years.
Air New Zealand has completed their first trial run of a 747 passenger jetliner using a 50-50 biofuel/jet fuel mixture in one of its engines. This two hour trial run is being hailed as the next big step toward a greener, more environmentally friendly airline industry. “Today, we stand at the earliest stages of sustainable fuel development and an important moment in aviation history,” Air New Zealand Chief Executive Rob Fyfe said after the flight.
The International Air Transport Association which represents 230 airlines stated their goal is to have 10% of all airline fuel derived from biofuels by 2017.
The Associated Press story covering this historic event used all the correct enviro-jargon including the terms: sustainable, renewable, carbon emissions, biodiesel and climate change. To read the piece one would have to draw the conclusion that the airlines are really looking at saving the planet through renewable biofuels. One would, however, be totally incorrect.
This is not about saving the planet; it’s about saving a few bucks. And because it’s about the money it is doomed to fail just like every other groundbreaking plan that ignores supply and demand economics. The nearly bankrupt airline industry is far more concerned about making payroll than about making a carbon footprint. By the way airlines should not be groundbreaking anyway, if you know what I mean.
Air New Zealand ran this trial using biofuel made from the new cash crop Jatropha. Jatropha is a bush that produces small berries. The seeds within these berries are crushed and the oil from the seeds is transformed into biofuel. They no doubt ran this trial because Virgin Atlantic Airlines ran similar biofuel tests last February using fuel made from palm and coconut oil. I’m waiting for Air Mexico to begin their trial of fueling the plane with methane gas. It might take some modifications to the passenger seats and a free burrito with every ticket, but I digress.
Jatropha is the next big cash crop in the biofuel world. India alone has already planted over 18 million acres of jatropha and has committed to a total of 30 million acres of plants by the year 2012. They have successfully run trucks and buses on the fuel and are obviously looking to cash in on the new craze.
But if $145 per barrel oil taught us anything, it taught us that this is still a supply and demand market. As demand for oil declined so did the price. Oil has gone from $145 per barrel to $40 per barrel in less than six months. I doubt oil demand has decreased 65% in that same time period but even with the modest reduction in usage we have seen the price decline enough to make a sheik weak.
The current selling price for a bushel of jatropha is just under the price of a bushel of mud. That makes it currently attractive. But if this crop catches on as the biobrains are predicting the per bushel price will jump just a dramatically as corn did with the recent ethanol boondoggle.
Any crop that has to be planted, watered, nurtured and harvested to be turned into a fuel alternative such as corn, or jatropha, or palm, or coconuts, or black eyed seedless lima beans will rise in price once it becomes popular. The corresponding reduction in crude oil usage will reduce its price making oil once again the fuel of choice for budget minded fuel buyers. Common sense dictates that dollars and cents are the driving factors in environmentally friendly business behavior.
The Al Gore approved proposal of the incoming president’s cap and trade system may further the development of biofuels until the cost becomes so prohibitive that it starts putting business out of business. At that point Al and his cronies can cash in their carbon emissions trading stamps and drive their SUV’s to their private jets and fly off to retirement.
According to the carbon emissions police the airlines are only responsible for about 2% of all the “dangerous” emissions alleged to contribute to manmade global warming. Still Greenpeace, who never misses an opportunity to misstate the facts, sent Simon Boxer their spokesman for Greenpeace New Zealand to condemn them saying it was inevitable that airlines would show greater interest in sustainable biofuels as travelers become more aware of the harm that air travel causes the environment.
Hey Simon, 2% is probably less than whale farts and Greenpeace is out in their pirate ship trying to save them!
Ken Morton, a Boeing spokesman, said he expects more airlines will embrace biofuels as emission taxes and emission cap and trade schemes are introduced. “It makes a lot of commercial sense to invest in these biofuels,” said Morton. “Certainly, it is what the public wants.”
What he didn’t say was that it is what Boeing wants as well so they can build and sell more of these bio-burning jet engines.
As for me when it comes to the airlines, depart on time, arrive on time, don’t lose my luggage and you can burn plutonium and Styrofoam cups in the engines for all I care.
The planet does not need to be saved from us.
But we do.
