The graphic (website) version of this newsletter can be accessed at:
http://pages.prodigy.net/rockaway/newsletter408.htm
Quote of the Week: `EU emissions from international air trans****t are
increasing faster than from any other sector; this growth threatens to
undermine the EU's progress in cutting overall greenhouse gas emissions.''
from a AP story on the EU plan to include aviation in their emissions
trading plan to combat increasing greenhouse gas in the atmosphere
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Aviation Conspiracy Newsletter
#407.........................................................................December
17, 2006 Past newsletters can be accessed at:
http://pages.prodigy.net/rockaway/ACNewsmenu.htm
The PASSUR air****t
flight
tracking system at many major U.S. air****ts
http://www.passur.com/sites.htm
(you must have Java installed to view it). If you want to get the
newsletter
sent to you every week, sign up to AviationWatch. Bill Mulcahy
rockaway@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"Ripple Effect" Disrupts Entire Air Travel System!!!
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As Bill Sees It: (Editorial) Anti-Noise Book About Fighting The Aircraft
Noise Pollution "Crisis!!!" I just happened to see mention of a book
online
about an individual who fights JFK Air****t plane noise that is being
touted
for the holiday season. It is being promoted as a "hilarious story of a
homeowner who combats this (aircraft noise) nightmare by floating a World
War II barrage balloon over his house- right in the main landing pattern
of
John F. Kennedy Air****t. Cedarhurst Alley is a plea for sanity in the
noise
pollution crisis. At the same time, it is one of the funniest, most
brilliantly written comic novels of this, or any, year." I don't know if
it's is a good book or not, but I will definitely buy one if I don't get
one
for Christmas. I can't wait for the movie. It's being sold on Amazon.com
for
$15.95.
Air Travel Cancellations Gives Communities An Early Christmas Gift: You
won't see it re****ted by the news media, but you know that for every
person
stranded at an air****t there is someone living near an air****t that giving
thanks for the snowstorm that hit the Northwest. This gives the airlines
license to treat their passengers with even more callousness than usual.
The
FAA's insistence that air****ts operate to maximum capacity leaves little
wiggle room when something disrupts ANY part of the system. When that
happens there is a "ripple" effect that goes through the whole system.
This
has given an early Christmas gift to many air****t comununities.
My Solution To The Christmas/Hanukah Conflict: I have been thinking
about
the recent incident at Seattle's Sea-Tac Air****t where a Lubavitch Rabbi
threatened to sue if a Jewish menorah was not displayed in the air****t
terminal; just like Christmas trees are. I am glad that this Rabbi has
forced the issue and I totally agree with him. Rather than fighting to
keep
Menorahs away from Christmas celebrations, I think Christians should
include
them; not side by side, but together!!! As Christ and his disciples were
Jewish, and Christianity itself is an offshoot of Judaism, I don't see why
some Christians want to keep Jewish symbols away from Christmas. I know
that
the Hanukah message is different than that of Christmas; but Christianity
has a long tradition of incor****ating even pagan symbols. The Christmas
tree
itself, not to mention the Easter Bunny, came from European pagan
celebrations of the winter and spring equinoxes. These symbols were made
part of the Christmas celebration. There are many such examples of
incor****ation of other religions into Christianity. The Irish cross has a
round circle in the middle of it which represents the sun that the ancient
Celts wor****ped. So why not include the symbols of the religion that St.
Peter wanted non-Jews to convert to before they could even become
Christians? Perhaps Christmas can one day bring Jews and Christians
together, instead of being a source of division. The fact that many Jews
celebrate Christmas already, shows that may be happening already. Merry
Christmas.
European Union to include airlines in pollution allowances trading program
in 2011: BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) _ Airlines that fly within the European
Union will have to trade pollution allowances beginning in 2011, the
European Commission said Wednesday, which could see travelers pay more for
popular short-break trips. Expanded rules covering all airlines that fly
into the EU will take effect the next year, a move that would hit U.S.
airlines on their lucrative trans-Atlantic routes. It also angered U.S.
officials. The U.S. mission to the EU warned that the ``non-consensual''
inclusion of foreign airlines could break international aviation laws and
``will undermine rather than sup****t international efforts'' to limit
carbon
dioxide emissions from aircraft. European airlines are generally in favor
of
the plan, since EU officials had warned them that refusing to back an
emissions trading program would result in an aviation tax. ``EU emissions
from international air trans****t are increasing faster than from any other
sector,'' the Commission said. ``This growth threatens to undermine the
EU's
progress in cutting overall greenhouse gas emissions.'' Editor's Note: I'm
sure President Moronic Polluter was livid about the EU doing something
about
aviation pollution.
http://www.planetsave.com/ps_mambo/The_News/World_News/European_Union_to_include_airlines_in_pollution_allowances_trading_program_in_2011_200612218249/
@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Aviation News Stories This Week
European Union to include airlines in pollution allowances trading program
in 2011
http://www.planetsave.com/ps_mambo/The_News/World_News/European_Union_to_include_airlines_in_pollution_allowances_trading_program_in_2011_200612218249/
Written by AOIFE WHITE
Thursday, 21 December 2006
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) _ Airlines that fly within the European Union will
have to trade pollution allowances beginning in 2011, the European
Commission said Wednesday, which could see travelers pay more for popular
short-break trips.
Expanded rules covering all airlines that fly into the EU will take effect
the next year, a move that would hit U.S. airlines on their lucrative
trans-Atlantic routes.
It also angered U.S. officials. The U.S. mission to the EU warned that the
``non-consensual'' inclusion of foreign airlines could break international
aviation laws and ``will undermine rather than sup****t international
efforts'' to limit carbon dioxide emissions from aircraft.
European airlines are generally in favor of the plan, since EU officials
had
warned them that refusing to back an emissions trading program would
result
in an aviation tax.
``EU emissions from international air trans****t are increasing faster than
from any other sector,'' the Commission said. ``This growth threatens to
undermine the EU's progress in cutting overall greenhouse gas emissions.''
The plan could add between 1.80 euros and 9 euros (about $2.40 to $11.80)
to
a typical return flight within Europe with higher price hikes for
long-haul
trips. The Commission claimed these would be ``significantly lower'' than
oil price increases passed on to travelers.
Bowing to pressure from trade partners, the EU's executive arm will give
all
flights to and from EU air****ts another year to join the program.
All airlines _ based in the EU or elsewhere _ will have to trade carbon
dioxide allowances beginning in 2012 for all flights to and from European
air****ts, it said.
This will break international aviation law, said U.S. spokesman Robert
Gianfranceschi. ``The inclusion of non-EU airlines on a non-consensual
basis
runs counter to EU member states' legal obligations under the Chicago
convention on international civil aviation and their bilateral air
trans****t
agreements, including with the U.S.,'' he said.
The EU's refusal to wait for the International Civil Aviation Organization
to set up a global program ``will prove unworkable,'' he said, calling on
EU
governments _ who must approve the plan _ to insist that it not be
implemented without international backing.
But EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas insisted that the plan was
in
line with international law, adding that he did not believe U.S. airlines
would win a challenge to it. He called on their ``moral obligation'' to
fight climate change.
``We need to act globally. We need to have the United States on board,''
Dimas told re****ters. ``It's a global problem. It needs a global
solution.''
He said Europe had to push ahead because international efforts were moving
too slowly.
The program gives airlines a financial incentive to reduce emissions
because
they can sell allowances that they don't use. But if they fail to convert
to
low-carbon technology or increase their flights, they will be forced to
buy
additional allowances to release more carbon dioxide.
The EU said aircraft emissions make up 3 percent of total greenhouse gas
emissions _ higher than any other industry _ but are increasing as cheap
flights multiply and would likely double by 2020.
``Without action, the growth in emissions from flights from EU air****ts
will
by 2012 cancel out more than a quarter of the 8 percent emission reduction
the EU must achieve to reach its Kyoto Protocol target,'' it said.
Someone flying from London to New York and back generates about the same
level of emissions as the average person in the EU does by heating their
home for a year, the Commission said.
Emissions will be capped at the average from 2004 to 2006, it said. Some
allowances will be auctioned by national governments but most will be
given
away.
Airlines can trade carbon permits with other fuel-hungry industries such
as
power generators and steelmakers, increasing competition for a finite
number
of permits.
Scandinavian airline operator SAS AB said carbon trading was the best
option
because it did not punish economic growth. But it said it would have
preferred to start with a global plan ``in environmental terms and from a
competitive perspective.''
The Association of European Airlines, which represents Air France SA and
British Airways PLC, backed emissions trading but warned that a poorly
designed program could strip airlines of the funds they need to introduce
cleaner technology. The International Air Trans****t Association also gave
it
a ``cautious welcome.''
But environmentalists claimed the EU plan was too weak, citing a re****t
from
the British think tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research, that
said
airlines could make up to 2.7 billion pounds (euro4 billion; US$5.26
billion) in profit because they will get emissions allowances for free and
pass on the costs in higher ticket prices.
One group, Trans****t and Environment, said the plan would barely reduce
overall emissions and more measures were needed such as a tax on fuel and
sales tax on tickets.
The EU says it will, by the end of 2008, suggest trading another
greenhouse
gas released by airlines: nitrogen dioxide.
EU governments and the Parliament must back the proposal _ and can make
changes _ before it enters into force.
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