Web-Resol Tudo sobre Limpeza Urbana e Resíduos Sólidos!
The Scotsman reports that Sir Richard Branson yesterday announced plans to power his planes on plant waste as a greener alternative to conventional aircraft fuel.
The Virgin Atlantic chairman said he was considering opening refineries to produce cellulosic ethanol, which he claimed could replace kerosene.
However, the move surprised environmental campaigners, who said studies had shown ethanol was unsuitable as aircraft fuel, and no viable alternatives were on the horizon.
Sir Richard said: "We are going to start building cellulosic ethanol plants to make fuel that is derived from the waste product of the plant. It is 100 per cent environmentally-friendly and I believe it‘‘s the future of fuel.
"Over the next 20 or 30 years, I think it actually will replace the conventional fuel that you get out of the ground." Sir Richard said cellulosic ethanol differed from ethanol, which came from corn or fruit.
Richard Dyer, a campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said research had concluded that nothing would replace kerosene for several decades.
But Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrats‘‘ Westminster environment spokesman, said: "It is very important we maximise technology to minimise the impact of aviation on the environment. I welcome any steps taken to move in this direction."
Artigos Relacionados
Check Also
Egypt reviews Red Sea waste management system – Dailynewsegypt
Egypt’s Minister of Local Development and Environment, Manal Awad, and Red Sea Governor Walid El-Barqi held an extensive meeting to review the performance of the governorate’s waste management system and discuss measures to improve environmental services and operational efficiency. The meeting, held during Awad’s visit to the Red Sea Governorate to mark World Environment Day, focused on assessing current challenges facing waste collection, sorting, recycling and disposal operations, as well as identifying priority actions to strengthen the system’s performance. Awad stressed that the government places significant importance on developing an integrated waste management system in the Red Sea Governorate, given its strategic importance as one of Egypt’s leading tourism destinations. She emphasized the need to comply with environmental and technical standards governing sanitary landfills, waste treatment facilities and environmentally sound disposal practices. During the meeting, officials reviewed the current status of waste management operations in Hurghada, including collection, transportation, sorting, recycling and final disposal activities. Discussions also covered the infrastructure upgrades required to improve system efficiency and ensure the proper operation of sanitary landfill facilities. Yasser Abdullah, head of Egypt’s Waste Management Regulatory Authority, presented updates on temporary waste collection and sorting sites and outlined measures to strengthen operational management and oversight. He highlighted the importance of improving monitoring mechanisms for waste handling activities and maximizing the recovery of recyclable materials while reducing informal and unregulated practices.