Global Warming The debbil made me do it

In article Roger writes:

So, will you be scrapping the Debonair and ceasing flying to help do
your part? Each gallon/hour is about 18.5 pounds of CO2 per hour added
to the atmosphere.
Strange you should mention that:-))

Efficiency...Efficiency.

Go Diesel!

Also I only fly a fraction of what I used to, but I will readily admit
that is not by choice. I'm serious about the diesel. If I get back
into flying and the engine becomes available the Deb will become a
diesel if the current IO-470N holds out long enough for the major..
The new engines are far more fuel efficient than out current aircraft
engines and the new diesels have far less particulates in the
emissions. OTOH the US currently has some rather poor quality diesel
fuel compared to the EU.

A good answer for improving efficiency. Other advantages are that
Diesel engines don't spew lead into the atmosphere like running on
100LL does. But, clearly I am a fan - I drive a turbo-diesel car.
However, the current price of Diesel aircraft engines is a pretty
big dis-incentive.

The Diesel fuel is not really an issue to us, since the FAA apparently
doesn't approve use of Diesel fuel in aircraft, so we have to burn Jet-A
instead. Not quite as good performance in the gallons/hour category, but
still lots better than avgas, and a lot easier to get at an airport.


Current operational const of the Deb (Including insurance is about
$130/hr. At 13 hours total (6.5 each way) that works out to $1,690
round trip. By road it's about 1,300 miles each way for a total of
2600 @ 73.9 cents a mile or $1921.40 or $231 cheaper not counting
meals for two days plus lodging. Of course, going commercial, shopping
for airfares, and scheduling ahead we could do it for less than $800
for the two of us.

This is the total cost, but if you are making the decision, you are
really deciding on the marginal cost of the trip, you already have the
car and the airplane. By marginal cost, the car operates for a lot less
than the airplane.

If you are concerned about global warming, you are also needing to
consider the marginal cost of operating either vehicle. The car gets
46 mpg, and I presume the Debonair gets a lot lower mileage (and has
higher startup and shutdown fuel costs operating at each end of the
trip). Since they both burn gasoline, the CO2 emissions are pretty
much determined by the gallons of fuel burned.


From a practical standpoint/approach we (as a society) aren't going to
eliminate the energy usage, but we can conserve to the point of making
a substantial difference. If our current fleet average (cars AND
trucks) averaged 30 MPG we wouldn't even have to import crude for
motor fuel.

And we might discover that turbo-diesels are fun to drive, as well.

If we are serious about CO2 emissions, we should be building nuclear
power plants, and equipment to recycle the spent fuel (which still has
most of its energy left).


Buying indulgences doesn't solve the problem.

Agreed.


Alan