Virgin America helps the green movement

Fresh spring food selections isn’t all that Virgin America is up to these days. Virgin America is also interested in lessening its impact on the environment. To prove it, the California-based airlines has joined The Climate Registry, the non–profit organization dedicated to keeping track of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to aid in better regulation so that efforts to be more environmentally friendly have a fighting chance.

In fact, Virgin America, the first U.S. airlines to join up with the Climate Registry, is ahead of the curve. By the end of 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency may have emission standards for aircraft and aircraft engines. Because Virgin America has agreed to add to the transparency of measuring emissions, it’s helping the cause of seeing how much airplanes impact the environment and what to do to lessen adverse effects.

One might wonder just what an airline can do to be more environmentally friendly considering the amount of fuel it takes to fly, but Virgin America has thought of such details.

For example, the new Airbus A320 fleet is 25% more fuel efficient than other domestic carriers. Virgin America also does the following as part of its efforts to fly more green:

  • single engine taxiing
  • idle reverse landings
  • regulate speed to reduce fuel burn
  • use advanced avionics to fly more efficiently

There is a certain hopefulness to read about an airline that is interested in taking care of the environment while it figures out how to turn a profit. [PR Newswire: United Business Media]

Five tips for green travel

1. Green your flight
Offset the carbon footprint created by your share of air travel, buy some carbon credits. Several websites can yelp you calculate your carbon footprint (such as TerraPass.com and ClimateCare.org), allowing you to take action. The offsets you buy will ensure that energy from renewable sources will be sent to the grid.

2. Book an environmentally friendly tour
Intrepid Travel has introduced “carbon offset” trips, designed to be eco-friendly without, frankly, sucking. This year, 38 of Intrepid’s 400+ excursions will be eco-friendly … close to 10 percent.

3. Give back a little
RockResorts has “Give and Getaway” vacations, where you can pitch in on volunteer projects – like trail restoration with the National Forest Foundation – in trade for discounted lodging rates.

4. Watch what you drive
If possible, carpool to and from the airport. Too often, we all fight for airport parking (and emit a bit of extra carbon) for no good reason. When you get to your destination, consider renting a hybrid.

5. Stick with your new green habits
When you get home from your trip, give back to a destination by donating to an organization such as Travelers’ Philanthropy … and try to turn a small experience into a lifelong habit.

Protesters disrupt service at Stansted Airport

50 protesters from the environmentalist group Plane Stupid forced England’s Stansted Airport to close this morning after they cut their way through security fences and chained themselves to railings and fences near the runway. The airport is heavily used by budget carrier Ryanair, which had to cancel more than 50 flights as a result of the demonstration. The protest began at three in the morning and it was not until 8:30 a.m. that flights resumed.

Ryanair complained about the slow response from security officials:

“It is unacceptable that the travel plans of thousands of passengers have been disrupted because BAA Stansted security have failed to remove a number of protesters.”

Plane Stupid‘s protest was in response to the government’s decision to add another runway to the airport. They have spoken out against the airline industry’s handling of carbon emissions and pollution. I’m no PR expert, but chaining yourself near an airport runway is probably not the best way to get your point across. In fact, I’d way it was plain stupid.

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EU demands that US airlines pay for carbon dioxide emissions

This past week, European Union transport commissioner Jacques Barrot clearly stated that US must pay for carbon dioxide emissions or risk a curb on flights to Europe. As the Open Skies agreement lifts limits on flight between the US and the EU this month, Barrot is calling for a second phase of the treaty that would demand US airlines to join the EU emission trading scheme, or to create a similar one in the US.

Tension between the US and the EU regarding the airline industry is already high. In February, the Bush administration gave the EU its own expectations — more data should be provided to the American government on European passengers flying to the US — which Barrot deemed as a step “not proportionate” to existing security problems.

While the Bush administration threatened to require citizens of countries that did not comply with its demands to apply for visas, the EU says that if US carriers don’t “go green” they could face equally frustrating consequences. “It’s always possible to imagine reducing the number of flights or suspending certain rights,” Barrot said. That would mean less transatlantic flights, which could subsequently lead to higher prices for passengers.

The UK Gets a Little Dimmer

The UK’s Highways Agency may be installing dimmer switches on new street lights. In a move to reduce carbon emissions, cut down on the waste of electricity, and lower light pollution, lamps that dim when street traffic is lower might be installed around that country in the future.

But they’re not rushing into it: they’ll be starting, later this year, the research on exactly where and when the dimmer switches will be installed. And, don’t be completely afraid of dark roads: they plan to dim the lamps, rather than completely turn them off.

Who knows, maybe the UK will become a star-gazer’s travel destination?