MEPs seek limits on aircraft emissions by 2010
Brussels (AFP) Oct 2, 2007 A EU parliamentary committee on Tuesday called for the European aviation sector to be included in its emissions trading market in 2010. The move brings forward a proposal by the European Commission that the CO2 emissions rules should be imposed on intra-EU flights from 2011 and for flights in and out of the bloc from 2012. "The introduction of a joint and early starting date is necessary and helps avoid distortion of competition at the expense of EU airlines", said the environment committee's rapporteur, Peter Liese. The proposal to include aircraft emissions in the CO2 quotas has been heavily criticised by the airline industry, with International Civil Aviation Organization director general Giovanni Bisignani last week calling the scheme "disappointing and irresponsible". However Brussels argues that the move is necessary as the airline industry failed, despite prompting, to introduce measures into its own regulations for airlines. Environmental groups WWF and Friends of the Earth said the parliamentary committee vote improved on the Commission's plans it nevertheless "represents a step back" from a parliamentary resolution last year. The MEPS agreed that the aviation sector should have its emissions capped at around two-thirds above 1990 levels while the parliament had previously called for emission cuts in line with tougher Kyoto Protocol targets. Tuesday's parliamentary decision will go to the full parliament for a vote and must also be endorsed by all 27 EU nations before coming into effect. Related Links Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com
Aircraft And Automobiles Thrive In Hurricane-Force Winds At Lockheed Martin Marietta GA (SPX) Sep 27, 2007 Lockheed Martin celebrated 40 years of aircraft testing in its Low Speed Wind Tunnel (LSWT). On this date in 1967, the first aircraft test, a crew egress trial for the C-5A Galaxy, was conducted. As one of a handful of large subsonic wind tunnels in the country, the Marietta wind tunnel has logged 104,800 hours of testing large scale aircraft models, full-scale automobiles, race cars and structures such as satellite dish antennas and oil derrick models at wind speeds topping the forces of a Category 5 hurricane. |
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