航空公司如何让飞行更环保

Making flying better for the environment

让飞行更环保

Flying has shrunk the world! It’s now possible to travel around the globe quickly and easily. Jumping on a plane and jetting off on holiday or a business trip is the norm for many of us, and with the rise of budget airlines, the number of people taking to the skies is increasing. But while air travel is costing us less, the cost to the environment is going up.

航行使世界变小了!现在人们可以轻松快捷地环游世界。对我们许多人来说,乘飞机度假或商务旅行是一种常态。随着廉价航空公司的兴起,乘飞机旅行的人数也在增加。但是,虽然乘飞机旅行花费更少,但对环境的成本却在上升。

Climate change is something we’re all aware of now, and aviation companies know that some of the blame for this is being pointed at them. Last year commercial airlines were forecasted to use about 97bn gallons of jet fuel. But while we could think twice about taking a flight in the first place, particularly a short-haul trip that could be made by train, technology might be the answer to reducing emissions and minimising the environmental damage.

气候变化是我们现在都知道的事情,航空公司也知道他们应该承担这其中的一些责任。去年,预计商业航空公司将消耗约970亿加仑的航空燃料。但是,虽然我们可以在一开始就考虑乘坐飞机,尤其是可以乘坐火车的短途旅行,但技术可能是减少排放和最小化环境破坏的答案。

Recent developments have focussed on reducing the amount of fuel airliners burn. Making flying green and sustainable was the hot topic at the recent Dubai Air Show. There was talk of advances in engine technology, making them more efficient, and possibly using biofuel to power aircraft. Alejandro Rios Galvan, a bioenergy expert and professor at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, told the BBC that "these have the capacity to reduce the carbon footprint anywhere between 50-80% when you compare them to fossil (fuels)." And Phil Curnock, chief engineer of the civil future programme at Rolls-Royce, also suggested that electric hybrid engines could play a part for smaller aircraft, covering shorter distances. He says "it offers the possibility of a carbon-neutral flight for a limited range."

最近的发展集中在减少飞机燃油上。在最近的迪拜航空展上,让飞行更环保、更可持续是一个热门话题。会议讨论了发动机技术的进步,提高了发动机的效率,并可能使用生物燃料为飞机提供动力。阿布扎比哈利法大学的生物能源专家亚历杭德罗·里奥斯·加尔万教授告诉BBC,“与化石燃料相比时,生物燃料能减少50-80%的碳足迹。”劳斯莱斯(Rolls-Royce)民用未来项目总工程师菲尔?库诺克也表示,电动混合动力发动机可以在较小飞机上发挥一定作用,适用于较短距离的飞机。他说:“它提供了在有限范围内实现碳中和飞行的可能性。”

Being carbon neutral is the ultimate goal for the aviation industry, and one British airline, Easyjet, has recently said it would become the world's first major net zero carbon airline by offsetting carbon emissions.

碳中和是航空业的终极目标,英国航空公司易捷航空(Easyjet)最近表示,它将通过抵消碳排放,成为全球首家主要的零碳航空公司。

Of course, aircraft manufacturers are constantly looking at ways to make their planes more fuel efficient. Boeing’s Dreamliner, for example, is already in operation and uses 25 per cent less fuel per passenger compared with aircraft of a similar size. Other improvements include better aircraft aerodynamics, changes to ways aircraft taxi on runways, and the use of lighter materials.

当然,飞机制造商一直在寻找提高飞机燃油效率的方法。例如,波音(Boeing)的“梦想飞机”(Dreamliner)已经投入使用,与同等大小的飞机相比,每名乘客的燃料消耗量减少了25%。其他改进包括更好的飞机空气动力学,改变飞机在跑道上滑行的方式,以及使用更轻的材料。

But if we can’t kick the flying habit, it seems these are the developments we need to make in order to ensure air travel is as green as possible. But aviation experts agree it’s going to take time. We’re left with short-term action such as taxing flights, regulation or protest – or being grounded and not flying at all.

但如果我们不能摆脱飞行的习惯,我们似乎需要作出这些发展以尽可能确保绿色航行。但航空专家认为这需要时间。我们只能采取一些短期行动,比如对航班征税、监管或抗议——或者干脆停飞。

来源:小e英语

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