NBC News informs the average American generates around 1 ton of carbon pollution powering every lightbulb, phone, television, computer and kitchen appliance in their home for the period of two months. However, a single round-trip flight from New York to London is equivalent to generating that same amount of carbon pollution. This fact that has left some jetsetters feeling “flight shame”.
Several airlines, including United Airlines, American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Air France, already power airplanes with a blend of conventional fuel and biofuel, but biofuels make only a tiny part of the mix. That\’s because biofuels are currently very expensive.
Currently, many airlines use biofuel made from used cooking oil. Jim McMillan, chief engineer at the National Bioenergy Center in Golden, Colorado, said in spite of the fact that used cooking oil is cheap and relatively easy to refine, the amount that is needed is far less compared to what they have.
To solve this problem, biofuel suppliers are starting to make fuel from cheap, abundant organic waste. For example, corn leaves, wheat stalks and almond hulls. Or trash found in city dumps, such as paper, cardboard and leftover food.
In addition to making fuel from food, suppliers could also turn forest debris into biofuel.