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| Coronavirus Could Slow Efforts to Cut Airlines’ Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Coronavirus Could Slow Efforts to Cut Airlines’ Greenhouse Gas Emissions |
| (3 months later) | |
| The coronavirus outbreak is pushing the world’s airlines toward financial crisis — and that is starting to complicate efforts to tame airlines’ greenhouse gas emissions, which had been growing rapidly in recent years. | The coronavirus outbreak is pushing the world’s airlines toward financial crisis — and that is starting to complicate efforts to tame airlines’ greenhouse gas emissions, which had been growing rapidly in recent years. |
| Even though, in the short term, airlines have seen a sharp decline in air travel, and therefore emissions, demand is widely expected to bounce back eventually as the world resumes its embrace of flying. But in the meantime, the airline industry, an increasingly important contributor of planet-warming carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, is citing the financial pain caused by the heath scare as reason to weaken longer-term efforts to fight global warming. | Even though, in the short term, airlines have seen a sharp decline in air travel, and therefore emissions, demand is widely expected to bounce back eventually as the world resumes its embrace of flying. But in the meantime, the airline industry, an increasingly important contributor of planet-warming carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, is citing the financial pain caused by the heath scare as reason to weaken longer-term efforts to fight global warming. |
| At least one major carrier, Air France-KLM, has cited the virus in calling for European countries to delay upcoming policies designed to curb air travel and reduce emissions. “In view of the coronavirus outbreak, we are asking governments to suspend the introduction of new flight taxes,” Benjamin Smith, the airline’s chief executive, said at the Airlines4Europe conference in Brussels on Tuesday. | At least one major carrier, Air France-KLM, has cited the virus in calling for European countries to delay upcoming policies designed to curb air travel and reduce emissions. “In view of the coronavirus outbreak, we are asking governments to suspend the introduction of new flight taxes,” Benjamin Smith, the airline’s chief executive, said at the Airlines4Europe conference in Brussels on Tuesday. |
| “We definitely don’t need new taxes right now. It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever to burden airlines and passengers with higher prices,” said Jennifer Janzen, a spokeswoman for Airlines4Europe, which represents 16 airline companies. “Environmental taxes are just going to make this bad situation even worse.” | “We definitely don’t need new taxes right now. It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever to burden airlines and passengers with higher prices,” said Jennifer Janzen, a spokeswoman for Airlines4Europe, which represents 16 airline companies. “Environmental taxes are just going to make this bad situation even worse.” |
| For months, airlines in Europe have been vocally opposing plans by governments to impose environmental taxes on air travel. | For months, airlines in Europe have been vocally opposing plans by governments to impose environmental taxes on air travel. |
| At Tuesday’s event, Michael O’Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair, criticized a plan by Austria’s government to increase environmental taxes on flights next year, calling them “the equivalent of latter-day highwaymen,” according to a video of a press event he and other airline executives attended. | At Tuesday’s event, Michael O’Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair, criticized a plan by Austria’s government to increase environmental taxes on flights next year, calling them “the equivalent of latter-day highwaymen,” according to a video of a press event he and other airline executives attended. |
| A Ryanair spokeswoman, Alejandra Ruiz, said the airline’s environmental targets remained unchanged by the coronavirus outbreak. | A Ryanair spokeswoman, Alejandra Ruiz, said the airline’s environmental targets remained unchanged by the coronavirus outbreak. |
| Plummeting travel due to the virus could also throw a wrench in a longstanding United Nations plan to cap emissions from international flights at 2020 levels. That plan would require airlines to offset increased emissions in future years by funding projects that reduce carbon dioxide by, for instance, planting trees or installing renewable energy. | Plummeting travel due to the virus could also throw a wrench in a longstanding United Nations plan to cap emissions from international flights at 2020 levels. That plan would require airlines to offset increased emissions in future years by funding projects that reduce carbon dioxide by, for instance, planting trees or installing renewable energy. |
| But the problem is this: If 2020 is an unusually low year for airline emissions — as it is very likely to be, because of the coronavirus scare — that could significantly increase the costs to airlines in future years if travel bounces back to traditional levels. | But the problem is this: If 2020 is an unusually low year for airline emissions — as it is very likely to be, because of the coronavirus scare — that could significantly increase the costs to airlines in future years if travel bounces back to traditional levels. |
| A preliminary analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund found that, at the high end, airlines might need to purchase up to 20 percent more credits than they were expecting to over the next three years, depending on how much air travel declines and rebounds. | A preliminary analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund found that, at the high end, airlines might need to purchase up to 20 percent more credits than they were expecting to over the next three years, depending on how much air travel declines and rebounds. |
| As the United Nations civil aviation body prepares to meet this week to discuss the offset plan, some countries, particularly China, could try to push for significant changes to the program. | As the United Nations civil aviation body prepares to meet this week to discuss the offset plan, some countries, particularly China, could try to push for significant changes to the program. |
| Environmental groups said that the outbreak shouldn’t be used as an excuse to weaken programs designed to address aviation emissions. “This is a challenging time for airlines, but that’s no reason to weaken these rules and take airlines off-course on efforts to address climate change,” said Annie Petsonk, international counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund. | Environmental groups said that the outbreak shouldn’t be used as an excuse to weaken programs designed to address aviation emissions. “This is a challenging time for airlines, but that’s no reason to weaken these rules and take airlines off-course on efforts to address climate change,” said Annie Petsonk, international counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund. |
| Airline revenue worldwide is now projected to fall at least 11 percent this year, according to the International Air Transport Association, a trade group. The collapse in passenger traffic is expected to be particularly severe in countries hit hard by the outbreak, including China, Italy and Iran. | Airline revenue worldwide is now projected to fall at least 11 percent this year, according to the International Air Transport Association, a trade group. The collapse in passenger traffic is expected to be particularly severe in countries hit hard by the outbreak, including China, Italy and Iran. |
| Over all, air travel accounts for between 2 percent and 3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. But the industry is experiencing rapid growth, with emissions expected to triple by 2050 owing to the rapid expansion of air travel worldwide, propelled by a proliferation of low-cost airlines and a booming tourism industry catering to a growing middle class. | Over all, air travel accounts for between 2 percent and 3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. But the industry is experiencing rapid growth, with emissions expected to triple by 2050 owing to the rapid expansion of air travel worldwide, propelled by a proliferation of low-cost airlines and a booming tourism industry catering to a growing middle class. |
| The expected long-term surge in emissions has led governments and environmentalists to focus on air travel as the next frontier for climate action. In Europe, the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has helped popularize the idea that people should cut back on flying to shrink their carbon footprint, a concept often referred to as flight shame. Last year, there were signs that air travel had dipped in Sweden as environmental concerns around air travel grew. | The expected long-term surge in emissions has led governments and environmentalists to focus on air travel as the next frontier for climate action. In Europe, the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has helped popularize the idea that people should cut back on flying to shrink their carbon footprint, a concept often referred to as flight shame. Last year, there were signs that air travel had dipped in Sweden as environmental concerns around air travel grew. |
| France plans to put an “ecotax” on nearly all flights starting in 2020 and the Netherlands is preparing a similar policy. In November, nine countries asked the European Commission in November to tax the carbon dioxide emissions from airplanes. And in February, a British court blocked the government’s plans to expand Heathrow Airport in London and add a third runway on the grounds that the plan did not take climate change into account. | France plans to put an “ecotax” on nearly all flights starting in 2020 and the Netherlands is preparing a similar policy. In November, nine countries asked the European Commission in November to tax the carbon dioxide emissions from airplanes. And in February, a British court blocked the government’s plans to expand Heathrow Airport in London and add a third runway on the grounds that the plan did not take climate change into account. |
| In response to the growing concerns about air travel’s climate effects, a number of airlines in Europe and the United States have also recently pledged to clean up their act. Delta Air Lines announced in February that it would invest $1 billion over the next decade on technologies to help the company become carbon neutral. | In response to the growing concerns about air travel’s climate effects, a number of airlines in Europe and the United States have also recently pledged to clean up their act. Delta Air Lines announced in February that it would invest $1 billion over the next decade on technologies to help the company become carbon neutral. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | |
| British Airways, Air France and JetBlue have announced they will purchase carbon offsets to blunt the effect of their domestic flights starting in 2020. Other companies, like United Airlines and Virgin, have started to invest in biofuels that would have lower emissions than jet fuel. | British Airways, Air France and JetBlue have announced they will purchase carbon offsets to blunt the effect of their domestic flights starting in 2020. Other companies, like United Airlines and Virgin, have started to invest in biofuels that would have lower emissions than jet fuel. |
| But while airlines are not publicly saying that they are reconsidering those plans, observers warn that those investments could falter as airlines struggle for financial survival. | But while airlines are not publicly saying that they are reconsidering those plans, observers warn that those investments could falter as airlines struggle for financial survival. |
| The crisis will “definitely affect airline climate actions,” said Adam Klauber, a technical advisor at the Rocky Mountain Institute. “Any sound business will prioritize their existing liabilities and payroll over voluntary investments in future sustainable aviation fuel volume.” | The crisis will “definitely affect airline climate actions,” said Adam Klauber, a technical advisor at the Rocky Mountain Institute. “Any sound business will prioritize their existing liabilities and payroll over voluntary investments in future sustainable aviation fuel volume.” |
| Oil prices have also been falling sharply, which helps airlines because fuel is one of their biggest expenses. However, lower prices could also deter airlines from investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft, which could also be a setback to long-term efforts to rein in airline emissions. | Oil prices have also been falling sharply, which helps airlines because fuel is one of their biggest expenses. However, lower prices could also deter airlines from investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft, which could also be a setback to long-term efforts to rein in airline emissions. |
| “If fuel prices keep sliding and stay depressed, taking on newer, more efficient, cleaner jets will lose some appeal, and older jets will be kept longer,” said Richard Aboulafia, vice president for analysis at the Teal Group, an aerospace consulting firm in Fairfax, Va. | “If fuel prices keep sliding and stay depressed, taking on newer, more efficient, cleaner jets will lose some appeal, and older jets will be kept longer,” said Richard Aboulafia, vice president for analysis at the Teal Group, an aerospace consulting firm in Fairfax, Va. |
| Delta does not currently have plans to change its climate goals. An Air France-KLM spokeswoman, Ulrike Gendrot-Haubold, said that the airline was “monitoring closely the situation” and it was too early to say whether its climate investments would be affected. | Delta does not currently have plans to change its climate goals. An Air France-KLM spokeswoman, Ulrike Gendrot-Haubold, said that the airline was “monitoring closely the situation” and it was too early to say whether its climate investments would be affected. |
| If airlines do scale back their climate efforts, that could pose a problem for future efforts to restrain aviation emissions, since analysts expect that air travel is expected to rebound strongly if coronavirus fears eventually subside. | If airlines do scale back their climate efforts, that could pose a problem for future efforts to restrain aviation emissions, since analysts expect that air travel is expected to rebound strongly if coronavirus fears eventually subside. |
| “This is the kind of blip that the industry has repeatedly experienced over the last two decades,” said Andrew Murphy, aviation manager at the Brussels-based campaign group Transport & Environment. “Whether it’s a financial crisis or terrorist attacks, reductions in air travel tend to be temporary and then bounce back.” | “This is the kind of blip that the industry has repeatedly experienced over the last two decades,” said Andrew Murphy, aviation manager at the Brussels-based campaign group Transport & Environment. “Whether it’s a financial crisis or terrorist attacks, reductions in air travel tend to be temporary and then bounce back.” |
| That said, it’s tough to predict the future, and Mr. Murphy also raised the possibility that as companies get used to teleconferencing during the current crisis, they might also reconsider their long-term reliance on air travel. “In Europe, we already saw people opting not to fly, it’s possible that this crisis could accelerate some of those trends going forward.” | That said, it’s tough to predict the future, and Mr. Murphy also raised the possibility that as companies get used to teleconferencing during the current crisis, they might also reconsider their long-term reliance on air travel. “In Europe, we already saw people opting not to fly, it’s possible that this crisis could accelerate some of those trends going forward.” |
| For more climate news sign up for the Climate Fwd: newsletter or follow @NYTClimate on Twitter. | For more climate news sign up for the Climate Fwd: newsletter or follow @NYTClimate on Twitter. |