Time to Take Sulfur Out of Jet Fuel : Discovery News

Time to Take Sulfur Out of Jet Fuel : Discovery News: "It’s a win-win situation: Take sulfur out of jet fuel and you can improve air quality and cool climate at the same time.

That’s good news, considering that air transportation is the fastest-growing fossil-fuel-based sector of the global economy: heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions from jet planes are projected to double over year 2005 values as soon as 2025.

Until now, the push to remove sulfur from jet fuel has been motivated by a need to improve air quality around airports. Sulfur-rich exhaust particles get lodged in the lungs and can cause respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Since 2006, when the U.S. introduced an ultralow sulfur standard for emissions from diesel trucks on the nation’s highways, the Federal Aviation Administration has been interested in setting similar sulfur-reduction standards for jets.

So, if doing the right thing is so easy, why isn’t it already being done? One reason has been the fear that improving air quality might actually worsen global warming. Here’s why:"

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