The April 25, 2018 edition of Penticton Western News announced that the Penticton COPA chapter will soon be providing free airplane rides for young people in Princeton and Penticton.
Along with providing these young people with an enjoyable experience, there really ought to be an educational component that includes informing them of the significant environmental footprint associated with recreational flying.
Here are some facts and figures that they should all be made aware of:
A mid-size car travelling at 100 km per hour consumes approximately 7 litres of fuel per hour and produces roughly 16 KG of CO2 — a greenhouse gas (GHG) — per hour.
A Cessna 172 consumes approximately 30 litres of fuel per hour. When burned, each litre of fuel produces 2.26 KG of CO2 or roughly 68 KG of CO2 per hour, four times as much GHG per hour as a mid-size car.
In the same period of time (one hour) the Cessna also emits roughly 17 grams of tetraethyl lead (TEL) out of its tailpipe which falls to the earth and is dispersed into our soil and groundwater.
For comparison, a mid-size car emits no TEL from its tailpipe as leaded gasoline was banned for use in automobiles in Canada in 1990 because of its toxic effects on humans and animals.
For your consideration …
Patrick Gayler
Penticton BC
