this post was submitted on 29 Nov 2023
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A plane fueled by fat and sugar has crossed the Atlantic Ocean (wapo.st)
submitted 9 months ago by Powderhorn@beehaw.org to c/science@beehaw.org
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cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/4426053

While it's easy to dismiss this as a stunt, history suggests stunts are necessary to shift mindset. This flight alone solves nothing, but it will hopefully move the needle.

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[โ€“] Thevenin@beehaw.org 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Tailpipe emissions? No. Round-trip emissions? Yes.

Biofuel sucks CO2 from the atmosphere while the plants or algae grow, then releases it again when the fuel is burned. It's net-zero in the literal sense. They only have a GHG footprint if fossil fuels are used during the processing. In the US for example, during the processing of corn into ethanol, they burn natural gas for heat because it's convenient and cheap. So the GHG footprint of American corn ethanol is approximately the same as gasoline.

[โ€“] frogmint@beehaw.org 2 points 9 months ago

Thank you for the excellent explanation, that makes sense.