For more information about climate-friendly initiatives, offsetting your carbon footprint and alternative aviation fuel research, we have compiled a list of resources and links.
“… one LightHawk flight often provides complete reconnaissance of an area in under two hours, meaning that less than thirty gallons of fuel is consumed—a far more efficient use of resources.”
Our conservation partners know how important, effective and efficient a LightHawk flight is when there is a need to protect the land, air, and water. When the aerial perspective is essential to monitor or document land, shoreline, or reef, the task of doing so via off-road vehicle or boat can take days or weeks if it is possible at all. It is true that the manner in which we fulfill our commitment to our conservation partners is via aircraft, the vast majority of which have piston engines and burn some form of gasoline. That is why LightHawk took the initiative to offset the impact flights by becoming carbon neutral. By investing the estimated dollar value of the carbon lost during an average year of flying in renewable energy, reforestation and other climate-friendly, carbon saving projects, LightHawk flights now benefit the environment even more.
LightHawk is also committed to supporting alternative aviation research and development. Though the field is relatively new, the developments are encouraging. We will continue to follow these developments and look forward to a day when our planes will be flown with fuel made from renewable resources.
Carbon offset Initiatives
Carbonfund.org reduces the threat of climate change by making it easy and affordable for any individual or business to reduce their carbon footprint and support climate-friendly projects.
Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) is the world’s first and North America ’s only voluntary, legally binding rules-based greenhouse gas emission reduction and trading system.
NativeEnergy helping you fight global warming and climate change. Help build a new wind farm or a renewable farm methane project today, that will reduce CO 2 on your behalf.
Sustainable Travel International promotes responsible travel and ecotourism, supports sustainable development, and helps travelers and travel providers protect the cultures and environments they visit.
DriveNeutral provides members with a CO 2 Neutral certification, both in decal and certificate form, so that you can certify to others that you are helping to put the brakes on climate change.
Grist magazine provides a great q & a with the founder of Carbonfund.org, Leslie Marcus Carlson, about how to reduce your climate footprint to zero, or even go beyond zero.
Alternative Aviation Fuel Research
Ethanol Aircraft Ready To Fly
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/701-full.html#192980
Among the many intriguing sights at EAA AirVenture last month was an array of four brightly painted little RV-3s, just off Aeroshell Square, each with the word "ethanol" on its empennage and tail feathers.
http://www.baylor.edu/bias/index.php?id=111
The Renewable Aviation Fuel Development Center (RAFDC), at Baylor University , has been developing ethanol and ETBE as fuel for piston engine aircraft and has initiated research, development and testing programs of blends of biodiesel and Jet A for turbine engine aircraft.
Experimental Aircraft Association
http://www.eaa.org/education/fuel/index.html
Q & A: Question of the Week
Question: I use auto fuel in my homebuilt airplane. The pump where I purchase my fuel has a sign on the side that says 10 percent ethanol could be added to the fuel at certain times of the year. Is there a problem with using a gasoline-ethanol mixture and, if so, how can I tell if there is ethanol in the fuel at any given time?.... read more
Institutions conducting alternative fuel research and related articles
Baylor Institute for Air Science (BIAS)
http://www.baylor.edu/bias/index.php?id=5668
http://www.baylor.edu/bias/index.php?id=110
IAOPA and NASA
http://www.iaopa.org/info/assembly20/resolutions.html
Southwest Research Institute
http://www.swri.org/
Air Pollution Monitoring and Research
http://www.baylor.edu/bias/index.php?id=4843
A major activity at BIAS is air pollution monitoring with instrumented aircraft. The main aircraft used for these investigations is a de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter fixed wing turbo-prop aircraft. The aircraft has been structurally modified and has been approved by the FAA to operate in the restricted category for air pollution sampling.
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