Senior Seminar Recap

I enrolled at EMU to obtain my degree for personal and professional reasons.  I have been working in the industry for 16 years, starting as a part time bag thrower and working my way up to Hub Duty Manager.  The next two steps are Department Manager and HUB Director.  There are also a range of support management positions that augment the operation.  My degree allows me to achieve the next steps.

My plan has not changed.  I am nine years from obtaining lifetime flight benefits.  As long as I am able to grow with my employer, I will stay to earn those benefits.  The program and this course have given me options on where I can take my career.  I have learned that maintaining options, through education and networking, are vital to thriving in this industry.  Paths I would consider if my plan changes include, airport and corporate flying management.

The most interesting blog topic was on commercial flights and the should flying be a luxury.  I strongly believe that our country needs a new master plan for air and ground transportation.  There needs to be a strong regional ground network that supports a regional airport.  Our current transportation system is over reliant on short haul flying and rental cars.  This is too expensive for the user and the environment.  

I found the least interesting blog topic on NextGen.  Much of this is because I choose it for a paper topic and then it kept popping up in other classes.  NextGen is a large project and it will affect each of us.  However, the project milestones are far apart and the topic gets repetitive when there is nothing new to discuss.

The guest speaker that I found most interesting was Theresa Whiting from Solo Aviation.  Her personal story and career path were interesting and motivating.  Her presentation style was energetic and she conveyed the success of a non traditional career path.

After four consecutive semesters of full time work and school, I will be taking a break.  I only made it out of the country once last year and need to make up for some lost travel time.  In all honesty, I will start my MBA in the beginning of 2014.  Even if it one class, each semester, it is important for me to continue my education.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this class.  The blogging and guest speakers should be incorporated into all of the core aviation courses.   

  

Paying The Environmental Cost of Flying?

The European Union (EU) Emissions Trading System (ETS) is designed to create financial incentives to reduce the carbon emissions from aircraft.  The system, as proposed, calculates these emissions from the engine start up in the originating city until the aircraft lands in the EU.  It works the same way for the flight back.

The United States and most countries outside of the EU feel that the EU-ETS is an overreach of the EU powers.  The US acknowledges the EU’s right to regulate its own airspace but not sovereign airspace outside of the EU.

The EU has been working on a solution to aircraft carbon emissions since 1997.  This was when it was proposed at International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).  ICAO has announced that it supports market-based reforms but has not agreed on a plan to implement these reforms.  ICAO is essentiality the United Nations of the aviation world and is slow moving when it comes to major change.  The EU’s overreaching ETS shows that it is tired of waiting on ICAO.

The EU has temporarily deferred the EU-ETS on operators outside of the EU.  This is for one year, until the 2013 ICAO General Assembly meets.  The EU said they would reinstate their ETS if ICAO fails to act.  ICAO needs to move forward on a global solution.  If a global solution cannot be reached, they need the EU to back off the carbon calculations outside of their airspace.  Ultimately, a global ETS needs to be established that creates a market/incentive to reduce pollution.

Emission trading systems or Cap and Trade programs have been around since the 1980’s.  The best example is with our current wetland laws.  In the US, you cannot destroy a wetland without remediation.  You can do this by creating a new wetland in another location.  You can also buy wetland credits from someone who has built a wetland.  This is expensive and cost-prohibitive.  This cost creates a barrier that keeps wetlands from being destroyed.  Before the DTW McNamara terminal was built, Wayne County had to fill in acres of wetland.  To do this, they agreed to build Crosswinds Marsh.  Wayne County overbuilt this site in order to gain wetland credits.  These credits were sold to developers to recover construction costs and some were used to cover other Wayne County projects.

These types of programs are designed to create a reward system for reducing pollution.  Pollution taxes, permitting and fines can only go so far in preventing pollution.  I feel that Cap and Trade programs are an important next step in environmental policy.  There purpose should only be to promote technologies that reduce pollution and reward companies that invest in these technologies.  My biggest problem with the EU-ETS is the regulation of non-sovereign airspace and the unknown use of the government collected fines/taxes. 

Another reason that I support an aviation ETS is that there is an environmental cost to flying an aircraft.  Thousands of pounds of fuel do not vanish when they burn in an engine.  They contribute to our overall problem of too much carbon and other chemicals in the atmosphere.  ETS/Cap and Trade programs begin to identify and address this cost.