Spain’s sleek new high-speed trains have stolen hundreds of thousands of passengers from airlines over the last year, slashing carbon emissions and marking a radical change in the way Spaniards travel.
Passenger numbers on fuel-guzzling domestic flights fell 20% in the year to November as commuters and tourists swapped cramped airline seats for the space and convenience of the train, according to figures released yesterday.
High-speed rail travel - boosted by the opening of a line that slashed the journey time from Madrid to Barcelona to 2 hours 35 minutes in February - grew 28% over the same period. About 400,000 travellers shunned airports and opted for the 220mph AVE trains.
Last year’s drop in air travel, which was also helped by new high-speed lines from Madrid to Valladolid, Segovia and Malaga, marks the beginning of what experts say is a revolution in Spanish travel habits.
By Pem Charnley •
May 21, 2008
SAS flies slower to save fuel and lower carbon emissions.
Well, when I read this headline, conflicting views sprang to mind.
Firstly of course, being an Englishman with no sense of irony, I immediately leapt to my feet and saluted my queen and her armed forces.
Then I faltered slightly, and thought, if a crack team of SAS marines were being air dropped into some war-torn despotic state, surely, speed is of the essence, to ensure that the paras can be in and out again with time for a cup of tea a mere hours later.
By Noelle dEstries •
July 30, 2007
I thought this was an interesting moment in the Democratic Presidential debate- How many of you took a private jet to this debate? Most hands went up. I think Kucinich rode a locally made bike after eating organic veggies grown within 10 miles of his hotel.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=porvkJhSFBk]
By Noelle dEstries •
July 25, 2007
“I want to get rid of the image of a cylindrical body with wings,” said Etnel Straatsma of Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands.
With those words comes the promise of a greener, more UFOy flying future. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you… the Ecosaucer!
The plane of the future, in Straatsma’s vision, might be as wild as a flying saucer. She and other engineers are toying with lighter materials and some are
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