REPORT: Bush Admin Plan Ignores Air Transport Warming Impact

The Bush administration's strategic NextGen plan to enable the tripling of US air traffic ignores global warming, a report out today charges.

A white paper to be released at 10 am EDT Wednesday, July 18, 2007, by Climate Science Watch says the US strategic multi-agency planning for the next generation of the air industry is making no provision for the climate effects of air traffic or the need to reduce them. The group, directed by climate whistleblower Rick Piltz, is affiliated with the nonprofit Government Accountability Project.

The European Commission launched a plan to rein in climate impacts of air transport on June 14, 2007.

"By failing to deal effectively with the greenhouse gas emissions of aviation, the designers of NextGen place risks on our economy, our transportation mobility, and the future of U.S. aviation," the report says.

• "NextGen Air Transportation System Progress Reports Ignore Climate Change," Climate Science Watch, Government Accountability Project, July 2007, by Thea Sebastian and Rick Piltz; information is available at GAP's Environmental Oversight Program or Climate Science Watch. Press Contact: Dylan Blaylock, 202-408-0034 x137, 202-236-3733 (cell).