When you have to fly, which airline should you choose?
Sometimes you just have to fly—so which airline is trying hardest to have the
smallest impact? Plus: Is boat or plane better for crossing the Strait?
My work in international humanitarian aid means I’m required to fly
to developing world locations. Which airline would you recommend in
terms of sustainability?
Lindah Jury
All airlines are not equal, and some are definitely more eco-friendly than others. For those
times when flying is the only practical option, it’s worth shopping about.
An airline’s website—their environmental report in particular—can tell you a lot about
their commitment to sustainability, so an easy first step is to jump online. Look for evidence
of actual achievements rather than vague statements. How old is the fleet? Newer planes
are generally a lot more fuel-efficient than older models. What is the airline doing to offset
or minimise its impact, what is its attitude to recycling and waste management, and does
it support any conservation projects? Are they trialling biofuels? Air New Zealand is, along
with Continental, Japan Airlines, JetBlue, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic.
The good news is that Air New Zealand ranks quite well in the green stakes. Its stated
goal is to be the world’s most environmentally sustainable airline, and it seems on track to
do just that. Between 2004 and 2008 the airline reduced its CO2 emissions by 90,000 tonnes
annually; its goal is 130,000 tonnes. It supports commercial biofuel production research and
aims to source around one million barrels a year from sustainable fuels by 2013. And it won
Air Transport World’s 2010 Airline of the Year award for its “strong commitment to staff,
customers … and its embrace of environmental stewardship”.
For destinations that Air New Zealand doesn’t service, Singapore Air is one option. Its
goals are consistent with the International Air Transport Association’s commitment to carbonneutral
growth from 2020, and it operated the first multi-sector green flight under the Asia
Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions. Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific is another possibility; its
approach to emissions reduction is similar to Singapore Air and Air New Zealand.
All three airlines rank consistently high in industry reports and service a good chunk of
destinations. For everywhere else, check each airline’s environment policy—if it has one.
Lynda Brendish
I heard that Tetra Pak can be recycled.
Is this true and what does it get made into?
Natalie Jessup
Tetra Pak is accepted for recycling in Auckland and some other
regions—you’ll need to check with your local council for its policy.
Tetra Pak is a brand name for a type of carton called aseptic
packaging, which is typically made of high-quality paperboard,
polyethylene plastic and, in many cases, a thin layer of aluminium foil.
The whole package can be recycled by swirling it in a huge vat of water
to separate the components. The paper is turned into mushy slurry,
and the plastic and metal are scraped or sieved off. The paper can then
be recycled in to different paper products. The other two components,
polyethylene and aluminium, are also recyclable, but whether they actually
are recycled depends on the capabilities of the facility doing the recycling.
In Auckland, recyclables end up at the Visy materials recovery facility in Onehunga. Visy
is only a sorting facility, which means it separates, cleans and bales the recycled material
before on-selling it. Staff at Visy were reluctant to say exactly where the aseptic cartons end
up, or even what components are recycled, but we understand that the cartons are sold into a
commodity market and are most likely shipped overseas for further processing.
—Lynda Brendish
I have to travel a lot for my job,
often from Wellington to Blenheim.
Is taking the boat or a plane a more
eco-friendly option?
Stella Mackey
The answer depends on how you’d get from
Picton to Blenheim once you get off the ferry.
Take the bus, and you’ll make significant
carbon savings; drive, and the difference
probably isn’t that significant compared to
winging it.
Flying directly from Wellington to
Blenheim generates about 28kg of carbon
emissions per passenger. Taking the ferry
as far as Picton generates about two-thirds
that much—but you still need to cover the 30
kilometres between Picton and Blenheim.
Add a bus trip from Picton to Blenheim
and your total emissions for the trip would be
about 18kg, saving 20kg of carbon emissions
over the return trip. But if you hire a car or
take a taxi, total emissions would rise to 24kg,
saving just 8kg of carbon emissions for the
return journey from Wellington.
There’s also a significant time difference:
the flight takes a total of 55 minutes, including
waiting time if you check in 30 minutes prior
to departure. The ferry takes three hours and
ten minutes, then there’s a 45-minute wait for
the bus and a 30-minute ride to Blenheim—a
total of four hours and 25 minutes.
Then again, the boat/bus combo is not
only lighter in carbon, it’s more scenic and it’s
cheaper: return flights start at $152, the ferry
starts at $96 and the bus costs around $10.
Rebekah White
Why have allergies gotten so common in the last few
years? No one used to have them.
Jo-Anne White
Allergies such as asthma, eczema, hay fever, food allergy and
anaphylaxis have increased in New Zealand by epidemic proportions in
the last 25 years. And it’s not just a New Zealand phenomenon. Atopic
diseases have tripled in developed countries all over the world over the
same period.
With food allergies, the immune system mistakenly believes
that something a person ate is harmful. In response, certain types of
antibodies are produced that cause allergy cells in the body to release
chemicals into the bloodstream. Histamine, one of those chemicals,
then starts affecting the person’s eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin or
gastrointestinal tract, causing the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
Cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish and tree nuts
contain the foods proteins that most commonly trigger such reactions,
says the New Zealand Food Safety Authority.
Medical experts are not sure why allergies are on the rise, but they
have some theories. Some think it is connected to our highly processed
Western diet. Others theorise that our houses are too clean, meaning
we’re not routinely exposed to the germs or pathogens necessary
to develop our immune systems. It’s also possible that in the past,
people might have dismissed the symptoms, or explained them away
as something else, whereas today we’re more aware of allergies and
better able to diagnose them.
Sophie Bond