The World in 2030

The World in 2030 125
But there is one way in which you can cross the Atlantic by
sea without being responsible for emitting a single atom of
carbon – ask for a ride on a solar-powered motorised fibreglass
catamaran called Sun21. As Gizmag.com reported in
May 2007:
In a giant leap towards unfuelled travel, a full-sized
motorised catamaran, the ‘Sun21,’ has just completed
a leisurely crossing of the Atlantic ocean without consuming
a drop of fuel. Stored solar energy powered
the 5-man crew from Spain to the USA at a constant
rate of 5-6 knots around the clock via electric engines.
This is a major achievement – a reliable, long-distance,
powered vehicle with zero fuel costs – and its successful
journey hints at a cleaner, greener, cheaper future
of transport. 247
Aviation
And now we come to a very difficult topic; aviation. Jet travel
is a mode of transport that has such serious potential as a
contributor to climate change that it deserves its own section
– especially because international aviation, like shipping, is
often conveniently excluded from domestic thinking and
policy-making on climate change.
Although carbon emissions from jet aircraft currently
amount to only 2-3 per cent of global CO 2
emissions, aviation
is a transport sector that is growing very rapidly (in China, at
40 per cent a year) and emissions from aircraft seem to have