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Boeing's Mission To Make Planes More Environmentally Friendly

Workers assemble Boeing 787 Dreamliners in the company's massive assembly plant in North Charleston, S.C., Dec. 19, 2013. (Bruce Smith/AP)
Workers assemble Boeing 787 Dreamliners in the company's massive assembly plant in North Charleston, S.C., Dec. 19, 2013. (Bruce Smith/AP)

Boeing, the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial jet planes, is working to reduce the carbon footprint of its aircraft. The company is committed to improve aircraft fuel efficiency by blending fossil fuels with biofuels, and use lighter-weight materials and winglets to reduce drag.

Just last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it will take steps to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes. The EPA says the emissions threaten human health because they contribute to climate change.

The EPA says it will wait for the United Nations agency – the International Civil Aviation Organization – to develop international standards which are expected to be completed next year. But some environmental groups say they’re concerned that the international standards will be weak and that the EPA should lead by example and not wait for international standards.

Julie Felgar, managing director of environmental strategy and integration at Boeing, tells Here & Now’s Peter O’Dowd about what Boeing is doing to reduce fuel use and emissions and about their ecoDemonstrator program which tests new environmental-related technologies.

Guest

  • Julie Felgar, managing director of environmental strategy and integration at Boeing.

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