As both technology and the climate fight become grimmer, it’s good to remember that innovation can still drive hope and make the world a nic
Electric planes, The New York Times recently reported, in a full-page feature accompanied by photos of delightfully strange-looking small aircraft, are going to happen, and, at least for short journeys, might be only a few years away from commercial viability. Not long ago, electric planes were ridiculed as completely impractical. ... The news that we could soon fly electric is exciting for the eventual carbon impact alone. Conventional aviation, in 2022, emitted almost 800 million tons of carbon—about 2 percent of total global energy-related emissions—according to the International Energy Agency, which has called it “one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize.” Not only could electric planes help avert all that pollution, but they’re also a reminder that human civilization is still inventing beautiful new things that can make our lives better. ... Perhaps the flight addicts of the one percent deserve some mockery, especially those who take planes when there are plenty of other transport options (obviously, don’t fly to Paris from London for the weekend). Yet aviation allows us to keep up relationships with people we love who live far away and to have adventures in places we could otherwise never reach. Flying helps us remain citizens of the world; it nourishes solidarity with people in other places and opens our eyes to natural beauty that, once we have seen, we feel more deeply committed to saving. The electric planes invite us to hope for a future in which we can still do all that in good conscience.
