biofuel in and out of Heathrow

Solutions to fossil fuel use in intercontinental travel

Air:  Make airplanes run on alchohol and vegetable oils. 

Fuels derived from grain have a zero net effect on atmospheric carbon dioxide 
since they got their carbon from the air recently, rather than gigallia ago.
Alter the emissions trading rules to not count emmisions from burning non-fossil
fuels.  If a major destination were to insist that airplanes burning fossil
fuels could not land there, or if they did land there they would 
be restricted from taking off again until they were converted to run on
biofuels, that would offset the continuing inexpensiveness of the fossil
fuels.

Sea: non-sail wind power, "pebble beds"

Aside from sails, which is a cute idea but not practical for your modern
container vessels and luxury liners (or is it? I don't know), there is electric
power generated by windmills, biofuels again, and small nuclear reactors.

Pebble beds.  Chinese pebble bed reactors have essentially the same
characteristics as an industrial bed of burning coal.  This can run steam power,
which is still as perfect for propelling an ocean vessel as it was a hundred
years ago -- or electric turbines with the added bonus that the ship, when at
port, can plug into the local electricity grid and sell its surplus
power, much like the silly General Motors ideas about fuel cell cars
powering the suburban homes in which they are garaged.

(Written after reading the article on airplane emmissions in the 2005 August 11 issue of Nature)

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