How your plane could soon be powered by poo

BRITS could be boarding planes powered by their own poo in just a few years.

A scientist has revealed how fertilizers could power planes by 2030.

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In recent years, the aviation industry has been researching ways to make air travel more environmentally friendly.

While many travel experts and scientists have welcomed hydrogen as a greener fuel option, one scientist believes fertilizer could be the solution.

Bill David, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at Oxford University, recently shared his findings.

He explained that ammonia, a gas found in fertilizers, could power planes sustainably by the end of the decade.

He told the Daily Mail: “In principle we can retrofit an Airbus A320 or a Boeing 787 and just touch the wing to essentially replace aviation fuel with ammonia.

“If you do the math, at 500 mph you get the same flame speed as jet fuel and the same power – but only 40 percent the range.”

Even with the range penalty, a 787 could still fly from London to New York.

He added, “I think we’ll actually see the first of these airborne by 2030.”

While an ammonia-based aircraft is currently under development, there are concerns about this eco-friendly fuel choice.

A report on Net Zero Aviation published by the Royal Society warned that the UK would have to give up half of its agricultural land for sustainable alternatives to aviation fuel.

As scientists in the aviation industry try to develop sustainable fuel options, airlines have started rolling out their own programs to help Brits travel green.

Last year British Airways unveiled a program that gives customers the opportunity to buy carbon renewal credits to help passengers reduce their carbon emissions.

While the flight operator is already offsetting the carbon emissions of all its flights within the UK, the program puts customers back in the driver’s seat or cockpit.

The CO₂The llaborate climate platform helps users to understand and calculate their flight emissions.

Meanwhile, a study of 2,000 adults found that a third want to be more environmentally and socially conscious when travelling, but this rises to 41 per cent for 18-24 year olds.

A study commissioned by IHG Hotels & Resorts also found that half of all adults surveyed care more about doing their bit for the planet while traveling today than they did 10 years ago.

And four in five think it’s important to get to know the local community when visiting a new place.

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