ENVIRONMENTAL CALL CAN BE "HOLLOW" Yesterday the Rokkenjiman government issued a press statement which was critical of "some nations who refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the science as well as those who do nothing to curb emissions or make only token gestures." and that these would be labelled as " threats to the national security of Rokkenjima" While this is a noble call from a nation which is a signatory of the Treaty of Wellow it is also a call that rings slightly hollow.
Rokkenjima is a nation which utilises for its diplomatic transport a specialised supersonic airliner. There are several nations who have also taken a keen interest in supersonic passenger transport in the last few years including New Derusima, Tytor and as of late Nya Åland have also experimented with technology that would permit supersonic passengers planes to operate over land. At the best of times diplomatic aircraft are poor for the environment. While a traditional tourist passenger plane will transport upwards of 300 people in a modern aircraft a diplomatic flight will often feature less than 100. This already increases significantly the flights carbon footprint however when we take into consideration that a supersonic airliner would consume 5 to 7 times as much fuel per passenger as subsonic aircraft on the same routes if full we can imagine the exact amount burnt per person to be much higher. It is reported that the old "Imperial Concorde" would burn 22 tons of fuel an hour, twice that of a passenger filled aircraft using traditional engines.
[1] With several nations, Achkaerin and East Moreland among them, having recently experimented with electrical powered propulsion for aircraft this is a route that would be better served rather than development of gas guzzling supersonic vanity projects. Even then these electrical powered aircraft, if brought to scale, would still require careful monitoring of how electricity is produced to refill their batteries. Currently there are approximately 25,000 commercial aircraft in the world
[2] and estimates are that if just 500 of those were to be supersonic airliners then they would produce the same amount of CO2 as 10%-17% of the current fleet, a substantial increase to global emissions while also reducing the amount of capacity for routes. With the Treaty of Wellow stating that nations should "Reduce pollution caused by air travel by 35% by 2030." the introduction of supersonic aircraft, and their continued use is unlikely to see nations reaching these targets.
While it can be argued that Rokkenjima utilises ships for some diplomatic missions the Austrana and its newely commissioned replacement as the "Primary Yacht" the Azukishima are not without environmental issues. The Austrana currently weighs in the region of 10,000 tons and similar designs are capable of carrying around 700 people, a combination of luxury passengers and crew required to meet their needs. Vast quantities of fuel are required to move the immense mass of a ship of this types, with commensurately huge emissions of CO2 as well as nitrogen and sulfur oxides. It is estimated that a typical 3,000 capacity cruise ship burns around 0.40kg of fuel per passenger per km
[3]. With much of the Imperial Yachts manifest being kept secret it is likely that they have many less people onboard considering the design, and furthermore the ship weights much less it is hard to be certain of the exact fuel burn for the Imperial Yacht, however it is likely to produce a significant amount of CO2 during its criss crossing of Mundus. In addition to the fuel concerns ships criss crossing Mundus can also damage the biological nature of regions. For example ships routinely need to utilise water for ballast. This often see's water brought onboard in waters of one part of Mundus and off loaded in others, while more modern techniques allow filtration and various other minimisation protocols there are still routinely cases found of biological organisms being transported to non native waters, this has in the past also seen diseases such as cholera taken across Mundus. There is also the risk of pollution within the sea from water from the bilges of the ship which often contain oil, urine, detergents, solvents, chemicals, pitch, particles, and other materials which can damage the oceans. It is often impossible to store waste waters onboard as it is estimated that an average cruise ship produces up to forty liters of sewage and 340 liters of water from sinks, showers, and drains, per person, per day
[4]. It is therefore impossible to store such quantities onboard and often these are removed into the ocean and even with onboard sewage treatment systems, likely to be state of the art on the Imperial Yacht, this can still lead to pollution. Even when docked the ship and those like it can damage the environment. Paint used to prevent the growth of barnacles often contains plastic and metals. This paint often flakes off during voyages and can linger in the waters causing significant pollution in the local ecosystem. While advances of technology have begun to minimise this the problem is still significant around port areas.
Rokkenjima are at the forefront of many space endeavours and as of late are in what could be argued as a "Shuttle Off" with their Cross Straits partner Daitō and this too has significant environmental impact. Each space shuttle spewed thousands of pounds of metals and other chemicals into the air, many of which will eventually find their way to the ground causing damage to flora and fauna. With space tourism being expected to quiet literally take off in the next decade or so the amount of pollution caused by these launches is likely to multiple significantly. With the average space shuttle launch releasing 443 metric tonnes of CO2
this is a significant impact on the environment. With the burning of fuel and the falling metals there have been noticeable impacts on animal life. Take the example of Ui Cenneslaig whose launch sight for their space programme is located on the edge of a coastal region inhabited by seals and rivers close to the site are home to beavers. Studies on these animals have shown they have higher than average amounts of iron in their livers
[5] and also have shown significantly elevated thyroid hormones, which can disrupt growth. It is therefore likely that the recent "Shuttle Off" may have had significant impacts on local wildlife in addition to the environment.
With these measures having been discussed it is therefore the case that many nations that have signed the Treaty of Wellow have yet to fully embrace their responsibilities. It can also be said that those individuals who have signed it are also among those contributing the most to the issue the Rokkenjiman government have highlighted. Diplomacy is a huge cause of pollution. As diplomats criss cross Mundus, King David for example having undertaken eight overseas state visits this calendar year so far, they leave behind them a significant amount of pollutants. We live in a day and age where video conferencing is getting more reliable, more secure and more utilised in business, this should therefore be used more for such measures. So what should be done. First the idea of supersonic airline travel should be placed on the back burner, it often has minimal time impact for diplomats who have access to large luxury aircraft with palace like facilities and no waiting times at airports. Ironside One for example has facilities that have allowed the King to manage international incidents while still in mid-air meaning that there is minimal time loss. More must be done to support measures of electric powered aircraft, these however for the time being are likely to be less luxurious and slower meaning diplomats must resign themselves to a loss of luxury. This would send a clear message that the environment is truly what matters and that it is the role of us all to tackle climate change not just select individuals or nations.
Article by Dr. Henrik Rathmalsson from Krokom University