Energy Archives - Stuck at the Airport

Some electric transportation news

08/16/23

When you buy an Amtrak ticket, you sometimes end up riding a diesel-powered bus instead of a train pulled by an diesel-fueled, dual-powered (electric and diesel) or electric (in the Northeast) locomotive. Now at least one of the diesel-powered buses in the Amtrak network is being replaced by an electric-powered bus. Passengers traveling mid-day on →

Energy

Flying on wood chips? Done!

11/14/16

Fossil fuels won't last forever. So airlines are trying out alternative biofuels made from solid-waste, used cooking oil, non-edible corn and wood. →

Energy

Earth Day at your airport

04/22/11

Airports are celebrating Earth Day. →

Lots of garbage at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

04/22/10

I prepared for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day by spending the afternoon with garbage at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). First up: an exhibit featuring artwork by Dorothy Rissman made from trash she found on city streets, construction sites and beaches. Next: an introduction to the airport’s six pair of shiny new, computer-monitored trash compactors, →

Honolulu Int’l Airport testing wind power

11/17/09

In October 2006, an earthquake knocked out all the electricity on the island of Oahu and closed down the Honolulu Airport, which had inadequate back-up generators. Now the state of Hawaii is testing a series of wind turbines that should generate enough power to keep the airport operating should there be another emergency situation. You →

Travel tidbits: Nix the baggage handlers; MSP wind turbines; DTW’s ambulances

05/08/09

Would you load your own baggage? You book online, you print out your own boarding pass, why not load your own luggage on the plane? According to a Reuter’s report: Europe’s largest low-cost airline Ryanair is looking at the possibility of getting passengers to carry their luggage all the way to the plane, cutting out →

Solar powered airports? Yup!

04/29/09

Earth Hour, Earth Day and Earth Month may be over for this year, but the trend to go green is becoming a year-round thing at many airports. Rare is the terminals that doesn’t at least have recycling bins these days. And now many airports are embracing solar power and wind power. My recent column in →

Lights out at airports during Earth Hour

03/25/09

In my column about tourist destinations and travel spots planning to turn out lights for this Saturday’s Earth Day event, there are two (so far) airports. But don’t be alarmed – there is no plan to put anyone in harm’s way by turning off important runway or tower lights. Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, which participated →

Alanis Morissette clips toenails on airplane

03/20/09

Celebrities are joining in to promote Earth Hour, March 28th, and Alanis Morissette – and her toenails – star in this PSA about the event. I include it here on the Stuck at the Airport blog because, to promote the big “turn off” day, Morissette is shown clipping her toenails in her airplane seat – →

Airports get ready for Earth Hour -March 28

03/20/09

Some airports are making plans to participate in Earth Hour – one hour on March 28th when perhaps a billion people around the world will be turning off lights and unplugging whatever they can. Toronto Pearson International Airport got involved last year and will do so again this year. In fact, an airport spokesperson told →

Energy

All the latest articles about Energy