Expanding Runways - Three
| 13:54 UK time, Wednesday, 20 June 2007
A great contribution from Janet Boys in Philadelphia - and I have to admit an instinctively positive response to the idea of airships. I once made a couple of programmes about them and visited the where some of Britain's last were made in the 1930s, and where entrepreneurs are still trying to the slow way to fly.
As usual, email replies please; comments link struggles to filter much spam.
Here's Janet's idea:
"I suggest that we (the world), look into using airships/dirigibles/blimps to cross large bodies of water. It takes only a small fraction of energy (compared to aeroplanes) to propel, the infrastructure for "takeoffs" and "landings" is much less (could be at ports), traveling could be made more of a pleasure than being crammed into small seats with strangers. If hydrogen is used (instead of helium), the buoyancy is increased. H2 is everywhere and can be isolated using renewable energy sources. It might even be possible to put some solar panels on the airship to help out. It would be a better way to transport pets then in a cargo hold. etc. etc. etc. (Boats/ships are as bad as aeroplanes in energy use and pollution).
"For over land travel, I suggest that we use trains, buses, bicycles, and shank's mare. Both trains and buses can be made to be more efficient and/or run on renewable energy.
"It has been estimated that a trip across the Atlantic in an airship would take a minimum of 43 hours. All of this means that we must develop a "Slow Travel" culture. This is a transportation equivalent to the "Slow Food" movement. Thanks."
