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Judge pauses deadline for federal workers to accept Trump's resignation offer; CA state lawmakers take action to enact safeguards against federal immigration enforcement; Study shows air quality disparities from industrial ag in NC.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Cruising at 30,000 feet with cleaner jet fuel: MN part of sustainability efforts

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Tuesday, September 24, 2024   

Some Minnesotans might already be booking flights for the upcoming holiday season. In the future, they could end up flying on a jet relying on cleaner fuel sources, with the state at the center of evolving solutions.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel is creating buzz in the industry as all facets of the transportation sector face increasing pressure to reduce emissions. Delta Air Lines and other partners recently announced plans for a blending facility in Rosemount to combine clean sources with conventional jet fuel.

Margaret Cherne-Hendrick, senior lead of innovation and impact for the nonprofit Fresh Energy, said there is an opportunity for the region to establish itself while also calling for a careful approach.

"Not just from a carbon intensity perspective but also from an environmental integrity perspective," Cherne-Hendrick explained. "How are we thinking about land-use conservation, water quality, air quality? All of those pieces are going to be really important as we consider how to build out our fuel pathways of the future."

Emerging sources include feedstocks derived from agriculture and green hydrogen boosted by the use of renewable energies in its production. Cherne-Hendrick pointed out Minnesota could be a big player because of its agricultural backdrop and using state and federal incentives to spur production can aid rural economies.

Global researchers warn there is still a level of uncertainty over just how effective the new sources could be in reducing the emissions from a commercial jet.

Fresh Energy and other clean energy and environmental groups warned investing too much into one source could have unintended consequences.

Trevor Russell, water program director for the group Friends of the Mississippi River, said if policymakers and industry leaders go "all in" on corn-based ethanol, for example, other natural resources could see negative effects.

"You would really build an aviation industry that is overly reliant on summer annual row crops that are the dominant source of runoff pollution to the Mississippi River," Russell emphasized.

He noted there is potential for winter oilseeds, which can be planted in concert with traditional crops without having to convert more land.

As research led by institutions like the University of Minnesota plays out, airlines are seeing record demand for air travel post-pandemic. And experts said current forms of Sustainable Aviation Fuel still represent a drop in the bucket of the fuel needed to get these planes from one city to another.

Disclosure: Fresh Energy contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Energy Policy, Environment, and Environmental Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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