Could jet fuel made from thin air lead to guilt-free f lying?

DO you feel guilty about flying because of harmful airli ne emissions?

A revolutionary proce s s which c onverts carbon dioxide into jet fuel means you could soon travel guilt-free.

A team at Oxford University developed the inexpensive reaction which could lead to net-zero emissions from planes. The abundant gas, which would otherwise be heating up the Earth, is extracted from the air and re- emitted from jet fuels when combusted in flight meaning the overall effect is a carbon-neutral fuel.

The aviation industry is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. It produces 10 per cent of the UK’s emissions which Boris Johnson said are ‘quilting our planet in a toxic tea cosy’.

As the UK has pledged to r each net- zero carbon emissions by 2050, a new f orm of carbon- neutral energy must be found.

When fuel is burned, it releases water and CO2 and this experiment effectively reverses the process.

CO2 is highly stable but the team – led by Professor Peter Edwards – converted it into energy with a cheap process using an i ronbased chemical reaction.

The researchers said they are ‘genuinely excited’ about their discovery as it could ‘ mitigate carbon dioxide emissions but also produce renewable and sustainable jet fuel’. Climate campaigners are opposed to the expansion of air travel due to its harmful effect on t he environment. Last year teenage activist Greta Thu nb ergs ailed from Plymouth to New York to avoid getting in a plane.

Meanwhile, Emma Thompson was labelled a hypocrite after she flew from Los Angeles to London to attend a climate change protest last year.

Professor Edwards said the breakthrough research could put Britain at the forefront of a new green industry. He said: ‘This is a really exciting, potentially revolutionary advance – the most important advance in my four decade career.’

The experiment, reported in the journal Nature Communications, was conducted in a laboratory. But Professor Edwards said the process could be scaled up in two to three years to create fuel in large quantities.

He added: ‘With government support this would provide the stimulus to grow a new UK synthetic aviation fuel manufacturing industry. This advance offers postBrexit Britain a chance to lead the world in climate change, boost our science base and enhance our reputation. These scientific advances must now lead to breakthrough technology and innovation. We must not miss this opportunity.’

‘Revolutionary advance’