The problems with petroleum (and natural gas) are twofold. One is the carbon emissions, but the other is the fact that supplies will eventually run out, and have to be substituted by something. And as we try to pursue every last fraction of petroleum, the environmental costs will rise -- increasingly hard-to-access, high-risk, or heavy-treatment options. Think deep water, Deepwater Horizons, and tar sands and fracking.
Hydrocarbons are great fuels, and for some applications, especially powered flight, there's virtually no other viable alternative. Keep in mind that the aeroplane and automobile both appeared at virtually the same moment -- the principle requirements for each were high power-to-weight engines and energy-dense fuels. Sorting out the mechanical and aeronautical problems were relatively straightforward.
(Lightweight sturctural aluminium also helped markedly, and also became available largely through the same related set of technological processes providing Otto-cycle engines and petrol-based fuels.)
The problems with petroleum (and natural gas) are twofold. One is the carbon emissions, but the other is the fact that supplies will eventually run out, and have to be substituted by something. And as we try to pursue every last fraction of petroleum, the environmental costs will rise -- increasingly hard-to-access, high-risk, or heavy-treatment options. Think deep water, Deepwater Horizons, and tar sands and fracking.
Hydrocarbons are great fuels, and for some applications, especially powered flight, there's virtually no other viable alternative. Keep in mind that the aeroplane and automobile both appeared at virtually the same moment -- the principle requirements for each were high power-to-weight engines and energy-dense fuels. Sorting out the mechanical and aeronautical problems were relatively straightforward.
(Lightweight sturctural aluminium also helped markedly, and also became available largely through the same related set of technological processes providing Otto-cycle engines and petrol-based fuels.)