Madam, - Michael Pidgeon's claim (August 31st) in response to David Sowby (August 30th) that hydrogen-fuelled aircraft would have a 13 times greater effect on climate change is misleading. The figures in the report quoted compared the extra effects of the water produced by a supersonic hydrogen plane (Concorde) with those of a conventional subsonic craft.
Hydrogen-powered craft produce 2.6 times more water than kerosene-powered aircraft. However, they produce one-third of the nitrogen oxide and no carbon, sulphur or soot. The climate-change impact of a hydrogen-powered aircraft is much less that of a conventional plane. All reports on the future of aviation fuels recognize hydrogen as the fuel of the future. This includes the respected IPCC report on climate change.
David Sowby is correct in claiming that nuclear-produced hydrogen is the solution to the problem of aircraft pollution. The main reason we are not flying in hydrogen aircraft is that we have had an abundance of cheap kerosene. - Yours, etc,
JIM MORRISSEY, Greystones, Co Wicklow.