蓝莓视频

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The commercial aviation industry听is set to grow from听roughly听four听billion passengers听to听more than eight听billion in less than 20听years, creating听an industry-wide priority to听fill the expected shortfall of听aviation professionals.听With听concerns听about听the听industry鈥檚听carbon footprint听growing,听a sustainable future for aviation means training future aviators who can strike a balance between the economic听and social听benefits of flying and its environmental impacts.听But striking a balance is what environmentalists refer to as a 鈥渨icked problem.鈥�听

鈥�Right听now,听aviation is responsible for roughly two per cent of global emissions. That鈥檚 close to 12 per cent of all transportation-related emissions,鈥� Suzanne Kearns听says, an associate professor of aviation in the Faculty of Environment. 鈥淚t may not seem like听much, but听think of how many trips by car people take, compared to flights. It has an outsized impact.鈥�

Aviation,听as an industry,听employs more than 60 million people around the world. If aviation were a country, its economic impacts would rank it 21st in size by gross domestic product. 80 per cent of aviation emissions come from flights more than 1,500 kilometres, which means there isn鈥檛 another viable form of timely transportation for these trips.听

With听flight shaming a growing听concern,听which is the听inherent guilt that an individual听might feel听as a result of one's aviation-related carbon footprint,听this social phenomenon听will only worsen as the industry experiences explosive growth.听

鈥�This is a problem,听but it鈥檚 also an opportunity,鈥� Kearns听says.听鈥�Young aviators have a new level of environmental awareness and they know they have a responsibility to make the industry more sustainable.听We can be here to help foster that sense of duty and help them听apply it to an industry that needs them.鈥澨�听

Only a little more than a decade old,听Aviation at听the University of听蓝莓视频 is already the largest university-based aviation program in Canada. With many established flight schools across the country to choose from, future听flyers听are听coming to听Waterloo鈥檚听joint听Faculty of听Science and听Faculty of听Environment program听because they don鈥檛 just want to learn how to fly, they want to build an industry听迟丑补迟鈥檚听fair to the planet and its people.听

鈥淭here is a lot of work needed to achieve a sustainable future for air transportation. We cannot address the challenges facing the future of aviation using the tools of the past,鈥� Kearns听says.听鈥�This听means giving听equal weight to听economic growth,鈥痚nvironmental protection听and听social inclusion.听The advantage of studying aviation at a university like 蓝莓视频 is that we have the instructional resources to bring in expertise that goes beyond the technical aspects听of flying.鈥澨�

Kearns听also served as the vice-chair of outreach for the International Civil Aviation Organization鈥檚 (ICAO) Next Generation of Aviation Professional (NGAP) program听and developed the ICAO/U蓝莓视频 Fundamentals of the Air Transport System听(FATS) e-learning course.

The FATS course is designed to teach young adults about international aviation, and has been completed by thousands of people from around the world. It is interactive, narrated by听Kearns, and reviews a variety of aviation sectors (air law, aircraft, operations, air navigation, airports, security, accidents and safety).

But it鈥檚 the carbon footprint question that Kearns and her colleagues听are increasingly focused on adding to all coursework.听

鈥�Sustainability is integrated within our听aviation program from the very beginning.听Just as the concept of safety is completely integral to every element of aviation听operations, sustainability is emerging as equally intertwined,鈥� Kearns听says. 鈥�Students听get听multi-disciplinary听instruction听from听some of the best in the business.鈥�

The students also learn听outreach techniques, human resources, education, safety science, national and organizational culture, language training, diversity and inclusion, human factors and flight physiology, new technologies and professional development among many others.

鈥�Only through reducing and offsetting the negative impacts can we shine attention on the many benefits of air travel听鈥�听transporting a third of the world鈥檚 cargo, bringing vital sustainable tourism to communities that depend upon it, employing people in established and emerging markets and supporting the future of young people who are passionate about this field.鈥�听