I have to declare myself a green leaning member of the global community. I think in part it comes from university days in which summers were spend earning money planting trees on the west coast of Canada where the rampant excesses of clear-cut logging stretched on as far as the eye could see. I say ‘green leaning’ because of course with age, pragmatism takes hold and the environmental urge becomes somewhat muted. But still I try, even though the simple act of recycling in Asia is a challenge because of the pervasive mentality that new and disposable is good and environmental problems are someone else’s problem.

But clearly the environmental mess, in which humanity has put itself, is everyone’s problem. I look at my two young daughters with sadness because of the awful legacy successive generations have bequeathed their generation. Much of the world has finally come to grips with the need for action, and urgent action at that. But probably it is far too late to reverse much of the damage that has been done; at best we can only slow things from getting dramatically worse.

It seems apparent that one area that would have a dramatic positive impact is kicking our terrible addiction to fossil fuels. Think not only of the environment but the horrendous cost and suffering of wars fought over oil. The current race and inherent enthusiasm to perfect bio-fuels – as part of a larger search for alternative fuel sources – suitable to replace hydrocarbon fuels is not only impressive, but admirable for its speed, scope and relatively coordinated and cooperative process.

The issues surrounding the use of bio-fuels and indeed other alternative fuel sources like fuel cells, solar energy and hydrogen, are indeed complex and not without their negative aspects, but these problems are surmountable. Clearly in the race to find an alternative, we must make sure we are not simply supplanting one environmental problem for another, or creating a social problem.

To a large extend the so-called ‘third generation’ bio-fuel feedstocks of algae and halophytes mitigate the risks of disturbing valuable food crop production and of using valuable fresh water.

And so now it’s pretty much up to the scientists and perhaps more importantly the industry and governments to do their part in fast tracking the widespread use of bio-fuels, not just in aviation, but across all transportation sectors. The UK-based Policy Exchange in a recent study made a number of valuable suggestions for doing just that in the aviation sector that could have wider application.

Among their recommendations to promote the development and commercialisation of bio-fuels that would make them economical is a mandatory blending of jet fuel with sustainable bio-jet fuel which would start from 20 per cent in 2020 and rise to 80 per cent in 2050.

They also advocate R&D tax credits for companies conducting research into sustainable bio-jet fuels and call for regulatory bodies to ensure quality, supply and sustainability are properly monitored. Should their proposals be implemented, the researchers argue that bio-jet fuel production costs could fall to around US$80 per barrel by 2030, with production costs falling further to around US$70 per barrel by 2050.

Certainly this compares well with average jet fuel prices of US$62.29 per barrel from 2000 to 2008 and the jet fuel price peak of July 2008 when it reached US$167.70 per barrel.

But this should only be viewed as a side benefit to the very positive environmental benefits. To put it a different way: The cost of an alternative source of fuel at US$70-$80 – reasonable. The cost in terms of saving the environment – priceless.