Those who value cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages more highly than the impact caused by pollution released by airplanes should be pleased by the new bill which passed the US congress in November and was signed into law that prevents U.S. airlines from having to pay for each ton of carbon their planes expend flying into and out of Europe.
The new law, which was approved by the Senate in September in a unanimous vote, directs the U.S. Transportation Secretary to make certain U.S. airlines are not forced to participate in Europes carbon emissions trading scheme.
The bill is regarded as unusual by some because it prevents U.S. companies from having to comply with the laws of other countries.
The Obama administration contends that it continues to be committed to reducing harmful carbon pollution from civil aviation but views the application of the EU carbon emissions trading regulations as the wrong way to achieve that objective.
The administration prefers to see a global solution to reduce emissions be reached by the International Civil Aviation Organization which is a U.N. body that is responsible for aviation issues.
The U.S. airlines industrys main lobbying group estimated that complying with the EU law would have cost U.S. airlines in excess of $3 billion over the next eight years.
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