Costs and Benefits
Air cargo is not as common as the other available forms of freight but it reliance is on the rise. The environmental costs that are associated with air transport include its high emission rates. Even as an efficient form of transport, airfreight can have significant environmental costs. First, when airplanes land or takeoff, they do so with high rates of emission that pollute the surrounding air and contribute to global warming. Air cargo is also synonymous with noise pollution, which is more noticeable to individuals who live near airports. This cargo-movement method also contributes to congestion and land-utilization issues in the areas that neighbor airports. The environmental benefits of using air cargo include the fact that it is able to account for lower volumes of emission per tonnage. For example, moving a container through land takes longer than moving goods through air. Consequently, the intensity of emissions by air cargo is less than that of other forms of transport such as road and ship. Air transport is also restricted to certain environmental impacts and this makes it easy to counter its negative environmental impacts.
Direct, Indirect, or Cumulative Impacts
Some of the direct impact of air cargo include increasing rate of emissions such as nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide. When these gases build up in the atmosphere, they are become smog or they react to form ozone. Currently, aircraft emissions represent the fastest rising category among transport-related pollutions. Air transport is the only form of transport that emits greenhouse gases at high altitudes. These emissions are instrumental in creating imbalances in the atmosphere. At high altitudes, greenhouse emissions are more potent than when they are released in the ground level.
The indirect environmental impacts of air cargo include the fact that air transport has to be supported by other forms of transportation such as cabs, Lorries, and other vehicles that emit nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide (Redrigue & Comtois, 2009). Other indirect impacts of air transport include their usage of fossil fuels, which have taken a toll on the environment. It is also important to note that aircrafts require high levels of maintenance, and these operations have a high dependence on chemicals. Air transport has also made a general contribution to global warming. The rate of global warming has increased in an unprecedented manner over the last few decades. Consequently, air cargo has affected weather patterns and specifically contributed to severe weather. Other cumulative environmental impacts of air transport include its effects on the health of people and animals.
Externalities Associated with Air Transport
Air-delivered cargo is picked up at airports and these facilities are known to be major inconveniences to individuals who live or work close to them. One of the external factors that are associated with air cargo is the noise that accompanies airports, especially as planes land and take off. Another external issue involves the congestion that is often associated with airports. Airport routes are synonymous with congestions that take a toll on the environment by adding on noise, degradation, and increasing emissions (Denali, 2015). It is also common for airports to keep expanding as the demand for air cargo rises. This demand creates an unnecessary pressure on land and other natural resources. In terms of value, land and property that is located near airports is often of low value because it is associated with noise pollution.
References
Denali, D. (2015). 6200 M1 transportation [Video file]. Web.
Redrigue, J. P., & Comtois, C. (2009). The environmental impacts of transportation. in the geography of transport systems. New York, NY: Hofstra University, Department of Global Studies and Geography.