Biggest Stories of the Decade 2000 - 2009 - Airlines Going Green-er

The increasing awareness of climate change has led to pointing a heavy finger at air travel as a major polluter of the air. Percentages vary, but commercial air travel is often named as the cause of 5 to 10 percent of greenhouse gasses. The number of passengers and flights greatly increased over the past decade, so the airlines' contribution to air pollution is certainly a threat to the skies.

A trend has emerged to curtail this - many airlines have started carbon offset programs to "pay back" the environment. Bio-fuels are being tested to find not only greener, but potentially cheaper fuels. And airlines are vying for more fuel efficient fleets, air speeds, and routes to save fuel and money.