Monday Buzz: A Transatlantic Flight to Combat Climate Change

Tomorrow, Finland’s largest airline, Finnair, will power a flight from Helsinki to New York City solely with biofuel  (opens in a new tab), just as the United Nations Climate Summit  (opens in a new tab) kicks off. More than 100 world leaders  (opens in a new tab) will be in attendance in New York as member countries debate how to combat the looming effects of climate change.

Meanwhile, Finnair will use the eco-friendly flight to draw attention to the need for more sustainable sources of energy and the role the airline industry can play in promoting those sources.

“Most of an airline’s environmental impact arises from aircraft emissions during flight, and switching to a more sustainable fuel source can reduce net CO2 emissions by between 50 and 80 percent,” Finnair said in a press release.

The airline is just one of many Scandinavian stakeholders in the Nordic Initiative for Sustainable Aviation, which has joined other industry groups such as the International Air Transport Association  (opens in a new tab) and the National Business Aviation Association  (opens in a new tab) in looking to combat climate change.

And according to Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO of SkyNRG, which produced the biofuel that will power the Finnair aircraft, the flight is just the beginning of a “large offensive” to promote sustainable fuel.

“With common effort—including crucial support from governments—and united purpose, we can realize a sustainable and long-term future for aviation,” Kronemeijer said in a statement.

Photo of the Day

Photographer Francesca Timbers has a message for anyone out there who isn’t properly attributing photo credits: Quit it. When alerted that The Huffington Post was using one of her photos without proper attribution, she requested a credit  (opens in a new tab). None was added, so she took matters into her own hands, changing the photos herself. The story has since been updated with a new photo  (opens in a new tab). The takeaway here? When in doubt about whether you may use an image, ask the photographer, or see if it’s licensed through Creative Commons  (opens in a new tab).

Other Good Reads

How to write guidelines people will follow: Marketing consultant Brian Honigman has a guide to writing an effective social media policy over at TheNextWeb  (opens in a new tab).

Seven ways to be a better leader, straight from former IT manager and current Inc. magazine editor John Brandon, include a call to change late nights  (opens in a new tab) at the office. “If I ever did stay late, I should have intentionally fostered better relationships,” instead of finishing TPS reports, Brandon said.

The nature of communication has changed, especially when it comes to event promotion. Consultant and event technology pro Cathy Key breaks down the shift from broadcasting information to engaging with audiences in a post at Event Manager Blog  (opens in a new tab).

(FinStock/ThinkStock)