The Future of Flying Is Electrifying
Videos
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Engineering
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by TED
What it is
- In this TED video, Cory Combs discusses why airplanes are so bad for the environment and how his companybdevelops electric hybrid planes to reduce emissions.
- Students will learn that plane travel pollutes the environment, but electric airplanes could make flying cheaper, cleaner, and less noisy.
- Although a fully electric commercial plane has not been invented yet, installing solar panels at airports, using electric transport vehicles, and plugging planes in at the gate could help reduce emissions.
Teaching tips
Positives
- A full video transcript is available in 17 languages.
- Resources for further reading are linked below the video.
Prerequisites
- Students should have some background knowledge of electric vehicles.
- The video mentions buying carbon offsets, which students can read about in this article.
- When this video ends, a new video will start automatically.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Engineering classes could discuss why electric planes are harder to make than cars.
- Science classes could make a list of industries, besides aviation, that could be partially or completely electrified.
- Students can also read this article on global warming and the aviation industry.
From the scientist review
This TED video from Cory Combs highlights the biggest impact a person can have on cutting personal carbon emissions: air travel. To meet the goal of limiting global warming, we must find a way to drastically cut down the emissions from air travel. This source is recommended for teaching.
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