Airships for Climate Change

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

Context

• Climate change is bringing back the idea of airships as viable alternatives for transportation and environmental observation. 

What are Airships?

• Airships are lighter-than-air aircraft that are lifted by gas with a density lower than atmospheric gasses.
  • This principle also operates in helium balloons.
• The structure of an airship often includes an envelope (or balloon) filled with the lifting gas and a gondola or cabin where the crew, passengers, or cargo are housed.
• Early airships used hydrogen as the lifting gas, since it was cheap and the lightest existing gas. But hydrogen was also extremely flammable.
  • Most modern airships use helium, which is non-combustible. 

Challenges

• Buoyancy Management: A major hurdle for airships as cargo vehicles is managing buoyancy changes when loading or unloading freight. 
• Speed: Airships are considerably slower than airplanes, which limits their use for time-sensitive transportation.
• Helium Scarcity: Helium is a non-renewable resource primarily obtained from natural gas extraction.

Need for Airships in Modern Times

• Low Emissions: Airships offer an inherently eco-friendly mode of transport as they do not burn fossil fuels for lift.
• Freight Efficiency: With a superior lift-to-drag ratio, airships can transport large amounts of cargo with significantly less fuel, offering a sustainable alternative to fuel-guzzling jets 
• Remote Accessibility: Airships have the unique ability to access remote areas without requiring extensive infrastructure, such as runways or roads. 

Source: IE