Airports Dear Sir: I enjoyed Major Terino’s article (€S&T, September 1976, p 872). He made one very important point, had only one noticeable omission, but committed several errors that should be brought to your reader’s attentjon. Our small group has spent many thousands of hours since 1971 on air-transport problems. We think we have pinpointed a number of developments that are improving the air transportation outlook. Most of the top people in the industry have been programmed by the rapid growth of the 1960’s and have not yet properly appraised recent developments. The Major didn’t differentiate between commerical, military, and combined commercial-military airports. The noise problems are distinctly different where military operations are even 10% of the total! Commercial airports have gradually become quieter and will get quieter still as Federal Aviation regulations, part 36, are made more stringent. The errors include the following: The new, larger engines are quieter, not noisier. Today’s high-bipass engine is both quieter and more powerful. The newest research indicates that jets will eventually be as quiet as the old DC-3! By 1990, with just normal attrition, severely annoyed airport residents will be reduced to about 20% of today’s. The newer fleets, such as Delta’s, have already replaced 60% of their noisy planes. By
1981 all but 50 of Delta’s old DC-9’s will be gone, leaving just 17 % of their planes in the “noisy” category. The cost of properly sound-proofing the older planes cost not $750 000, but from.$l.3 million for 737’s to $3.1 million for DC-8’s, and averages about $1.92 million per plane. STOL operation is much nearer than the article indicates. DeHavilland of Canada has sold 30 of the new DHC-7 50-passenger prop jets. They would seem to be the forerunner for a class of planes that could move more than 50% of our shortdistance air travelers on trips of 750 miles or less. Further, the Douglas DC-9 has already been redesigned for 4 0 0 0 4 Japanese runways known as the QSF, and the ‘Q’ is for ‘quiet.’ On balance, Major Terino’s article was good, and more nearly correct as viewed from the purely military perspective! Fred H a w k Environmental Consultants Shelbyville, Ky. 40065
Energy Dear Sir: The feature article by Mr. Josephson, “Energy: The U S . at the Crossroads” (€S&T, September 1976, p 854), is extremely well done and provides an accurate picture of the situation that we face today. I was particularly struck with the prognostications that were presented; these, however, are not startling enough.
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Environmental Science & Technology
Even among well-informed technical people there is still not a general recognition of the simple fact that there no longer exists any source of cheap and secure fuel. Nor is it generally accepted that the worldwide production of petroleum fuels will probably peak before the end of this century. Nor, indeed, is there a very wide recognition of the fact that the total production of crude oil and natural gas in the U S . is now declining, having peaked about two years ago. The economics of fuel production and energy use have been distorted almost beyond repair by political pressures and actions that were meant to favor the owners of homes and automobiles. The net result of having replaced marketplace economics with political economics has been to discourage exploration without encouraging conservation. The intrusion of global politics has likewise distorted supply/demand relationships and all but destroyed the working of a free market in crude petroleum. While it is impossible to predict exactly the future course of international politics, it is certain that it will not be in the direction of less expensive and more openly available petroleum to the US. When to all the foregoing is added the inescapable fact that the time span for achieving significant conservation or creating a supplemental fuel industry is not less than a decade, one has to conclude that we have barely stepped over the threshold of a very, very serious energy crunch. In many respects the public attitude toward today’s energy crisis is much like that exhibited by the American people toward the “phoney war” in 1940. All too soon the deadly nature of the situation we face will manifest itself. Mr. Josephson is to be commended for laying a valuable groundwork toward a realistic appraisal of what we face. Walter V. Cropper Philadelphia, Pa. 19131
Energy Dear Sir: I read with considerable interest Mr. Julian Josephson’s excellent article, “Energy: U S . at the crossroads” ( € S T , September 1976, p 854). While I am flattered that Mr. Josephson saw fit to cite two of my articles in his special report (“Special Report: Towards a National Energy Policy,” May 1973, p 392 and “Geothermal heats up,” August 1973, p 680), I feel you may have left your readers with an erroneous impression by referring to me as “€S&T’s Marty Malin.” In fact, I am no longer an €S&Tstaffer. I left the magazine in September 1973 to form my own editorial services firm. No matter. My work is largely comprised of writing energy and environmentally related materials and Mr. Josephson’s article is right on the mark. I sincerely hope that €S&Tcontinues to upgrade its energy coverage. H. Martin Malin, Jr., Pres. The Keyboard, Inc. Falls Church, Va. 22046
