US airlines and climate change; environment concern mounts - slowly

Airlines worldwide are working to become better environmental stewards through the adoption of a variety of activities, ranging from carbon offsets to reducing cabin waste.

And the biofuel industry has taken off during the past decade, with some airlines investing in biofuel development companies as work continues to bring alternative fuels to the mass market.

For now, North American airlines appear to be staying apart from the 'Flight Shaming' movement that has swept across Europe. There could be several reasons for those operators steering clear of the agitation, and the most obvious is that there is little prospect of high speed rail ever becoming a reality in North America's largest aviation market - the US.

But there are some signs that the high speed rail debate could be revived in the country during the not too distant future.