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To Connect and Preserve
Mark Twain once
wrote that “broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot
be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s
lifetime.” While I’m hardly an unbiased observer, I agree with the
notion that travel not only enriches our lives but also makes the world
a more peaceful, more tolerant, better place. I also believe that the
more you see of our planet, the more you appreciate its wonders and the
more determined you become to protect them.
In my last two
columns, I described some of the major initiatives we have undertaken
at American Airlines to reduce the impact of our activities on the
environment. Big corporate initiatives are certainly important. But the
depth of our environmental commitment is probably best illustrated by
the countless smaller efforts under way throughout our airline. In more
ways than I have space to describe, our people are, to borrow a phrase,
thinking globally and acting locally.
For example, at
our Dallas/Fort Worth hub, we’ve reduced nitrous oxide emissions by
more than three tons a day, using ground-service equipment powered by
electric motors rather than by internal combustion engines. In Kansas
City, our maintenance team has reduced emissions of volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) — a contributor to smog — by more than 80 percent by
replacing high VOC-content solvents, degreasers, primers, and topcoats
with water-based cleaners. Our Alliance Fort Worth maintenance base was
recently recognized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
for its innovative approach to conserving water and reducing hazardous
waste. At Los Angeles International Airport, we installed new
energy-efficient lamps in our cargo facility and in aircraft hangars,
saving 260,000 kilowatt-hours annually. The ongoing recycling program
at our headquarters campus recycled more than 250 tons of paper,
plastic, and aluminum last year, the conservation equivalent of more
than 4,000 trees, nearly 100,000 gallons of oil, 800 cubic yards of
landfill space, 1.7 million gallons of water, and one million
kilowatt-hours of energy. And on airplanes all over the world, our
flight attendants are voluntarily collecting and recycling millions of
beverage cans from passengers; funds generated by that recycling
benefit the Wings Foundation, an organization that supports flight
attendants in need
This is just a
small sampling of our environmental initiatives. In stations large and
small scattered throughout our global network, the people of American
Airlines, led by our team of more than 1,000 highly trained
environmental coordinators, are finding ways to reduce our
environmental footprint.
It’s a big job,
connecting the world while helping to protect it. But throughout our
history, we have learned, time and again, that big things are possible
when everybody pulls together and does their part. Helping you enjoy
all the wonders our world has to offer is what American Airlines is all
about. And since we’re in this business for the long haul, we’re going
to keep doing our part to ensure that those wonders are available for
your grandkids, their grandkids, and all the generations that follow.
Thank you for flying with us. Have a great trip!
Gerard J. Arpey
Chairman & CEO
American Airlines