Walter Palmer retired from being an airline pilot in 2008. His career spanned a wide range of flying experience: his first airline posting was to fly aircraft in the high Arctic throughout northern Alaska, Canada's Arctic archipelago and into Greenland; he retired in a senior position flying very large aircraft internationally for a major airline. Walter's time in the industry included major responsibilities within the Canadian airline pilots' professional association in various positions as a technical and safety specialist with particular expertise in air traffic services (ATS). In addition to this he held various offices on the association's executive council. He also undertook a period in airline management as chief pilot at a major pilot base. Walter is a writer and speaker on issues related to climate change and was selected in 2006 to be trained by Al Gore as a Climate Project presenter. As a result of his interest in both aviation and the environment, he has followed developments in the area of sustainable fuels for many years.
'While dealing professionally with the current technologies for generating biofuel, the book also points towards broader, philosophical questions about ecological justice and what we might owe to the future. It is a well-researched and well-written book and it contributes to the important dialogue about how we can fly without changing our planet irrevocably.' Dr Ben Daley, Policy School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Aerospace