A giant airship could make it less environmentally damaging to undertake logging, mining and drilling in remote areas, according to the Boeing Corporation.

It says the boringly titled JHL-40, developed with Canadian company Skyhook, will be able to run 40-tonne loads into remote regions without the need to build roads and will “reduce the carbon footprint of the industrial projects it supports” (press release). This has an obvious attraction as road building is often cited as a devastating consequence of commercial activities in, for example, the Amazon.

“SkyHook is what we describe in our industry as a game-changer,” says Dave Koopersmith, a Boeing vice president (Wall Street Journal).

The airship will use just enough helium to carry its own weight, leaving the lift from its four helicopter rotors to deal with cargo. It could find use in the Arctic, forested regions, and in taking equipment to drilling rigs at sea.

Although it’s getting a lot of coverage, no one seems to be asking the obvious question: by making individual projects in remote regions easier don’t we encourage more of them?

Image: Boeing image by Joe Naujokas