I drew attention a few weeks ago to a guest article in liberal UK newspaper The Guardian by Airbus CEO Tom Enders, noting his reputation for reasoned debate. Here in Geneva he was uncharacteristically tetchy, using a fair chunk of his presentation to express exasperation with at least some of aviation's green critics.
I realise it's not new, but British Airways' support of the European ETS is hugely important and I think it's a brave position for Willie Walsh to take. (Although it pre-dates his regime I think.)
James Leap is director general of WWF International and the sort of reasonable voice that the air transport industry likes to do business with.
Alexander ter Kuile, the thoughtful secretary general of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), is known for his concern over the industry's weak record on getting its message into the mainstream. (I'm completely with him on that.)
He still sees an "increasingly harsh and sometimes ill-informed debate" but tells delegates: "We have started the long road of seeking public approval for our plans to grow."
Like other speakers he notes that air transport growth is outstripping its ability to cut emissions in the near-term and urges everyone to be "transparent and ethical" about that and other matters. He says the industry should "by-pass governments and pressure groups and talk to the flying public" - although it's not at all clear what mechanism he has in mind.
Marion Blakey is next up - she's now the CEO of the US Aerospace Industries Association and also chairman of the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations. She also used to run the US FAA you'll recall. Unsurprisingly she believes technology is going to be important.
She quotes American aviation hero Eddie Rickenbacker saying: "Aviation is proof that we can achieve the impossible." (Which may be handy in the case of the environment). And draws analogies with the original blue-sky thinkers - the Wright Brothers.
"The need for experimentation is even more crucial," she declares. She points approvingly to UPS' work at Louisville, Kentucky using ADS-B and continuous descent approaches to slash approach emissions by 34% and cut noise below 6,000ft by 30%.
This is the start of something of a theme for the day - air traffic management and operational techniques are clearly offering the best hopes for near-term environmental gains.
First on is IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani who makes it clear that he is not happy. Mainly with the European Union and its member governments, but also with governments in general.
Here he is at the centre of one of the day's panels - he didn't smile very much for the rest of the day either.
But he did have quite a bit to say.
This is the big one. with my colleague Aimee Turner I'm in Geneva for the 3rd Aviaton & Environment Summit, organised by IATA, ATAG, ACI, CANSO and the ICCAIA - that's the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations.
The organisers are talking about 450 delegates, which is a plausible number, and of an exceptionally senior level. There is certainly an impressive selection of CEOs here - of which more later - and Airbus president and CEO Tom Enders is tucked away in the middle of row seven of the audience.
Here we are all are settling down for the morning. It's the darkest conference room I've ever been in and I can barely take notes.
CNN has a lengthy (by their standards) piece on how airlines are focusing on weight saving in the cabin once again as fuel bills keep on going up. This one seems to come round every few years whenever costs bite, but then the wins slowly get chipped away in the intervening years. But this is one of those issues where what's good for the balance sheet is also good for the environment.
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