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Over the past few decades, air travel has boomed, and so has its negative environmental impact. Despite aviation's relatively small size as a global industry, it makes a disproportionate contribution to climate change, accounting for 4-9% of the total climate change impact of human activity.

Compared to taking a bus or train, air travel is the worst polluter per person per kilometre travelled. It is also growing fast: CO2 emissions from international aviation have increased 83% since 1990. Reducing air travel through thoughtful planning and use of other options makes a big difference in saving energy and reducing global warming.

How to take action

  • Cut your business air travel to a minimum. At work, establish teleconferencing as the preferred way to handle meetings across distances. Compare costs of video conferencing versus air travel, especially given the savings in employee time. Read how major companies are committing to a 20% reduction in air travel to inspire your own practices.
  • Make the most of virtual visiting. If you live at a distance from friends and family, explore online video options for keeping in touch without travel, such as Skype.
  • Take longer trips less often. If face-to-face meeting is absolutely required for business, try to convene as many meetings and cover as many issues on one trip as possible. For personal travel, plan longer trips. Flying internationally once every few years and staying for six weeks is much easier on the atmosphere than six one-week trips. Advocates of "slow travel" say this also results in more meaningful travel experiences. Allowing more time also opens options for less carbon-intensive forms of transportation, such as train or bicycle.
  • Travel by train or bus. Bus and train trips are generally far less CO2-intensive than trips by air (produce less CO2 per passenger-kilometre).
  • Explore closer to home. Getting to know the regions near your home is a way to enjoy great vacations without flying.
  • If you must fly, try to fly during daylight hours. Studies have show night-time flights have a significantly higher impact on global warming than daytime flights. Pack as lightly as possible to minimize travel weight and reduce fuel burned. Fly economy – more people on the plane reduces overall travel emissions. And go carbon neutral by purchasing a carbon offset.

Why it makes a difference

  • While passenger trains produce between 0 and 50 grams of CO2 per passenger-kilometre (the high end represents a high-speed train powered by coal-generated electricity) and buses produce approximately 5-28 grams, air travel produces 30-90 grams per passenger-kilometre. (Two people in a small car produce about 20 grams of C02 per passenger-kilometre. Air travel is the most carbon-intensive form of travel and the highest contributor to climate change.
  • Access to air travel continues to grow, with prices per kilometre dropping over the years and routes extending to more locations. This means more people can afford to travel, steadily increasing the impact on climate change. Individual travelers must think twice about how and when they use air travel to help maintain climate stability.

Last Modified: Sep 3, 2010

 

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