carbon footprint for travel

Which form of transport has the smallest carbon footprint?

How can individuals reduce their emissions from transport.

This article was first published in 2020. It was updated in 2023 with more recent data.

Transport accounts for around one-quarter of global carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from energy. 1 In some countries — often richer countries with populations that travel often — transport can be one of the largest segments of an individual’s carbon footprint.

If you need to travel locally or abroad, what is the lowest-carbon way to do so?

In this chart, we see the comparison of travel modes by their carbon footprint. These are measured by the amount of greenhouse gases emitted per person to travel one kilometer .

This data comes from the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. It’s the emission factors companies use to quantify and report their emissions. While the overall rankings of transport modes will probably be the same, there may be differences across countries based on their electricity mix, vehicle stock, and public transport network.

Greenhouse gases are measured in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2 eq), accounting for non-CO 2 greenhouse gases and the increased warming effects of aviation emissions at high altitudes. 2

Walk, bike, or take the train for the lowest footprint

Over short to medium distances, walking or cycling is nearly always the lowest carbon way to travel. While they’re not in the chart, the carbon footprint of cycling one kilometer is usually in the range of 16 to 50 grams CO 2 eq per km depending on how efficiently you cycle and what you eat. 3

Using a bike instead of a car for short trips would reduce travel emissions by around 75%.

Public transport is usually your best option if you can’t walk or cycle. Trains are particularly low-carbon ways to travel. Taking a train instead of a car for medium-length distances would reduce emissions by around 80%. 4 Using a train instead of a domestic flight would reduce your emissions by around 86%. 5

In fact, if you took the Eurostar in France instead of a short-haul flight, you’d cut your journey’s footprint by around 97%. 6

What if you can’t walk or cycle and don’t have access to public transport?

If none of the above are options, what can you do?

Driving an electric vehicle (EV) is your best mode of private transport. It emits less than a petrol or diesel car, even in countries with a fairly high-carbon electricity mix. Of course, powering it from a low-carbon grid offers the greatest benefits.

The chart above only considers emissions of EVs during their use phase — when you’re driving. It doesn’t include emissions from car manufacturing. There have been concerns that when we account for the energy needed to produce the battery, an EV is actually worse for the climate than a petrol car. This is not true — while an EV does have higher emissions during its production, it quickly “pays back” once you start driving it. 7

The next best is a plug-in hybrid car.

Then, where you take a petrol car or fly depends on the distance. Flying has a higher carbon footprint for journeys less than 1000 kilometers than a medium-sized car. For longer journeys, flying would actually have a slightly lower carbon footprint per kilometer than driving alone over the same distance.

Let’s say you were to drive from Edinburgh to London, a distance of around 500 kilometers. You’d emit nearly 85 kilograms CO 2 eq. 8 If you were to fly, this would be 123 kilograms — an increase of almost one-third. 9

Some general takeaways on how you can reduce the carbon footprint of travel:

• Walk, cycle, or run when possible — this comes with many other benefits, such as lower local air pollution and better health;
• Trains are nearly always the winning option over moderate-to-long distances;
• If travelling internationally, going by train or boat is lower-carbon than flying;
• Electric vehicles are nearly always lower-carbon than petrol or diesel cars. The reductions are greatest for countries with a cleaner electricity mix;
• If traveling domestically, driving — even if it’s alone — is usually better than flying;
• Car-sharing will massively reduce your footprint — it also helps to reduce local air pollution and congestion.

Appendix: Why is the carbon footprint per kilometer higher for domestic flights than long-haul flights?

You will notice that domestic flights have higher CO2 emissions per passenger-kilometer than short-haul international flights, and long-haul flights have even slightly lower emissions. Why is this the case?

In its report on the CO 2 Emissions from Commercial Aviation , the International Council on Clean Transportation provides a nice breakdown of how the carbon intensity (grams CO 2 emitted per passenger kilometer) varies depending on flight distance. 10

This chart, with carbon intensity given as the red line, shows that at very short flight distances (less than 1,000 km), the carbon intensity is very high. It falls with distance until around 1,500 to 2,000 km, then levels out and changes very little with increasing distance.

This is because take-off requires much more energy input than a flight's “cruise” phase. So, for very short flights, this extra fuel needed for take-off is large compared to the more efficient cruise phase of the journey. The ICCT also notes that less fuel-efficient planes are often used for the shortest flights.

The IEA  looks at CO 2  emissions  from energy production alone — in 2018, it reported 33.5 billion tonnes of energy-related CO 2  [hence, transport accounted for 8 billion / 33.5 billion = 24% of energy-related emissions.

Aviation creates several complex atmospheric reactions at altitude, such as vapor contrails, creating an enhanced warming effect. In the UK’s Greenhouse gas methodology paper , a “multiplier" of 1.9 is applied to aviation emissions to account for this. This is reflected in the CO 2 eq factors provided in this analysis.

Researchers — David Lee et al. (2020) — estimate that aviation accounts for around 2.5% of global CO 2 emissions but 3.5% of radiative forcing/warming due to these altitude effects.

Lee, D. S., Fahey, D. W., Skowron, A., Allen, M. R., Burkhardt, U., Chen, Q., ... & Gettelman, A. (2020). The contribution of global aviation to anthropogenic climate forcing for 2000 to 2018 .  Atmospheric Environment , 117834.

Finding a figure for the carbon footprint of cycling seems like it should be straightforward, but it can vary quite a lot. It depends on several factors: what size you are (bigger people tend to burn more energy cycling), how fit you are (fitter people are more efficient), the type of bike you’re pedaling, and what you eat (if you eat a primarily plant-based diet, the emissions are likely to be lower than if you get most of your calories from cheeseburgers and milk). People often also raise the question of whether you actually eat more if you cycle to work rather than drive, i.e., whether those calories are actually ‘additional’ to your normal diet.

Estimates on the footprint of cycling, therefore, vary. Based on the average European diet, some estimates put this figure at around 16 grams CO2e per kilometer. In his book “ How bad are bananas: the carbon footprint of everything ”, Mike Berners-Lee estimates the footprint based on specific food types. He estimates 25 grams CO 2 e when powered by bananas, 43 grams CO 2 e from cereal and cow’s milk, 190 grams CO 2 e from bacon, or as high as 310 grams CO 2 e if powered exclusively by cheeseburgers.

National rail emits around 35 grams per kilometer. The average petrol car emits 170 grams. So the footprint of taking the train is around 20% of taking a car: [ 35 / 170 * 100 = 20%].

National rail emits around 35 grams per kilometer. A domestic flight emits 246 grams. So the footprint of taking the train is around 14% of a flight: [ 35 / 246 * 100 = 14%].

Taking the Eurostar emits around 4 grams of CO 2 per passenger kilometer, compared to 154 grams from a short-haul flight. So the footprint of  Eurostar is around 4% of a flight: [ 4 / 154 * 100 = 3%].

The “carbon payback time” for an average driver is around 2 years.

An average petrol car emits 170 grams per kilometer. Multiply this by 500, and we get 85,000 grams (85 kilograms).

A domestic flight emits 246 grams per kilometer. Multiply this by 500, and we get 123,000 grams (123 kilograms).

Graver, B., Zhang, K. & Rutherford, D. (2018). CO2 emissions from commercial aviation, 2018 . International Council on Clean Transportation.

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• Published: 07 May 2018

The carbon footprint of global tourism

• Manfred Lenzen   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0828-5288 1 ,
• Ya-Yen Sun 2 , 3 ,
• Futu Faturay   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5636-1794 1 , 4 ,
• Yuan-Peng Ting 2 ,
• Arne Geschke   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9193-5829 1 &
• Arunima Malik   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4630-9869 1 , 5  

Nature Climate Change volume  8 ,  pages 522–528 ( 2018 ) Cite this article

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An Author Correction to this article was published on 23 May 2018

This article has been updated

Tourism contributes significantly to global gross domestic product, and is forecast to grow at an annual 4%, thus outpacing many other economic sectors. However, global carbon emissions related to tourism are currently not well quantified. Here, we quantify tourism-related global carbon flows between 160 countries, and their carbon footprints under origin and destination accounting perspectives. We find that, between 2009 and 2013, tourism’s global carbon footprint has increased from 3.9 to 4.5 GtCO 2 e, four times more than previously estimated, accounting for about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Transport, shopping and food are significant contributors. The majority of this footprint is exerted by and in high-income countries. The rapid increase in tourism demand is effectively outstripping the decarbonization of tourism-related technology. We project that, due to its high carbon intensity and continuing growth, tourism will constitute a growing part of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

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Change history, 23 may 2018.

In the version of this Article originally published, in the penultimate paragraph of the section “Gas species and supply chains”, in the sentence “In this assessment, the contribution of air travel emissions amounts to 20% (0.9 GtCO2e) of tourism’s global carbon footprint...” the values should have read “12% (0.55 GtCO2e)”; this error has now been corrected, and Supplementary Table 9 has been amended to clarify this change.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Australian Research Council through its Discovery Projects DP0985522 and DP130101293, the National eResearch Collaboration Tools and Resources project (NeCTAR) through its Industrial Ecology Virtual Laboratory, and the Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology (no. 105-2410-H-006-055-MY3). The authors thank S. Juraszek for expertly managing the Global IELab’s advanced computation requirements, and C. Jarabak for help with collecting data.

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Y.-Y.S. and M.L. conceived and designed the experiments. M.L., Y.-Y.S., F.F., Y.-P.T., A.G. and A.M. performed the experiments. F.F., Y.-P.T., M.L. and Y.-Y.S. analysed the data. Y.-P.T., A.G., Y.-Y.S. and M.L. contributed materials/analysis tools. M.L., Y.-Y.S. and A.M. wrote the paper.

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Lenzen, M., Sun, YY., Faturay, F. et al. The carbon footprint of global tourism. Nature Clim Change 8 , 522–528 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0141-x

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Travel, by nature, takes energy. Moving our bodies around the globe requires fuel, often in the form of carbon-emitting fossil fuels.

Air travel generates 11% of total U.S. transportation emissions, according to a 2021 White House fact sheet. That’s a huge number, but it points to another big carbon toll: 89% of emissions happen on the ground.

Thankfully, being a more sustainable traveler doesn’t require enormous sacrifice — or expense. Reducing the impact of getting around on the ground at your destination is easy and can improve the quality of your trip.

1. Visit transit-friendly destinations

For many destinations, the airport signs that point to “ground transportation” have only a couple of options: rideshares and rental cars . Neither of these is very carbon-friendly, according to a 2022 report from the Congressional Budget Office, which estimates that cars release just under half a pound of carbon dioxide per passenger mile traveled.

On the other hand, rail transit releases less than half as much carbon per passenger mile, making it far less emission intensive.

Choosing to visit destinations with robust public train networks, such as New York City or Tokyo, can significantly improve the eco-friendly options for getting around.

Conversely, visiting destinations that all but require a rental car, such as the island of Maui in Hawaii, can balloon your carbon footprint on top of the emissions from a long flight.

This doesn’t have to be a sacrifice. Scooting around Japan by high-speed rail is a tourist attraction in its own right, as is marveling at the miraculously on-time performance of German rail. Even taking the D train to Brooklyn has its charms.

2. Rent an electric vehicle

Only a few years ago, renting an electric car was something only the rich or very eco-conscious would have considered. Now, the logic has changed as these vehicles go mainstream and charging stations pop up everywhere from grocery stores to hotel parking lots .

Rental car company Hertz made a splash by placing an order for 100,000 Tesla vehicles in 2021. Teslas made up 10% of Hertz’s fleet by the end of 2022, according to regulatory filings.

When we checked on Hertz, you could rent a Tesla Model 3 for $78 per day plus taxes out of Los Angeles — a reasonable rate, especially given the high costs of rental cars these days. Avis, Sixt and Enterprise also have electric vehicles in their fleet in select locations.

Alternative car rental platforms such as Turo offer Teslas and other EVs, making them a good choice in locations where traditional car rental companies have only gasoline-powered options.

Renting an EV is a great way to test the pros and cons before purchasing one yourself .

3. Stay put

This option for reducing ground transportation emissions is so simple that it’s easy to overlook. Rather than trying to see every national park in California (there are nine, after all), consider sticking to one and taking it slow.

Not only is this a great way to avoid guzzling gas, it’s also rewarding in its own right. “Slow travel” promotes connecting with local culture and people rather than checking every item off the bucket list. It also means spending less of that precious vacation time in the car.

Beyond the metaphysical and environmental benefits of taking it slow, this approach can also reduce the cost of a trip. Rather than spending money on gas, take a local class or tour, or save it for the next trip.

4. Travel in groups

A single-occupancy car emits almost half a pound of carbon dioxide per passenger mile. That number scales with the number of passengers, meaning the more passengers, the fewer (relative) emissions.

This is good news for environmentally conscious families, who tend to fill cars and vans more than couples and solo travelers . And it’s a good reason to carpool for driving-intensive trips, such as those for weddings.

Again, this is an option to reduce emissions that doesn’t cost anything. In fact, it saves money.

The bottom line

Travel is literally world-expanding, but it comes with built-in environmental costs.

And while it can seem like there’s no alternative to renting a car or hiring an Uber (and sometimes there isn’t), there are ways to reduce the footprint of ground transportation without sacrificing the quality of your trip.

Consider destinations that offer public transportation where renting a car isn’t necessary. If that isn’t an option, you can always rent an EV or fill your rental car with more passengers to reduce the impact. And you can even consider slowing down and embracing “slow travel” as a personal and environmental win-win.

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5 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint As a Traveler

Simple swaps can make a big difference.

Climate change. Just two simple words that somehow encompass an idea so big, most of us have no idea how to wrap our heads around it. But ignoring it could come with unfathomable consequences.

Here's what we know about climate change: It's happening very quickly. As NASA explained, the earth's climate has always fluctuated throughout history. Over the last 650,000 years, it notes, there have been "seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era — and of human civilization." Most of the climate changes to this point can be attributed to minute variations in the planet's orbit.

However, after humans came around, all bets were off.

"The current warming trend is of particular significance because it is unequivocally the result of human activity since the mid-20th century and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented over millennia," NASA wrote. "It is undeniable that human activities have warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land and that widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere have occurred."

In 2015, more than 100 nations came together to sign the Paris agreement, which aims to "limit the rise in average global temperatures to no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels – a time period centered roughly on the mid-19th century," Yale Climate Connections explained. It added, even if we could keep it to 1.5°C, that could help stave off extreme heat waves which have already led to the devastating wildfires we're now seeing around the globe, ocean warming, which is leading to coral and marine life extinction, and a major decline in biodiversity.

Now, we won't sit here and try to fool you by saying it's only up to individuals to make a difference, because it just simply is not. As a 2017 study showed, just 100 companies are the source of 71% of industrial greenhouse gas emissions since 1988. But, there is still a lot you can do as a person, and especially as a traveler, to make both a personal difference with your actions and a big difference with your dollars.

Change your mode of transportation — or at least road trip together.

In 2019, the European Parliament released a study showing the most and least eco-friendly modes of transportation. It stated, "transport is responsible for nearly 30% of the EU's total CO2 emissions," further highlighting that "passenger cars are a major polluter, accounting for 60.7% of total CO2 emissions from road transport in Europe."

So, what's the best way to get around it? If you can, take a train, because as the report states, train transport accounts for just 0.5% of emissions.

Of course, there are ways to make an impact on road travel. "Modern cars could be among the cleanest modes of transport if shared, rather than being driven alone," the report adds, which should encourage you to plan a road trip with friends, or plan to travel together with family to your next destination. Or, let someone else drive for you, like a bus driver. "With an average of 1.7 people per car in Europe, other modes of transport, such as buses, are currently a cleaner alternative."

Invest in an airline dedicated to making a difference.

According to the same report by the European Parliament, air transportation accounted for 13.4% of emissions. While taking a train is better, sometimes flying is unavoidable. That's why it's important to put your money where your mouth is and only book flights on eco-friendly airlines.

According to Green Vacations , airlines like Virgin Atlantic are putting in the work to make travel better for the planet. "In addition to small things like offering sustainably sourced and organic food on their flights, they also make big changes like funding biofuel research," the website explains. "They also adopt a stringent recycling program and have reduced their carbon emissions substantially."

Other airlines to make its list include Air France/KLM for its participation in industry-wide 2020 carbon emission goals and its investments in alternative fuels like biofuel, along with Alaska Airlines for its "Greener Skies" program, JetBlue for its exploration of alternative fuels, and United for its own "Eco-Skies" program, which has helped to improve its plane's fuel efficiency by more than 30% since 1994.

Do your research on accommodations.

Like choosing the right airline, picking the right accommodation can make a difference. Do your homework and check to see if your accommodations offer any eco-alternatives, avoid using single-use plastics, or are LEED-certified. Thankfully, eco-chic is all the rage, with places like Under Canvas offering travelers the chance to glamp in luxury tents that use solar power and pull-chain showers to reduce water use, and hospitality companies like Habitas , which constructs its properties using materials that both reduce waste and improve efficiency.

This is a fun travel assignment, we promise. Whenever possible on your travels, try to eat locally. Find farm-to-table spots, and dine in restaurants that tout locally sourced ingredients, and that celebrate traditional, local cuisine. Not only will this help you appreciate your destination more, but it will also help reduce your carbon footprint. Transportation accounts for 11% of food's greenhouse gas emissions, so the less it has to travel, the better. And bonus points for finding organically grown produce, or going vegetarian for the night as well, because this too can boost your eco-savings .

Plan longer trips.

Here's another tip we're sure you can get down with: plan longer trips, staying in one place. Again, this could help you deepen your appreciation for a place, and help lessen your carbon footprint by keeping you from plane hopping and driving to new destinations over and over again. Go ahead, book a longer stay in a new destination, walk around on foot, interact with locals, and really get to know a place. (As a bonus, your longer stay will also help bolster the local economy more than a short trip). And, if you're really craving a micro-vacation, stick to a nearby domestic stay, or even a staycation, to lessen your footprint, and to reconnect with all the places right around you.

Ready to read more? Check out a few conservation efforts already making a difference around the globe .

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Carbon neutral travel: how to reduce your carbon footprint

Travel is an incredibly rewarding experience, but it's important to consider the environmental impact of our journeys. Let's start with carbon neutral travel.

Raquel www.solanomundo.com.br

Apr 30, 2023

Carbon neutral travel is a way to reduce your carbon footprint and make a positive difference in the world while having life-changing experiences. Travelers can contribute to carbon neutrality by avoiding air travel when possible, traveling close to home, choosing greener airlines, offsetting flight emissions, and more.

Worldpackers offers travelers the opportunity to participate in sustainable travel with eco-friendly hosts around the globe, helping you slow down and become more aware of how your travels affect others. When choosing a volunteer project , look for eco-friendly alternatives that use renewable energy sources and sustainable practices .

You can also start by choosing low-carbon transportation options to get to your host, such as public transport, biking, or walking. Finally, be mindful of how you dispose of your waste when traveling: avoid single-use plastic when possible and recycle what you can. With these steps in mind, it's easy to plan your next adventure as a carbon-neutral travel.

What is a carbon neutral travel?

A carbon neutral travel policy is a set of guidelines and practices that aim to reduce or offset the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere through travel. This can include using renewable energy sources, reducing air travel, carpooling, taking public transportation when possible, and purchasing carbon offsets.  

Carbon offsets are investments in projects that absorb or avoid emissions from entering the atmosphere. By implementing these measures travelers can help mitigate their environmental impact while still enjoying their travels.  One of the most sustainable ways to get around, after walking and biking, is to use public transportation , such as buses and trains. This reduces emissions from private transport and helps to reduce traffic congestion. 

Choosing eco-friendly accommodations such as campings or hostels can also help minimize your environmental impact. This not only cuts down on emissions but also allows you to explore more of your destination in an active way.

Read more on how to be a conscious traveler .

Carbon neutral travel: tips to be a sustainable traveler

Tourism is a major industry that can have a negative impact on the environment due to carbon emissions from air travel and other activities. Air travel is one of the biggest contributors to global warming, as each flight emits tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. But to reduce your carbon footprint when travelling, there are several things you can do from traveling more slower to choosing sustainable accommodations.

Avoid air travel when possible

Airplanes emit large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants into the atmosphere when they fly. These emissions contribute significantly to climate change and global warming, as well as local air pollution in areas near airports or flight paths . The amount of CO2 emitted depends on how far you fly and what type of aircraft you use –older planes tend to be less efficient than newer ones.

Travel close to home

Travel can be a powerful tool for positive change, but it's important to consider the impact our travels have on the environment. Traveling close to home is one way to reduce our carbon footprint while still enjoying meaningful experiences and connecting with nature . Not only will you save money, but you'll have the opportunity to explore your own culture from a different perspective and visit nearby communities in a more meaningful way.

Choose a greener airline

Carbon neutral air travel is possible, by using alternative fuels and advanced aircraft technologies, airlines can reduce their emissions to zero. Additionally, offsetting the remaining emissions with carbon credits or investing in renewable energy projects can help make air travel completely carbon neutral . 

Airlines are also making efforts to increase efficiency by reducing weight and optimizing flight paths which helps reduce fuel consumption and emissions. To reduce your carbon footprint while travelling, choose an airline with more efficient planes , fly direct, buy offsets for flights taken and book economy class tickets.

Travel slower

Slow travel gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture of your destination by spending more time there. You can discover hidden gems off the beaten path that most tourists don’t get to see, learn about different customs from locals , or even take part in traditional activities like cooking classes or cultural tours. This type of travel also helps support small businesses in rural areas which are often overlooked by larger tour companies.

Slow travel offers other side benefits, such as: connecting with nature and wildlife, and save money and time . Traveling slower tends to be cheaper than traditional tourism, as accommodation costs are lower when staying at one place instead of moving around constantly. 

Choose sustainable accommodation

Your choice of accommodation also plays an important role in reducing the environmental impact of tourism. Look for hotels that are certified green or eco-friendly - these often use renewable energy sources such as solar power, dopt sustainable practices such as water conservation initiatives, and may even offer locally sourced food in their restaurants or cafes. 

Staying in smaller guesthouses owned by locals can also help support local economies while minimizing your own environmental footprint during your trip. Last but not least, volunteering is one of the best ways to choose sustainable accommodation while giving back to the community and having an incredibly rewarding experience.

Connect with nature and experience local culture

Taking your time while travelling means having more opportunities to appreciate nature around you. Whether it’s taking a leisurely stroll through a national park or going on an overnight camping trip. Slow travel allows you to observe wildlife up close without disturbing it too much, and develop an appreciation for natural landscapes that you may miss if you rush through places quickly.

Slowing down your travel pace allows you to experience the routine of the place, talk to locals, and make new friends. This way, you're more likely to get invited to local events and try different types of local food. Traveling slower also allows you to make better use of your vacation days , as you have more free time during your stay instead of rushing from one attraction to the next all day.

Eco-hosts to volunteer around the world

Europe is home to some of the most beautiful and unique ecological projects to volunteer in the world. From  organic farms in Switzerland , to helping with horse care in Portugal , there are plenty of sustainable accommodation options for travellers looking to reduce their carbon footprint while exploring this continent.

In Asia & Pacific Islands , you can find everything from traditional thatched huts on Fiji’s beaches, to beachfront villas made entirely out of bamboo on Bali . These eco-friendly hosts offer an authentic experience with minimal environmental impact, perfect for those who want to explore without leaving too much of a mark behind them.

North America & Caribbean also have some great eco-hosts that provide sustainable accommodations for travellers looking to make a positive impact during their travels. In Canada, you can stay at off-grid lodges powered by solar energy or rent tiny homes surrounded by nature reserves; while in Mexico and other parts of Central America you can find rustic ecolodges nestled among lush jungles and rainforests.

In Latin America,  you can help with an ecological water recycling project in Mexico , learn about Indigenous culture in Venezuela , and work with biodynamic agriculture in Brazil . These ecological projects offer a deep connection with nature and the opportunity to visit some of the best beaches in the world, and learn how to surf and dive in your free time. 

No matter where your travels take you around the world, there are always eco-friendly hosts available offering sustainable accommodation options so that everyone can enjoy travelling responsibly. Ecological projects offer travelers a unique way to explore the world while reducing their carbon footprint. Now that you know where to find them, let's look at some tips for planning sustainable travel.

Tips for carbon neutral travel planning

Sustainable travel planning is key to reducing your carbon footprint during travel. Research you destination, choose greener transportation and pack lightly are part of that. Here are some tips to help you make your travels more sustainable.

1. Research your destination before you go

Researching the destination before you go can help reduce your environmental impact and save money. Make sure to research local customs, transportation options, climate, and attractions so that you can plan accordingly. You can also look into eco-friendly accommodation options such as hostels or camping sites which have a smaller environmental impact than traditional hotels.

2. Choose greener transportation options

Whenever possible, opt for greener transportation methods such as public transport or cycling instead of flying or driving long distances in order to reduce emissions from air travel and road trips. If taking a flight is unavoidable, consider offsetting the carbon emissions by purchasing carbon credits from an accredited provider.

3. Pack lightly

Packing lightly not only helps minimize waste but also reduces the amount of energy needed to transport luggage on planes and trains. Try to bring reusable items such as water bottles, cutlery sets and cloth bags. Whenever possible, avoid single-use plastics and try reusing towels multiple times rather than having them changed daily in order to conserve water resources.

Traveling sustainably is not only better for the environment, but it also allows you to get a deeper understanding of the places you visit. But how to start? Worldpackers offers an innovative way to travel more slowly and with greater purpose -let's take a look.

Worldpackers:  a way to travel slower and more sustainably

Worldpackers is a platform that allows travelers to explore the world while making a positive impact. It offers opportunities for volunteers to stay with hosts in exchange for a few hours of help, gaining unique experiences and build meaningful connections. Through Worldpackers, travelers can find eco-volunteer positions around the world in various fields such as teaching english, working on organic farms, helping out in hostels or guesthouses, and more.

Worldpackers is a platform that enables travelers to explore the world while making a positive impact. It offers an opportunity to travel slower and give back, allowing travelers to experience new cultures and make a difference in local communities along the way. Benefits include: unique experiences and meaningful connections.

How can I travel more sustainably with Worldpackers?

To use Worldpackers, you first need to create an account on the website or mobile app. Once registered, you can browse hundreds of volunteer positions available all over the globe , and, after becoming a verified member, apply for those that interest you the most. After being accepted by a host organization you will be able to contact the host directly.  

Using Worldpackers has many benefits for both travelers and hosts: for travelers, it provides the opportunity to travel at a slower pace than usual while giving back by not only learning about new cultures but also making a difference in local communities. Host organizations benefit by having access to motivated volunteers, making it much easier to carry out projects. Finally, both sides get something out of it , the travelers get unique experiences that wouldn't be possible without this type of program, and the hosts get help from passionate people who are eager to learn about other cultures.

Ready to go carbon neutral ? 

Traveling sustainably and responsibly is an important part of being a carbon neutral traveler. With Worldpackers, you can easily find eco-hosts around the world to help reduce your carbon footprint while still having life-changing experiences. By following our tips for sustainable travel planning, you can ensure that your travels are both meaningful and environmentally friendly. So start exploring the world with a lighter environmental impact today.

By choosing carbon neutral travel, we can reduce our environmental footprint and help fight climate change. Let's take actionable steps towards sustainable tourism by supporting local communities through volunteering opportunities with Worldpackers . 

Want to learn more about planning your trip? By subscribing to the WP pack plan you have unlimited access to +120 courses at Worldpackers Academy, the travel school made by travelers!

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Raquel Pryzant

www.solanomundo.com.br

Travel journalist, author of the @solanomundo project and collaborator in different media such as Viajes National Geographic, Folha de S. Paulo and Qual Viagem Magazine. Read more: www.solanomundo.com.br

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Mar 24, 2023

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How ecotourism benefits the environment and local communities

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‘Worse Than Anyone Expected’: Air Travel Emissions Vastly Outpace Predictions

The findings put pressure on airline regulators to take stronger action to fight climate change as they prepare for a summit next week.

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By Hiroko Tabuchi

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Greenhouse gas emissions from commercial air travel are growing at a faster clip than predicted in previous, already dire, projections , according to new research — putting pressure on airline regulators to take stronger action as they prepare for a summit next week.

The United Nations aviation body forecasts that airplane emissions of carbon dioxide , a major greenhouse gas, will reach just over 900 million metric tons in 2018, and then triple by 2050.

But the new research, from the International Council on Clean Transportation , found that emissions from global air travel may be increasing more than 1.5 times as fast as the U.N. estimate. The researchers analyzed nearly 40 million flights around the world last year.

“Airlines, for all intents and purposes, are becoming more fuel efficient. But we’re seeing demand outstrip any of that,” said Brandon Graver , who led the new study. “The climate challenge for aviation is worse than anyone expected.”

Airlines in recent years have invested in lighter, more fuel-efficient aircraft, and have explored powering their planes with biofuel.

Over all, air travel accounts for about 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions — a far smaller share than emissions from passenger cars or power plants. Still, one study found that the rapid growth in plane emissions could mean that by 2050, aviation could take up a quarter of the world’s “carbon budget ,” or the amount of carbon dioxide emissions permitted to keep global temperature rise to within 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.

The decision by Greta Thunberg, a young climate activist, to sail across the Atlantic rather than travel by air ahead of her speech at the United Nations next week, has refocused attention on aviation’s role in causing climate change and its consequences, including sea-level rise and more intense heat waves, hurricanes, flooding and drought.

Climate protesters have said they plan to gather in Montreal next week, where airline regulators are set to hold their own summit.

William Raillant-Clark , a spokesman for the U.N. aviation body, stood by its emissions projection , which he said was “the most up-to-date” and provided “a clear picture on the future environmental trends.” He added that the group “endorses and welcomes wholeheartedly” calls for the aviation industry to address climate change with greater urgency.

Underlying the growth in aviation emissions is the rapid expansion of air travel worldwide, propelled by a proliferation of low-cost airlines and a booming tourism industry catering to a growing middle class.

A separate study released this week by the industry group Airports Council International found that the world’s fastest-growing airports were in emerging economies; 12 of the top 30 were in either China or India.

Still, the new data from the clean transportation council found that flights from airports in the United States were responsible for almost one quarter of global passenger flight-related carbon dioxide emissions. China was the next biggest source of passenger aviation emissions, followed by the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany ; the lowest-income countries that contain half the world’s population accounted for only 10 percent of all emissions.

The study underscored the heavy carbon-dioxide footprint of domestic flights, often left out of negotiations over global emissions-reduction targets. Domestic travel accounted for a large majority of departures in countries including the United States, China, Indonesia, Brazil and Australia.

Governments have pledged to take major steps to improve fuel economy in their routes and fleets. Under a plan adopted by the U.N. body, the International Civil Aviation Organization , three years ago, airlines will start to voluntarily offset most of the growth in their carbon dioxide emissions beginning in 2020. Carbon offsets compensate for emissions by canceling out greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere in the world. (For example, the offset may involve paying for renewable energy or other programs designed to reduce emissions.)

Some governments have suggested going further. In Germany, the Green Party has suggested banning domestic air travel altogether to force Germans to travel by train, which pollutes less.

“At a time when students are going on climate strikes around the world, this will really put pressure on the aviation industry to be much more ambitious,” said Annie Petsonk, international counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund. “They’re beginning to understand that for most people who fly, aviation is the biggest part of their personal carbon footprint.”

For more news on climate and the environment, follow @NYTClimate on Twitter .

An earlier version of this article misstated the nature of a global aviation summit meeting in Montreal next week. While industry representatives will be present as observers, the meeting is for airline regulators and diplomatic delegations, not executives.

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Hiroko Tabuchi is a climate reporter. She joined The Times in 2008, and was part of the team awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting. She previously wrote about Japanese economics, business and technology from Tokyo. More about Hiroko Tabuchi

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Over the past year of record-shattering warmth, the average person on Earth experienced 26 more days of abnormally high temperatures  than they otherwise would have, were it not for human-induced climate change, scientists said.

The Biden administration laid out for the first time a set of broad government guidelines around the use of carbon offsets  in an attempt to shore up confidence in a method for tackling global warming that has faced growing criticism.

A group of health experts, economists and U.S. government lawyers are working to address a growing crisis: people dying on the job from extreme heat. They face big hurdles .

Adopting Orphaned Oil Wells:  Students, nonprofit groups and others are fund-raising to cap highly polluting oil and gas wells  abandoned by industry.

Struggling N.Y.C. Neighborhoods:  New data projects are linking social issues with global warming. Here’s what that means for five communities in New York .

Biden Environmental Rules:  The Biden administration has rushed to finalize 10 major environmental regulations  to meet its self-imposed spring deadline.

F.A.Q.:  Have questions about climate change? We’ve got answers .

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How to actually make your travel better for the planet

Four climate experts weigh in on how we can change our travel carbon footprint in a meaningful way

The world’s natural disasters of late may be filling you with climate change dread. How could it not? Fires, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes have overtaken headlines recently.

While we tend to think of cars, SUVs and coal burning power plants as major climate change contributors, we can’t forget that travel is another significant part of the problem.

For example, we know that the U.S. economy’s biggest source of greenhouse gases is transportation , and the U.S. is the second biggest source of greenhouse gases in the world . As The Washington Post’s climate reporter Sarah Kaplan wrote in 2019, canceling a single round-trip ticket on a trans-Atlantic flight saves the equivalent carbon dioxide emission as the average citizen of India emits all year, according to a 2017 study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

Does that mean we need to stop traveling if we want to save the planet from further demise? Fortunately, some climate experts say no. We spoke to four about how to change our behaviors to lessen our travel-carbon footprint in a meaningful way.

6 questions about carbon offsets for flights, answered

Start with where you’re going

As Kaplan wrote, most travel is going to have a negative impact on the environment, unfortunately. One way of reducing your carbon footprint is to plan trips closer to home.

The farther from home you go, the more fuel you need to get there (unless you’re going by bike, on foot or via renewable energy, of course), says Katharine Hayhoe , chief scientist for the Nature Conservancy, professor at Texas Tech University and author of the forthcoming book “ Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World. ” Her advice for travelers is to explore your own backyard and opt for more domestic trips.

“There are so many riches where we live, no matter where we live,” Hayhoe said. “Let’s think of different ways that we can take vacations and travel, be creative and enjoy the place where we are.”

Another very clear way of reducing your carbon footprint is to reduce travel, particularly by air, overall.

Milan Klöwer , a PhD student of climate computing at the University of Oxford, who also has side projects researching aviation’s contribution to global warming, says that to have the world’s flights stop contributing to global warming, everyone needs to fly less than we used to before the pandemic.

“If we were to fly 2 to 3 percent less every year, then we basically have stopped aviation from contributing further to global warming,” Klöwer said. “It sounds like a little, but the problem really is that the whole aviation industry is thinking that could be different direction.”

Air travel was down significantly this year. Climate activists hope it stays this way.

Rethink how you get there

Often, the ways to get to a destination as quickly and cheaply as possible don’t translate to the most energy-efficient. As you plan your trip, can you find a way to get there that has less of an impact?

If a plane is your only option, Hayhoe suggests looking for airlines that choose more sustainable jet fuel . But most climate experts will tell you to find alternatives to flying, like taking the train when possible. This is going to be an easier ask depending on where you are in the world, like Europe and Asia where train systems are more abundant. In the United States, unless you’re near an Amtrak route that fits your travel needs, taking the train instead of flying is a bigger challenge.

Lewis Fulton, a global transport expert at the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California at Davis, recommends travelers look for ways to take energy-efficient vehicles on their trips. Maybe that’s your family investing in an electric or hybrid vehicle or finding one to rent for your road trip .

For long distance trips, this is still a challenge because of distance limitations for cleaner vehicles (if you’re doing a big trip in an electric car, you need to be cognizant of where you can find charging stations). The more people support the technology now, the better the infrastructure supporting it will be in the future.

“I hope that within five to 10 years, we’re going to have a system in place where it’s just a lot easier for people to own an electric car and drive it long distances,” Fulton said.

The CDC’s do not travel list, explained

Consider your accommodation options

Chris Woodford , a science and technology writer for adults and children and author of the new book “ Breathless: Why Air Pollution Matters — And How it Affects You ,” says that overall, the calculations can get too complicated to establish whether staying at a hotel is better or worse for the environment than renting a house on Airbnb. But you can still try to spend your travel dollars supporting accommodations that are investing in greener practices, e.g., a hotel in a LEED certified building, one that uses biodegradable key cards, mobile check-in or solar power.

Then there are the little efforts, which Woodford calls “feel-good” endeavors because they’re minuscule on a larger scale but better than nothing. They’re the basics: not asking for housekeeping on a daily basis; not getting new towels or bedding during your stay; skipping the disposable cups in your room.

Look for local food

As our food production is a major impact on the environment, how you eat on the road matters just like it does at home.

Klöwer says travelers can rely on the “rule of thumb: It doesn’t really matter where your food comes from. It’s much more important what you eat.” Try eating less of foods that require a lot of resources to produce, namely beef and lamb, Klöwer says.

Woodford recommends travelers look for local food whenever possible, as it can have a smaller carbon footprint than ingredients imported from farther away.

Hayhoe agreed. “When we travel, we can shop at local farmers markets, eat lower down the food chain, not take our vacations as an opportunity to have giant steaks every night,” she said. “Almost every restaurant now offers plant-based options or seafood options. There’s so much that we can do.”

Airlines commit to reducing carbon emissions, but challenges stand in the way

Travelers can also be aware of their food waste — an issue which globally accounts for a greater carbon footprint than that of the airline industry.

“Often when we travel, we eat out a lot and there’s a lot of food waste,” Hayhoe said. “We waste about 50 percent of the food that we produce so often when we go to restaurants.”

Hayhoe encourages travelers to take any restaurant leftovers home to eat later or to cook for yourself if you have a kitchen available on your trip.

The Airbnb refund fine print you might not be reading

Buy less, do more

Climate experts will tell you that a large part of our environmental footprint is consumption. Buying stuff — whether it is clothing, furniture, holiday decorations, among many, many other goods — isn’t great for the planet.

Travelers can keep that in mind on vacation, and be more mindful about what they buy during a trip.

Is the souvenir you’re eyeing something that’s going to end up in a landfill in a couple of months or years? Does your aunt really need another plastic Disneyland cup? Are you going to toss that neon visor when you get back from your beach weekend? Can you bring a reusable water bottle so you don’t have to spend $4 on a Dasani at the airport? Do your best to limit buying items you really need, or look for items that will last.

As you know, shopping and eating aren’t the only activities you do on vacation. Hayhoe encourages travelers to seek out low carbon pastimes.

“Instead of instead of taking a bus tour, go hiking, or go the beach, or go fishing or walking,” she said.

Additionally, you can support companies that are attempting to better serve the environment, from eco-tourism organizations, zero-emission cruises or those working to offset their impact .

The moral of the story

Travel is no different than the carbon footprint actions you take when you’re at home. Woodford recommends people start their efforts to become more environmentally-minded by using a carbon footprint calculator ( such as this one ) to see where you can make changes in your everyday life, not just your travel behavior.

“What we have to understand is that climate change is everyone’s problem and we’re all going to suffer its effects — we’ve all got to play a part in sorting it out,” Woodford said. “We have to identify where we each individually are doing damage and try to put that right as best we can … and that applies whether you are traveling or whether you’re at home.”

More travel news

How we travel now: More people are taking booze-free trips — and airlines and hotels are taking note. Some couples are ditching the traditional honeymoon for a “buddymoon” with their pals. Interested? Here are the best tools for making a group trip work.

Bad behavior: Entitled tourists are running amok, defacing the Colosseum , getting rowdy in Bali and messing with wild animals in national parks. Some destinations are fighting back with public awareness campaigns — or just by telling out-of-control visitors to stay away .

Safety concerns: A door blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet, leaving passengers traumatized — but without serious injuries. The ordeal led to widespread flight cancellations after the jet was grounded, and some travelers have taken steps to avoid the plane in the future. The incident has also sparked a fresh discussion about whether it’s safe to fly with a baby on your lap .

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The new order of business travel

It is possible to reduce your carbon footprint when flying. Image:  Unsplash/Anete Lūsiņa

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Stay up to date:, pandemic preparedness and response.

• Business travel was one of the biggest casualties of the pandemic, and remote and hybrid work are bringing its future into question.
• Travel remains an important way for people to connect, but aviation accounts for 2-3% of global emissions.
• Travelling economy class has half the CO2 footprint of business class, because passengers take up half the space.
• Sustainable aviation fuel made from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil, is another option for reducing aviation emissions.

Among many casualties of the pandemic, business travel was one of the biggest. In 2020, the total amount of business travel expenses dropped 52% , according to McKinsey. Today, as we are learning to live with the Coronavirus and what feels like normality largely resuming, the dilemma around what that means for travel and face-to-face meetings is real.

It is clear that the old ways of working are no more – and that includes business travel. Remote and hybrid work are now the new normal, leaving business travel in an interesting position. “Business travel has reduced a lot,” says Katharina Riederer, co-founder of eco.mio, a consultancy that helps businesses choose sustainable travel solutions. “And we have these new opportunities: we’re meeting on Zoom.”

It’s a significant shift that may have come from expediency, rather than a desire to save the environment - but can the sustainability agenda make the need and want to think twice about travel last? From the necessity brought on by lockdowns we now have far better and widely adopted alternatives to choose from to help us do business remotely instead of making the trip.

It seems however, that those new opportunities are not always being taken up - or at least, cannot fully replace business travel. “In the new normal, travel remains an important way we connect, but aviation accounts for two to three percent of global emissions - and the number of flights are expected to grow significantly,” says Susanne Bouma, Head of Partnerships and Programs, Renewable Aviation at Neste , the world’s leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from 100% renewable waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil.

To meet or not to meet

Riederer admits that considering whether or not to make a trip is a business-driven decision. “Oftentimes, you can’t really control how much travel is in the company,” she says. “Take consulting: some customers really want you to be there.”

It’s also often cultural. “Two years ago, it was felt people would never need to meet again,” says Clive Wratten, chief executive of the British Travel Association. “But conversely, the reverse happened culturally: in Asia, it was seen as very important to get back out and meet people in the room, so you can understand all the nuances that come with doing business in a totally different culture.”

Yet if you can choose to not take the trip, what should you consider when deciding whether or not to book a flight, hop on a train, or rent a car to make your next meeting?

“The big consultancy firms and finance firms are very much getting back out and seeing customers, making sure they're in front of them,” says Wratten. “And that is really important. But do we really need to go and have an internal meeting in New York, where we meet our colleagues?”

For important meetings where you’re trying to close a key business deal, where it’s important to see the whites in your counterpart’s eyes, that flight may be necessary. But when you’re already well-established with partners, any meetings could well be via a video call.

What is the most sustainable way of traveling?

As well as questioning what the purpose of any trip is, it’s also worth considering what methods of transport are available to you.

Riederer points to Germany, where many people will choose to travel on trains rather than fly because of great connectivity. Another country that does well when it comes to internal land connections is Japan, whose high-speed train system means that the time taken for trips is often equal to or less than a corresponding flight.

“You can’t do that in the US,” Riederer says, conceding that this is not going to be an option for everyone. Helpfully, sites like Chronotrains tell would-be travelers how far they can travel from each train station across Europe in five hours – which is roughly the amount of time it’d take even the most seasoned business traveler to traverse check-in queues, security lines, and travel to and from airports even on the shortest of short-haul flights.

But even if you can’t change the mode of transport, you can take action to reduce your carbon footprint if you have to fly. “Economy class emits half the CO2 footprint of business class, because you take up half the space,” points out Riederer.

Individual companies can also take steps to ensure they’re helping, rather than harming, the planet. Whenever Bouma or any of her colleagues at Neste have to travel on planes, they fully compensate the carbon footprint equivalent of their flights with the equivalent of sustainable aviation fuel. “We’re walking the talk, and showing how it’s done,” she says. “That gives us a massive platform to be able to make and drive change.”

Acting now while innovating for the future

While the future of business travel and travel at large is possibly more unpredictable now than it has been for a long time, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) the number of air passengers is set to exceed pre-Covid-19 levels in 2024. This means that the need for alternatives to fossil fuels in aviation is urgent and sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is widely acknowledged as a key solution here. SAF is already commercially available as a direct replacement for fossil-based jet fuel cutting greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional fuel used in planes*.

For now, SAF is the only viable and direct option for reducing aviation emissions but there are more innovations in the pipeline for the longer term, says Bouma. “Sustainable aviation fuel alone will not be the silver bullet. Hydrogen and electric flying will all be part of the equation - but not available at commercial scale in the short-term.”

Until those innovations arrive and are deployed, we all have to play our part in upholding the new order of business travel. Of course it’s not simple to travel more sustainably. It’s easier said than done, the experts admit.

“There are no shortcuts to heaven,” says Bouma. “It’s important to acknowledge that, but at the same time we should choose the most sustainable options for travel where we can.”

The Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2023 report showed that after a decade of progress, the global energy transition has plateaued amid the global energy crisis and geopolitical volatilities.

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Learn more about our impact:

• Clean energy in emerging economies: We are advancing country-specific renewable energy finance solutions for four of the biggest emerging and developing economies : India, Brazil, Nigeria and Indonesia. In the latter, a new solar and battery initiative is bringing 15MW of clean energy to the East Sumba region – enough to power 4,000 homes and avoid 5.5KtCO₂ yearly emissions.
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Warming Trends

Calculating your vacation’s carbon footprint, one travel mode at a time, a new tool says trains are almost always greener than planes. also, climate anxiety in the u.k., the environmental destruction of guam, and smaller, slower, less pollinating butterflies..

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A Calculator To Plan Climate Friendly Travel

Planning a vacation? A new tool lets you calculate the carbon cost of your trip, taking into consideration distance traveled, mode of transportation and accommodation type. 

Created by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, the Travel and Climate tool lets a user put in where they are, where they’re going, how many are traveling and for how long. The tool tells users the carbon impact of each of their options, whether they travel by train, bus, gas-powered car, electric car or plane, and whether they stay in a tent, hostel or hotel.

Flying tends to be the least climate friendly way to reach a destination because of the significant carbon emitted by airplanes. Driving a car is often less carbon intensive than flying, especially if the car is electric. Trains are often the best choice, according to the tool, especially in Europe where they are powered by electricity. 

Jörgen Larsson , who is a researcher in sustainable consumption at Chalmers and one of the researchers who helped create the tool, said one way he likes to travel sustainably is train-bike tourism. This summer, he took a night train from his home in Gothenburg to northern Norway, where he biked 30 to 40 miles every day on a foldable bike to see the sights.

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Although the tool is backed with European data, users can insert destinations from around the world, but Larsson cautions that calculations in places like the United States may be less accurate. He hopes to improve the tool with data from the U.S. and Canada. 

Larsson hopes that people who use this tool will consider why they want to travel. Is it because they want to do a certain activity or see a certain place? Or is it more about spending time with friends and family away from your normal environment? 

“If that is your deeper goal with your vacation, then you can find lots of climate friendly options,” Larsson said. “You don’t have to fly long distances in order to be with your friends and family. You can take public transportation on your way to some place and get that fulfillment.”

The Motivating Power of Climate Anxiety

Only a small percentage of people in the United Kingdom experience climate anxiety, a new study found, but the condition can be a motivator for people to take action on global warming.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Bath, surveyed about 1,300 adults in the U.K. in 2020 and again in 2022. About 80 percent of respondents reported they worry about climate change, but most did not elevate that worry to anxiety, where the concern affects their emotions and daily functioning. 

But, researchers found that those who do experience climate anxiety are more likely to take action in their lives to reduce their carbon footprint, like cutting waste and consumption.

“Maybe there’s a certain level of climate anxiety which is quite an adaptive response,” said Lorraine Whitmarsh, the study’s lead author and an environmental psychologist at the University of Bath. “Because it does seem to actually promote positive action on climate change.”

The survey also found climate anxiety is predicted more by a respondents’ media consumption than by whether they had first-hand experience with a climate disaster. Whitmarsh suspects this is because media coverage tends to highlight the most dramatic effects of climate change.

She said that the best way to communicate the gravity of climate change is not just to discuss its terrible effects, but also “to show that there are things you can do to tackle that risk, to increase that sense of efficacy to reduce harm,” Whitmarsh said. “So I think there is an important role for media in not just telling people about climate change, but also telling people there are solutions.”

‘Outsource the Suffering’

A new collection of essays, speeches, eulogies and poems tell a story of heartbreak and grief on Guam, in the Pacific, bearing witness to loss in the natural world. 

Julian Aguon, a writer and human rights lawyer, delves into the climate and justice issues arising from the militarization of Guam, while reflecting on his own coming of age experience as an Indigenous Chamorro person growing up on the U.S. island territory in his new book, “No Country for Eight Spot Butterflies” out this month. Guam—about 4,000 miles west of Hawaii—is strategically located for the U.S. military and is home to two, soon to be three, bases and thousands of military personnel. Much military development is underway on the island, including a new machine gun practice range in the heart of an ecologically sensitive forest that supports many native species found nowhere else in the world, including the Mariana eight-spot butterfly.

Inside Climate News recently discussed the book with Aguon. This conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity. 

Tell me about this new book, and why did you want to write it?

It’s sort of many things at once. It sort of breaks the rules when it comes to form for sure. It’s like essays that were inspired by old notes collected from old journals that I have done since even my teenage years, but also commencement speeches, eulogies and shorter vignettes, sort of ala Sandra Cisneros’ “House on Mango Street.” It’s just a total hodge podge, I think a lovely mess, but honestly, I just thought that I had really specific things to say, and they didn’t lend themselves to one neat categorizable thing. So I was lucky enough to find a publisher who was willing to crash every party at once.

What does the title of your book mean, “No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies”?

The Mariana eight-spot butterfly is one of several endemic endangered species that are being directly threatened because the U.S. military is building a massive, multipurpose 59-acre machine gun range, because they need this machine gun range. So because of that claimed need, they have already begun to destroy limestone forest and these are forests that took thousands of years to evolve. These are really specific environments, and they are home to the eight-spot butterfly. And so when I wrote “No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies,” I’m trying to point out the just incredible beauty of a species being smashed and obliterated by the U.S. war machine. It is like bearing witness to this smashing. 

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How is your perspective informed and shaped by being a native of Guam, and what should mainland Americans know about this Pacific island? 

The sort of spreading canopy of militarization is not only here, but it’s palpable, it’s felt in the air that we breathe. 

Americans think that they’re gearing up for a war. There’s always the rhetorical sort of going to war, sort of like “rallying the troops” rhetoric that we’re seeing, even at the congressional level, sometimes at the executive branch. But there’s actually already a war that is happening in real time if you are part of a frontline community. As America is increasingly concerned with China’s rising influence in the Asia-Pacific Theater, what’s happening on the ground is they are expanding their military footprint. They are building a brand new Marine Corps base, the first one built since the ‘50s anywhere in this country. You can see the military transport vehicles both on the ground and in the waters. You see, the war is already here. 

It’s like climate change. This is not a future crisis. It’s a current crisis. It’s happening now. That’s what happens sometimes in America. This country likes to go to war, but it likes to outsource the suffering. The suffering is happening on the ground in communities so far away. 

Smaller, Slower and Less Effective

Warmer temperatures can lead to smaller body sizes for insects. A new study on a common butterfly species shows that smaller sized individuals also carry less pollen, which could be a problem for food crops that rely on pollinators. 

Researchers from the University of British Columbia raised cabbage white butterflies in a laboratory setting and found that those raised in warmer temperatures were smaller than those in colder temperatures. They also found the smaller butterflies with their smaller wings could not fly as far or as fast as larger butterflies. 

Then, the researchers looked at cabbage whites in the wild and found that individuals similar in size to the small, warm-raised butterflies carried less pollen from fewer different species of plants than larger individuals. 

Pollinators like butterflies play an important role in spreading pollen to about 35 percent of the world’s agricultural crops. The researchers argue that warming temperatures driven by climate change could make pollinators smaller, slower and less effective at transporting pollen.  

“There’s a bit of a concern that maybe plants will be not able to get as much pollen as they need to make all their fruits,” said study co-author Michelle Tseng, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia. “But we don’t know for sure yet if that is the case.” Further study is needed to understand if this phenomenon is widespread enough to cause issues for agriculture, she said. 

Katelyn Weisbrod

Audience director.

Katelyn Weisbrod is the former Audience Director at Inside Climate News based in Minnesota. She previously wrote ICN’s weekly Warming Trends column highlighting climate-related studies, innovations, books, cultural events and other developments from the global warming frontier. She joined the team in January 2020 after graduating from the University of Iowa with Bachelor’s degrees in journalism and environmental science. Katelyn previously reported from Kerala, India, as a Pulitzer Center student fellow, and worked for over four years at the University of Iowa’s student newspaper, The Daily Iowan.

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How airlines are working to create sustainable fuel to reduce aviation’s carbon footprint

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Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of the summer travel season and that means a lot of driving and flying. When discussing greenhouse gas emissions, the focus is usually on cars and trucks since they generate the most. But the aviation sector is under pressure to reduce its carbon footprint. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien looks at efforts to create greener fuels for the skies.

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Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.

Amna Nawaz:

The Memorial Day season is the unofficial start of a big summer travel season, and that means a lot of driving and flying.

When we talk about greenhouse gas emissions and transportation, we largely focus on cars and trucks, since they generate the most. But the aviation sector is under pressure to reduce its carbon footprint too.

In the second of two reports, science correspondent Miles O'Brien looks at efforts to create greener fuels for the skies.

Miles O’Brien:

A half-mile outside the fence from Boston's Logan Airport, Carlos Flores is helping grease the skids for an ambitious goal, erasing the carbon footprint of airline travel. He is at a Wingstop, harvesting used cooking oil, or UCO. It contains hydrocarbons and can be refined into sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF.

UCO to SAF, from Wingstop to wing tank.

Carlos Flores, Mahoney Environmental:

Every time I fly back home in Brazil, I think about it. It's like, maybe I help put some fuel in here, you know?

He drives for Mahoney Environmental, a subsidiary of Neste, a Finnish oil refiner that is now a global leader in renewable fuel production, including sustainable aviation fuel.

Dave Kimball is Mahoney's president and CEO.

Dave Kimball, President and CEO, Mahoney Environmental: So the really cool thing about cooking oil is, it's already had one life, and now we're having a second life with it.

Mahoney currently sucks about 400 million pounds of grease out of dumpsters nationwide. It's cooking up plans to retrieve a billion by 2030.

Even though sustainable aviation fuel is two or three times more expensive than the fossil alternative, the airlines are demanding it. Facing public backlash over its climate footprint, the industry has set an aggressive goal, net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and it has no other short-term alternative to fossil fuels.

Dave Kimball:

It's a drop-in fuel, so you don't have to modify anything to use it. You don't have to build charging stations for airplanes and all those types of things. So, to me, that's the logical next step.

Globally, sustainable aviation fuel production will likely reach nearly a half-billion gallons in 2024, a six-fold increase since 2022, and yet still only one-half of 1 percent of the 99 billion gallon annual burn rate for jet fuel.

In 2021, the Biden administration launched a sustainable aviation fuel grand challenge. The goal is to produce 35 billion gallons of SAF in the U.S. by 2050. But to get there, grease is not the only word.

Jerry Tuskan, Department of Energy Director, Center for Bioenergy Innovation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory: There won't be a silver bullet. There won't be one commodity that will satisfy the 35 billion gallon target.

Jerry Tuskan is director of the Center for Bioenergy Innovation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

He says oil from fryer grease, soybeans and corn can produce a third of that goal, adding hydrocarbons to existing ethanol production can address another third, and the rest will have to come from new crops dedicated to energy. He says 20 to 40 million acres of land will be needed. There are about 900 million acres of farmland in the U.S.

We can have it all and not have to make a choice between food and fuel?

Jerry Tuskan:

There is enough land potentially available to produce 35 billion gallons of aviation fuel. It will take a portfolio or a mixture of species geared toward adaptive production in specific regions.

The Oak Ridge team is partnered with 17 other institutions, including the University of University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, home of the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation.

Agronomist Emily Heaton is a professor in the Department of Crop Sciences.

Emily Heaton, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign: We are at the stage where we're testing the first iterations of making jet fuels from the bioenergy crops that we have today.

She gave me a tour of their energy farm, where they grow, tweak and study so-called bioenergy crops.

When you say bioenergy crops, what are we — what exactly are we talking about?

Emily Heaton:

We are talking about crops that are used to capture carbon out of the atmosphere and use in place of plants that captured carbon out of the atmosphere millions of years ago, which are fossil fuels.

The carbon that renewable fuels emit when burned is offset by the CO2 absorbed as the feedstock grows in the field. Because the cycle does not unearth any ancient carbon, it is called net zero.

One of the leading contenders for sustainable aviation fuel is miscanthus giganteus, a hardy, fast-growing perennial grass plant that thrives on marginal land in cold climates.

Oh, wow, a little — it's doing well in here, huh?

They're getting pretty big. It's about time to cut them back.

Did you bring the machete?

We actually have several.

Inside this greenhouse, they are crossbreeding miscanthus with sugarcane, hoping to add fatty compounds known as lipids to it to make the conversion to aviation fuel cheaper and easier.

So how much growth is this? How long did it take for them to get this big?

So for a mature plant, this is a single growing season's worth of biomass.

It can grow 14 feet high, but that's just half the picture.

You can start to get a feel for what's below ground.

There is an equal amount of biomass beneath the surface.

And if you include the avoided fossil emissions, because we're not fertilizing very much, we're not tilling, and it's storing things below ground, it comes back carbon-negative.

Not just zero, carbon-negative. The energy farm is outfitted with a million-dollar network of air, water, soil, and weather sensors to verify the true carbon budget of these crops.

But, ultimately, it will be the budget of farmers that will determine the success of these ideas. It's a chicken-and-egg problem, as I learned one morning when I visited Emily's parents' farm 20 miles west of Urbana.

John Caveny, Caveny Farm:

So you're going to put a wire in here, here, and here.

John and Connie Caveny are focused on pasture-raised beef and lamb. They know a lot about growing grass. But, right now, it's not a viable option for most farmers. The streamlined infrastructure that makes this such a productive place to grow corn and soybeans does not exist for grass production.

If you're thinking about growing grass that ultimately might fuel an airplane, the system isn't set up for that, is it?

John Caveny:

No. It's a long way off.

To entice farmers to grow energy crops, they will need new equipment, financing and crop insurance. For now, it's a field of dreams, except, if you build it, the market may not come.

The best use for miscanthus right now is animal bedding.

That's it. We plowed up a lot of it.

But this family is undeterred. Energy crops not only offer benefits for the climate. They also improve the local environment, reducing run-off and improving soil health, adding diversity.

Getting back to our roots using contemporary carbon to base our society, instead of fossil carbon, is a choice that we need to make if we are to persist on this planet.

And still freely travel around it without carrying a lot of excess carbon baggage.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Miles O'Brien in Boston.

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• ENVIRONMENT

What is a carbon footprint—and how to measure yours

Determining a carbon footprint is easier said than done, and it’s not clear how much weight we should put on it.

As awareness of climate change   grows, so does the desire to do something about it . But the scale of the problems it causes—from wildfires to melting glaciers to droughts—can seem utterly overwhelming . It can be hard to make a connection between our everyday lives and the survival of polar bears, let alone how we as individuals can help turn the situation around.

One way to gain a quantifiable understanding of the impacts of our actions, for good and bad, is through what is known as a carbon footprint. But while the concept is gaining traction—Googling “How do I reduce my carbon footprint?” yields almost 27 million responses—it is not always fully understood .

What is a carbon footprint?

So, what exactly is a carbon footprint? According to Mike Berners-Lee , a professor at Lancaster University in the UK and author of The Carbon Footprint of Everything , it is “the sum total of all the greenhouse gas emissions that had to take place in order for a product to be produced or for an activity to take place.”

For most consumers in developed countries, these products and activities tend to fall into four principal categories: household energy use, transport, food, and everything else, which is mostly the products we buy, from utensils to clothes to cars to television sets.

Each of these activities and products has its own footprint; a person’s carbon footprint is the combined total of the products they buy and use, the activities they undertake, and so on. A person who regularly consumes beef will have a   larger food footprint than his vegan neighbor, but that neighbor’s overall footprint may be larger if she drives an hour to work and back in an SUV each day while our meat-eater bicycles to his office nearby. Both their footprints may pale in comparison to the businesswoman across the street, who flies first-class cross-country twice a month.

Unsurprisingly, in general terms the size of a person’s carbon footprint tends to increase with wealth. In his book, Berners-Lee writes that the average global citizen has a carbon footprint that is equivalent to the emission of seven tons of carbon dioxide per year. However, that figure is approximately 13 tons for the average Briton and roughly 21 tons per person in the United States.; The “average American takes just a couple of days to match the annual footprint of the average Nigerian or Malian,” he writes.

How is a carbon footprint calculated?

It isn’t easy to calculate a carbon footprint; indeed, Berners-Lee calls it the “essential but impossible” measurement.

For Hungry Minds

Consider, for example, the personal carbon cost of taking a commercial flight. On the one hand, the calculation is straightforward: take how much fuel a plane burns and how many greenhouse gases are emitted during the course of a flight and divide by the number of passengers. But the footprint is larger for first-and-business-class passengers, because they take up more space and because their higher cost creates an extra incentive for the flight to actually take place. Other considerations include how much cargo the plane is carrying, and the altitude at which the plane flies .

Even so, it is a relatively simple calculation compared to assessing the emissions involved in every step of, say, the manufacture of a car: the emissions that take place at the assembly plant, the generation of electricity to power that plant, the transport of all the component items, the factories at which the components were made, the creation of the machinery used at those factories and at the assembly plant and so on, all the way back to the extraction of the minerals that are the car’s building blocks.

Because of the complexity involved in such calculations, Berners-Lee concedes that in such cases it is “never possible to be completely accurate.” The good news, he argues, is that for most individuals, that doesn’t matter. “Usually, it’s good enough just to have a broad idea,” he says.

What steps a person can take to reduce their personal footprint the most of course depends on the kind of lifestyle they presently live, and the same actions are not equally effective for everyone. For example, switching to an electric car is far more impactful in Vermont , where more than half the state’s electricity is generated by hydropower, than in West Virginia, where it is almost entirely generated by coal. Berners-Lee notes that, “for some people, flying may be 10 percent of their footprint, for some people it’s zero, and for some it’s such a huge number that it should be the only thing they should be thinking about.”

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A cornucopia of calculators.

To that end, in recent years, a veritable cornucopia of personal carbon footprint calculators has emerged online. By entering information about your household energy use, food consumption, and travel habits, for example, these calculators aim to provide you with an approximation of the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted to support your way of life. This one from the Nature Conservancy focuses on home energy use, transportation, diet, and shopping; this, from the United States Environmental Protection Agency , also considers transportation and energy use but adds in waste—specifically, how much you recycle. It also enables you to calculate how much your footprint could be reduced by taking steps such as insulating your home, driving less, or procuring a more fuel-efficient vehicle. This one shows just how much of an idealized personal carbon budget is taken up by consuming two large cheeseburgers a month or spending two nights in a hotel.

Are carbon footprints just fossil fuel propaganda?

It has been claimed that the earliest such calculator appeared in 2004 as part of the “ Beyond Petroleum” campaign of oil giant BP —a fact that causes some observers to criticize the pressure to reduce personal carbon footprints as a “sham” to “promote the slant that climate change is not the fault of an oil giant, but that of individuals.”

“A few years ago, Shell promoted a tweet into my thread that asked, ‘What are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint?’” recalls Katharine Hayhoe , chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy and a professor at Texas Tech University. “So, I replied with something along the lines of, ‘You are responsible for 2 percent of global emissions, equivalent to the entire country of Canada; when you have a plan to get rid of those, I’d be happy to talk to you about my personal carbon footprint.’ And they hid my reply.”

“It’s really important that all of us think about what we’re consuming, whether it’s fish or furniture or air conditioning: where it came from, what impact it had,” says Kert Davies, director of the Climate Investigations Center . “But industry then turned it around and made it: ‘It’s not our fault, you’re using our product. You deal with it.’”

That is all the more egregious, he argues, given that the fossil fuel industry has directly fought to limit some of the measures that are often cited as ways for people to reduce their personal carbon footprints: more fuel-efficient vehicle standards, or clean energy technology , for example.

“If not for fossil fuel companies, you would already be driving an EV, your house would be more efficient to run if industry hadn’t blocked solutions and obscured the truth about the urgency of addressing climate change ,” Davies adds.

Do carbon footprint calculators have a role?

Hayhoe argues that there are other problems with the concept of personal carbon footprints, not least the fact that many of the proposed means to reduce those footprints are unavailable to those who, for example, don’t have access to public transport, or can’t afford the upfront cost of an electric car or a heat pump, or who live in food deserts , where healthier, lower-impact foods such as vegetables and grains are harder to come by.

“There’s a role for the personal carbon footprint concept in high income countries among middle-to-high income people,” she explains. “There’s a very big role for the personal carbon footprint among the very richest people in the world . But we have to realize it is a limited concept—it does not apply to everyone.”

In addition, she argues, acting by ourselves is just one small part of what is required to affect change in a system that, despite the best individual efforts, remains dominated by the production and use of fossil fuels.

“I would say personal carbon footprint calculators are a useful tool to assess the impact of your immediate actions: where you live, where you travel, what you eat,” she says. “But what’s much more important than your personal carbon footprint is your climate shadow . Where do you keep your money? How do you vote? What about the businesses you work with, or the university you’re a part of, or the Rotary Club of which you’re a member—what are they doing, and how could you advocate for change?

“So, in a nutshell, when people ask me what they should do, I say: Do something, anything, but then talk about it. The only way to bring the carbon footprint of everybody in rich countries to where it needs to be for a sustainable planet is to change the system, and to change the system we have to use our voice.”

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Flight shame over carbon footprint is taking off. Will it come to Asia?

Travel harms the environment but it’s not going to stop. can we do it more smartly.

When Ms Hanna Kayhko, a friend of mine, relocated temporarily from her home in Joensuu, Finland, to Oxford, Britain, in 2023, she packed her husband and two children into the family car, a Volvo XC70 sedan, and drove the 3,200km or so over five days.

Flying would have taken six to eight hours, including a transit in the Finnish capital Helsinki.

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Climate change: the fairest way to tax carbon is to make air travel more expensive

Professor of Sustainable Welfare, University of Leeds

Research Fellow, Department of Transport Planning, Technical University of Dortmund

Disclosure statement

Milena Buchs receives funding from UK Research and Innovation through the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (grant reference number EP/R035288/1). She is a fellow of the ZOE Institute for Future Fit Economies and curates the sustainable welfare stream for the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab.

Giulio Mattioli receives funding from the German Research Foundation as part of the research project “Advancing knowledge of long-distance travel: Uncovering its connections to mobility biography, migration, and daily travel” (Project Number: SCHE 1692/10–1).

University of Leeds provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK.

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Despite the fact that poorer people generally have lower emissions , taxes on the carbon dioxide (CO₂) our activities emit tend to affect people on low incomes more than richer people. Having less money means you can ill afford a switch to an untaxed alternative, like an electric car, or pay for carbon-saving measures like home insulation. You are also more likely to struggle to use less of an essential good like petrol or gas for heating, even if the price goes up.

Carbon taxes on energy that people use in their homes – for heating, cooking or watching TV – charge consumers for the emissions per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity, gas or oil used. Economists would say that these kinds of carbon taxes are regressive , because using energy to heat and power your home is a necessity and poorer people will use a much higher share of their income to pay for these things – and the taxes – than richer people.

While total emissions have been falling in several rich countries over the last few years, emissions from cars and other means of transport are growing . The rise in air travel emissions has been especially rapid: a roughly sevenfold increase between 1960 and 2018 globally.

What’s more, the fuels for heating and powering homes or driving cars are taxed, but the fuel airlines use is exempt due to an international agreement from 1944.

And although Europeans generally disapprove of carbon taxes, our study has revealed one type which could prove popular. In the first analysis of its kind to consider the effect on different income bands, we found that carbon taxes on air travel – what we describe as luxury emissions – nearly always affect the rich more.

Tax burdens from air travel

Our research examined how the burden from four different taxes on air travel would fall across income groups in the UK. It shows that all of these taxes are progressive: they burden richer people more than poorer people as a proportion of income. This is because people on higher incomes are much more likely to fly , and fly more often.

Air travel taxes that apply to passengers could be levied on the emissions of each passenger per flight. People could also be taxed according to the distance they travel, or their seat class. An aeroplane’s economy class occupies the least space per person, while business- and first-class passengers take up more room and so are responsible for more emissions than the average passenger.

A person could also be taxed for the number of flights they take. A frequent flyer levy would exempt the first return flight a person takes in a year, but would tax subsequent flights at an increasing rate. We found that taxes that take both flight emissions and the number of flights per passenger into account distribute the tax burden fairest.

The reason for this is that frequent air travel (all flights after the first return flight) is even more unequally distributed in society: the top 10% of emitters are responsible for 60.8% of flight emissions but for 83.7% of emissions from frequent flights.

Who else except the wealthy is likely to be affected by taxes on air travel? We found that, in the UK, university graduates, employed people, young and middle-aged adults, residents of London, as well as first- and second-generation migrants are also more likely to fly than their counterparts, regardless of income.

Our results showed that recent migrants with friends and family abroad are relatively likely to fly often, even when on a low income. So allowances or extra support for recent migrants could make the design of such taxes fairer.

Overall, taxes on air travel are far more socially just than taxes on necessities such as home energy use and could curb luxury emissions in a way that nurtures broad support for more sweeping decarbonisation measures such as those designed to limit car travel, like expanding bus and cycling lanes .

So why do politicians and others claim, as former UK treasury minister Robert Jenrick did in 2019, that air travel taxes disproportionately hit the poor ? It’s possible that they underestimate how little people in low-income groups actually fly, perhaps due to their typically middle- and upper-class backgrounds.

A less charitable interpretation is that they have ulterior motives for opposing such taxes. Social scientists claim that exaggerating or misrepresenting the social justice consequences of environmental policy is one of the most common arguments used to stall vital action on climate change.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like? Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 10,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

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The Carbon Footprint of 15 Major Travel Methods

Posted: May 30, 2024 | Last updated: May 30, 2024

The carbon footprint of 15 major travel methods is kind of revealing. Unfortunately, these numbers don’t reveal everything.

Cruise Ship

When you consider how much fuel a cruise ship needs it makes sense that this is at the top of the list. But the materials needed to create and maintain these sea-going beasts are even greater.

Short-Haul Flight

You would think that a longer flight would be worse, yeah? But the amount of energy needed to propel a plane for short jaunts is greater.

Environmental activists are firmly against diesel engines in a lot of ways. But what many don’t realize is that these rigs are still needed.

It’s nice to have your own car to get around in. However, sometimes it’s better to stay home or find a closer alternative to what you need.

Medium-Haul Flight

Using shorter flights takes up more energy, which doesn’t make sense to some folks. But it’s kind of like starting and stopping in a car, it’s horrible because taking off requires far more energy.

Long-Haul Flight

The fuel conservation used in longer flights is far easier to sustain. It takes a lot to lift off, but sustaining a longer flight is much easier.

In truth, a motorbike consumes less fuel and produces lower emissions than most cars. It does still kick up a good bit of exhaust though.

It would make more sense to think that a bus would create a bigger footprint than many vehicles. It takes a lot to get going. But apparently, it’s not quite as bad as others.

Plug-In Hybrid

A lot of people are switching to hybrids, but one thing to remember is that the batteries do require more harmful processes to make and dispose of. Plus, the transition is still slowly gaining momentum.

Electric Car

As mentioned above, the batteries needed for these cars aren’t entirely environmentally friendly. Plus, they don’t operate well in the cold at this time.

National Rail

The more people that can fit on a transport the better. Plus, it helps that many stops along the line are close by.

Everything relies on fuel of some type, but there are modes of transportation that make more sense. It does limit the freedoms of some individuals, but it’s not the worst alternative.

London Underground

Every transportation system has its ups and downs. But the fact is that a lot of people rely on public transportation, so it’s not all bad.

There’s still fuel involved in pretty much every mode of transportation that relies on something other than human or animal power. But some methods are less harmful to the environment.

Eurostar Train

The goal is to cut down on the overall carbon footprint, as this option proves. But at the same time, one can’t help but wonder if this will ever be possible.

The post The Carbon Footprint of 15 Major Travel Methods appeared first on SheBudgets .

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