Whilst this is not home energy usage, it is contributing significantly to your carbon footprint. Transport contributes 23% of the world’s global carbon emissions with air transport contributing 12% of this total.
The Facts:
It is not just the amount of carbon that’s the issue, CO2 released at high altitudes creates 1.9 times more warming than if it was released at the earth’s surface.
A flight from London to New York creates enough warming to melt 3 metres cubed of arctic ice.
There are around 30 flights a day each way, 365 days a year. That’s equivalent to 65,000 m3 ice lost from two cities alone.
It is very difficult to avoid air travel altogether, it is best to try to keep it at a minimum. You don’t have to go halfway across the world to have a holiday. You can save 2.8 tonnes of CO2 this summer by interrailing around Europe instead of flying to South East Asia.
If you are going on a long-haul flight, pay to offset your carbon. Websites such as carbonfootprint.com will give you lots of different options to offset carbon using certified schemes. They also have a tool that will estimate your total carbon footprint. A simple Google search will show you lots of offsetting options. Even better still, volunteer for tree planting and offset the carbon yourself.
