Yes. Flying is often the only reasonable mode of transportation because distances are long and time is limited. And people do not give flying anywhere they feel like going a second thought. It has become the way we live. But before about 2 generations ago, air travel had not existed for all of the history of people inhabiting the Earth. Now it’s habit. But there are consequences to living like this. Including causing irreversible harm to the planet and probably eventually killing the planet and extinguishing the human race and life as we know it.
It amazes me that the subject of air travel has not even entered the discussion on climate change and what to do about it.
According to the latest estimates, there are approximately 100,000 flights per day. This number includes all types of flights, including passenger, cargo, and military aircraft. Passenger flights alone account for over 90,000 flights per day, transporting millions of passengers to destinations all around the world.
Just as we need electric cars to cut down the emissions from cars, we also need an alternative type of fuel for planes to do so. But that is not going to happen unless it enters into the discussion about climate change in the first place.
A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of CO2 per year. This assumes the average gasoline vehicle on the road today has a fuel economy of about 22.2 miles per gallon and drives around 11,500 miles per year. Every gallon of gasoline burned creates about 8,887 grams of CO2.
Compared to:
CO2 emissions from aviation fuel are 3.15 grams per gram of fuel [1], which gives CO2 emissions from a Boeing 737-400 of 115 g per passenger per km. At a cruising speed of 780 km per hour [Wikipedia, 28.2. 08], this is equivalent to 90 kg CO2 per passenger per hour.
1 gallon of gas, on average, creates 8,887 grams of CO2 for the average car. You can calculate how much CO2 you create by multiplying the number of gallons of gas it takes for your car to travel a given distance. So, if your car uses uses 50 gallons of gas in a trip, it has produced 440,350 grams of CO2. That trips generated .44035 metric tons of CO2.
Whereas, a Boeing 737-400 creates 90kg of CO2 per passenger per hour. So, if you are a passenger on a Boeing 737-400, your share of the emissions output is 90 kg per passenger hour.
In terms of traveling by cruise ship, here is some data:
But just how severe is their impact on the climate? Unfortunately, taking a cruise takes a toll on the planet. Your trip will average anywhere from 700-1000 pounds of carbon emissions a day, which is much higher than flying, driving or a traditional ‘land’ vacation.
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