People are usually surprised to find out how much pollution comes from commercial air flights. Large jets burn about a gallon of fuel per second. On a cross-country flight, every single passenger is responsible for about 100 gallons of fuel use.
The easiest way and also the most cost-effective way to cut down on these emissions is simply not to fly. Particularly if you’re a business traveler, you can cut down on the number of trips you take by combining trips or conducting meetings by telephone.
If you have to fly, look for direct flights and book economy class tickets, both more environmentally friendly options. Finally, consider offsetting the greenhouse gas emissions from your flights by funding clean energy projects through our partner TerraPass.
A thought provoking brilliant post. Unnecessary travels not just in air but otherwise too could be avoided. Thanks for sharing this.
glad to see this in public eye. Always thunk it- and wondered why it wasnt written about in newspaper stories. Maybe airline industry too powerful to permit honest eco talk on public level. Yikes!
With so many options for direct communication available (phone, videoconferencing, etc.), flying does seem like an unnecessary expense in so many cases… those communication options are much, much cheaper than flying, also. This is also a good argument for investing in passenger rail in the US… it's so much more efficient!
"This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you "
George B Shaw
Having a president fly somewhere every few days for many years has been a bane of my life.Outside of Houston the difference in air quality was very evident when air space was closed in 2001. How much ecological damage and money could have been saved by limiting Air Force One hours??
My intent is to get solar collectors and rain water collectors built into the plans of apartments to offset the problems we saw after Ike.
Hey Ed-Great blog about commercial flying. These days with Skype you can pretty much tele-conference everywhere, which will also save you big $$$$'s in this challenging ecomony. Q for you: Do you have any information about how much fuel is used flying on private jets? I've always wanted to know the stats/math.
Thanks in advance,
Linda LaRue, RN MEd, ATC
reZeneration, Inc.
While the thought and sentiment of this blog is a noble one, it falls extremely short of practicality.
Until I am able to twitch my nose…Bewitched, or something as good, it is absolutely impossible not to fly somewhere, sometime.
Most, if not all, people are exactly where they are supposed to be at every minute of the day, and most of them cannot be there, or doing what they are supposed to be doing, living their purpose…if not for air travel. Including women and men of great wisdom who travel the world to impart that wisdom, in order to help, and teach others. This includes our in house resident guru, Deepak Chopra.
Many families would never be able to be together if not for air travel. The United States of America for one, would be empty of millions of wonderful new citizens if they did not use air travel.
The above is just a couple of tiny of reasons why avoiding or protesting air travel would be totallty impossible.
I am, however, all for a cleaner enviroment, but there are far greater and much more attainable ways to get there.
Not to mention the World economy! I don't have the time nor the desire to list the specifics in this area…far too encompassing.
Just think about it.
So until I am able to just "Twitch" my nose….I will by necessity, and in some cases, just for fun, time, and convenience…travel by air.
In peace,
Razz
Question: How many gallons does a 747 jet carry for cross country or overseas, non-stop? Surely, we'll design more efficient aircraft power perhaps using magnetic levitation? We should not be too far off from flying saucer technology. Could those aliens be our advanced mechanics enthusiasts working clandestinely out of their garages?
Charles
How about a Seqway aircraft!!!!???? http://www.segway.com/
If only we can add wings and seats!
Charles Wildbank
Charles,and barf bags too Please.
Razz
Waiting also for the kind of flight that will not pollute, for those of us who must fly, bridging oceans…