…doesn’t mean you have to do it!
By Alisha Fowler
“DING! You are free to move about the country! $49 one-way tickets anywhere in the U.S. Book by Saturday to take advantage of this deal!”
Oh airplanes, how I love and hate you. In as little as 5.5 hours, I can move from Oakland, CA, to Pennsylvania; this is a big comfort for a girl so far from her roots. But I hate how you trigger my environmental guilt for flying so much since becoming a trans-America transplant.
We are a truly mobile generation! We are able to get to anywhere, on earth, in a day or so. And this is a gift - a luxury, nothing to poo-poo. Except, we’re leaving a lot more than our roots behind as we travel. We’re spewing massive amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every time we take flight!!
I know I’m not the only one caught in this world of love and hate of air travel due to its environmental impacts (umm please give me a shoutout in the comments section to affirm that, por favor!). I have about 20 friends engaged in the environmental movement who live only within flying distance of their hometowns. And, we all go back to visit at least two times per year.
What’s more, the organization I work for came into existence to fight climate change and we are sending staff all over the country in a few weeks to organize around climate solutions. Plus, there are mega-conferences for every business arena on the planet, every year, drawing thousands of people to convention centers.
And while flying allows us to move around the globe as never before, it is said to 
be one of the worst ways to emit greenhouse gases. Bummer. Even though the flying industry is a relatively small industry, it has a HUGE impact on the climate system. The David Suzuki Foundation tells us it accounts for 4-9% of our species’ climate impact. What’s more, burning jet fuel also releases water vapor, nitrous oxides, sulphate, and soot. Aircraft emissions also trigger condensation trails and help create cirrus clouds.
Plus, the rate of growth for carbon dioxide emissions from airlines is staggering: it could hit 1.5 billion tons of CO2 a year by 2025. For perspective, the EU emits roughly 3.1 billion tons of CO2 a year…
The more I learn, the less I am able to turn a blind eye to the impact of air travel. And while there are some far-off solutions, like solar-powered planes, they won’t be around just yet. I do not see a teleportation device anywhere, either.
So what’s a girl to do, today? An eco-conscious business person to do? We need some solutions here! This week I am grappling with potential solutions. Below are some options and choices I have found. I would love to hear where you weigh-in.
Solutions
Don’t fly: that’s what a lot of environmentalists will tell you. And, sure, I agree with that. I don’t particularly like hurling through the air in a giant piece of metal, for a few reasons… but is that really realistic for us?
As of now, I say no. I am not willing to give up vacations, trips home to see family, or the opportunity to travel through work. Are you?
Offset your jetset: There are many companies out there today that enable you to offset the environmental impact of your travel. In simple terms this means that you pay some additional money to a company or organization to offset your carbon footprint. Offset companies engage in activities that encourage the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, mainly through developing clean energy projects or planting trees (which suck carbon out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis).
One great offset company, in particular, is Native Energy. They promote a new green economy model on desperate development-starved reservations.
Terra Pass and others are out there, too, but you might want to read about how they measure up. What’s more, many European airlines already offer carbon offsetting automatically in the ticket price, like SAS.
Offsets can be a great way to go if you have to travel a lot, while you have to sift through the slightly slimy green offerings. And yet, is this really a long-term solution? There is something kind of counter-intuitive to offsetting our travel, forever. It does not strike me as an actual solution.
And now, for the solution that I believe most in:
Stay in your PJs and say NO to unnecessary travel! A lot of companies are using video conferencing to avoid unnecessary travel. Why be bored in person at a meeting? You can be bored over the phone! Just kidding – but you don’t have to necessarily go anywhere to do your job these days.
Companies like Swiss Re and IKEA are using video conferencing to reduce business air travel. Companies benefit from reduced costs, and more efficient decision-making about travel. Employees avoid the stress of traveling and time away from home and family. Win-win!
In fact, beyond air travel companies are discovering the energy and environmental benefits – not to mention quality of life improvements – of teleworking.
I find myself able to pass on weekend-trips back to Pennsylvania by using webcams to keep in touch with family and friends who live far away.
And regardless, tell your Congressman/woman One important thing you can do as you travel is contact your political representatives, tell them you’re concerned about the contribution of aviation to global climate change. You can ask them to curb greenhouse gases and also invest in long-term solutions that can help make carbon-free air travel a reality.
A closing question is, however, can we develop real, long-term solutions to this, or does flying have no part in a low-carbon society? I am still struggling with this and kind of afraid of the answer…
Alisha Fowler is an Educator and Online Media Coordinator at Alliance for Climate Education.
