The quickest way to ruin your climate footprint

 

we know you're still going to fly, but there are ways to do it less until the industry gets greener

LTDEDIGOS/Getty Images You're well on your way to becoming a well-informed, climate-action citizen of the world with the help of this newsletter. But you could also be undermining those efforts by the way you travel.

the hard truth Flying is one of the least climate-friendly decisions you can make.

Aviation accounts for around 3% to 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That seems like a small fraction of the problem, but taking just one long flight a year can balloon your own annual climate footprint.   How is that possible? Because most people in the world don't fly! More than half of the world's aviation emissions are caused by just 1% of the population.   Now consider how fast the aviation sector is growing, and how much more accessible flying will be in the coming decades. Globally, more than 4.5 billion passengers flew on planes in 2019, the last year before the pandemic, according to the International Air Transport Association. The IATA estimated that number will grow to 7.8 billion by 2036.

the bottom line The world is well on its way to seeing aviation turn into a monster of a climate problem unless we get smart about how we fly. This isn't all on you! It's completely unreasonable to expect people to stop flying. Are we going to tell you that you shouldn't go see your grandparents in Sheboygan for the holidays? No!    We need the aviation industry to get smart, too.   Good news!   Airlines already know this. Not only are fossil fuels bad for the planet, they are susceptible to wild price swings dominated by geopolitical conflict. That's why industry experts say sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, will be a game changer.    SAF can be made from a few different things -- corn, algae, fats and even manure, for example -- and they have many benefits, like reducing a plane's harmful air pollution and (importantly) generating far less greenhouse gas when they are burned.    Bad news…   We are decades away from seeing SAF in our everyday flights, and not all SAF is created equal. Some SAFs contain palm oil -- an ingredient linked to deforestation.   But you don't have to wait for an airline revolution to start to feel better about your travel choices. simple but impactful Take one less flight per year.

Could you create the kind of trip you're aiming for within driving or train distance? Driving trips have a lower climate impact than flights, especially as cars become more fuel efficient. Driving also costs less than flying, even when gas prices are at record highs.   It also helps to avoid business class. If your goal is to minimize your individual climate footprint, the more people on a flight the better. Business class sections can carry fewer people, so those seats come at a climate premium.   And be strategic about your travel. Consider taking one long vacation a year instead of two shorter ones, if they require flying. You still get the same amount of fun in the sun, but with half the number of flights.

looks good, doesn't matter much Carbon offsets.

Buyer beware: Carbon offset schemes rarely deliver on what they claim.   These offers sound like it's possible to make the emissions from your flights disappear. It's not. Even if the scheme you're paying for manages to plant some trees, these efforts would likely have happened anyway in the global push to restore forests and preserve natural carbon sinks.

the next level Commit to zero airtime. Amtrak and Eurail will be happy to see you. All aboard!

If you've already successfully cut back on your flying, you might be ready to go plane-free.   Here are more tips for climate-savvy travelers:   Avoid cruising the high seas: Some cruise companies are trying to clean things up, but one of the often-cited solutions are ships that run on natural gas, which is still a fossil fuel and a really potent greenhouse gas if it escapes into the atmosphere unburned.   Do your research on ski resorts before hitting the slopes: Ski resorts are taking a toll on the environment, especially when natural snow is hard to come by. Snowmaker machines gobble energy and water -- an already dwindling resource in the US West, for example. Read up on what resorts are doing to minimize their impact before you book.

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living the change

The Steddens stopped flying in 2019 to better align their actions with their climate values. Since then, Will Stedden said, "I've learned just how amazing local travel is and how it gives me the opportunity to become so much more connected to a place."   How about you? Between now and the next edition in this limited newsletter, what can you do?