Spotlight: Travel’s Effects On The Environment

Written by Olivia Chamberlain | Designed by Jill O’Farrel | Photographed by Mark Michelini

With flying becoming more accessible nearly two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, almost every American is looking forward to traveling again. However, does traveling help or hurt the slowly but surely polluted environment?

When travel ceased at the beginning of the pandemic, popular nature spots across the country were flourishing due to the lack of travelers coming to visit. It’s safe to say that the lack of travel during Covid-19 did not hurt the flora and fauna of the world, but with vaccine mandates and mask enforcement in airports across the nation, the idea of traveling again is becoming more tangible. While many car brands are creating hybrid models, which have the option to be charged electrically instead of using gasoline, there aren’t many similar options available for airplanes.

What’s the issue with flying? According to the David Suzuki Foundation, “Flights are energy-intensive and depend on fossil fuels. Emissions from flights stay in the atmosphere and will warm it for several centuries.”

It’s believed that almost a quarter of fossil fuel emissions by 2050 will be caused by flying. With the number of people traveling by plane having doubled over the past two decades, it’s no wonder that the environmental impact on the atmosphere is so high. Because airplane emissions are released in the upper atmosphere, the damage is rapid and vast compared to emissions at ground level.

Eurostar, a transport operator based in Europe, held a research study about the effects traveling by train has on fossil fuel emissions compared to traveling by plane. It was concluded that traveling to Paris via a London-Paris Eurostar journey effectively cut passenger emissions by 90% when compared to flying.

It seems like many other countries besides the United States are making an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while contributing more emissions at the same time. China, for example, is expanding its high-speed rail network while simultaneously building hundreds of new airports. While America doesn’t yet have the infrastructure for a rail network like Europe and China’s, there are efforts to include it as a part of the Green New Deal (BBC).

Despite hearing about these emissions, there hasn’t been a huge effort by individuals in reducing travel. The New York Times points out that it’s very difficult to consider how our own behavior can impact climate change. There isn’t a single face responsible for the climate-induced wildfires in California, nor the rising sea levels that threaten Miami’s livelihood.

But with this comes what we call the “bystander effect,” which is when one feels less influenced to help a situation when there are others around. This is

definitely applicable here: even though we don’t mean any harm, why should we have to travel less when others aren’t?

It’s important to think about the effects just one trip can have on the environment. “One return flight from Montreal to London emits as much carbon emissions as heating a European home for an entire year” (Suzuki). Moreover, the total carbon impact of just one flight is so high that missing a single flight would be equivalent to going car-free (gasoline-free) for a year! When you think about it in those terms, traveling by plane doesn’t sound as appealing, does it?

When one considers the emissions of jet-setting, it doesn’t seem like there could be any worse way to travel. But unfortunately, cruise ships emit around three to four times as much carbon dioxide per passenger mile as do jets. And according to The New York Times, that’s just from greenhouse gases. Some studies have shown that the air onboard is much dirtier than it is on nearby shores and in some of the most polluted cities, like Shanghai.

Realistically, there isn’t much we average travelers can do to influence the airlines to use more eco-friendly methods. However, we can make some changes to our own methods of traveling by plane.

Firstly, try to find direct flights. High emissions occur during takeoff and landing, and direct flights can avoid that. Secondly, flying in economy class actually allows airlines to fit more people into the plane, decreasing the average emission per person. Moreover, some airlines are making efforts to completely fill their flights and fly more environmentally-friendly and efficient planes, so doing research on which airlines to fly with is important as well.

Even if you aren’t able to utilize these options, there’s still more that you can do! Carbon offsets can be purchased to get rid of the effects one flight may have on the atmosphere. Carbon offsetting is a process in which money donated will go to an organization that will make an effort to decrease greenhouse gases, whether it be by planting trees or capturing methane. While many consider this an unsustainable solution for a seemingly endless problem, purchasing the right amount of carbon offsets can erase the effect you had on the environment when you fly by plane.

We’re all looking forward to traveling again. Let’s face it, everyone needs a vacation after these last two stressful years. But it’s important that we be aware of the steps we can take to enjoy our vacations while simultaneously considering the effects our actions have on the health of our Earth.