Eucalyptus Magazine / April 2010 / Taking Flight

 Email  Print

Taking Flight

Minimizing your carbon footprint at 30,000 feet

You’re ready to go. You’ve packed your Sherpani bag, made of 67 percent recycled materials, with your hemp, bamboo, and organic cotton clothing. Your boarding pass is printed on recycled paper, and you are driving your hybrid car to the airport. Clearly, you have the environment in mind. But the plane you are about to board is going to leave a yeti-sized carbon footprint.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, aircraft produce about 9 percent of transportation greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. But the EPA also notes that it’s difficult to know the total effect of air travel on global warming. That’s partly because of uncertainty about whether the condensation trails planes create have a greenhouse effect. So, how do you enjoy your plane trip while minimizing the footprint you leave behind?

First, choose an airline with a newer fleet of planes, which are more fuel-efficient than older aircraft. Fuel economy has improved an average of 1 to 2 percent per year since the 1950s. Among those airlines with the youngest fleets are Compass Airlines (0.2 years), Virgin America (1 year), and Jet Blue (3.2 years). Visit the website airsafe.com to learn about various airlines’ average fleet age.

Choosing only nonstop flights will also help to reduce your travel impact. Nonstop flights generally use the shortest route to your destination, and extra mileage equals extra fuel burned. Nonstop flights also reduce the amount of fuel required for take-offs, landings, and circling at multiple airports. Planes fly quite efficiently when they are cruising in mid-air, but they burn the greatest amount of fuel (and create the most CO2) during take-offs and landings.

You can encourage more sustainable air travel by spending your flight dollars on airlines that are striving to make a difference. For example, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines uses aerodynamic technology known as “winglets” (the turned-up extensions at the tips of the wings) to increase its planes’ fuel efficiency. Alaska’s newer aircraft are built with winglets; older models are retrofitted. The airline also focuses on weight reduction measures like outfitting its planes with lighter catering carts, saving an estimated 300,000 gallons of fuel each year.

In London, British Airways has announced that it will start producing jet fuel from landfill waste in order to reach its goal of 50 percent reduced emissions by 2050. The airline plans to start using the bio-jet fuel by 2014.  

Lastly, you can help to mitigate the impact of your flight by purchasing a “carbon offset” from terrapass.org or carbonfund.org, thus contributing to clean and renewable energy projects and supporting greenhouse gas reduction programs. If you prefer that your carbon offset money be spent locally, purchase your offset at San Francisco Airport’s Climate Passport kiosks, or at sfo.3degrees.com.

Currently, offsetting the carbon footprint of a round-trip flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas costs $4.33 through Climate Passport. These funds support a California greenhouse gas reduction project, the Garcia River Forest in Mendocino County. Redwood forests store more carbon per acre than any other forest type. In 2008, the Garcia River Forest was verified as a source of greenhouse gas reductions under the protocols of the Climate Action Reserve, making it one of the first forests to be so designated.

Taking the hybrid car for a road trip across the country is not always practical, but with a little planning and a small extra investment, it’s possible to travel by air and still have an eco-conscious journey.