Travel, and the human thirst for it, presents a tough problem to people like you who want to take bold steps to reduce their impact on global warming. Here, we’ll discuss how your long-distance travel contributes to rising global temperatures, and steps you can take to reduce your emissions when traveling.
Traveling is a huge problem because, despite huge leaps in technology and sustainable systems for transportation, none of them exist yet on a large scale. At present, nearly all transportation is powered by fossil fuels such as coal and oil, which spew co2 emissions into the atmosphere and cause it to warm our planet.
In 2006, nearly half of all co2 emissions from fossil fuel were from the transportation sector alone. That’s a pretty important fact about global warming! Whether you travel by train, bus, subway or plane, you are almost guaranteed to be sending emissions into the air with your ticket.
Unfortunately, it seems that we humans need to travel in order for our society to work. How else will we get to that conference half-way across the country by Tuesday?
Luckily, for a lot of circumstances it is possible to eliminate the travel altogether! There are numerous technologies out there right now for live voice- and video-conferencing, designed specifically for businesses in mind.
How To Reduce Your Travel Emissions
Are you traveling for pleasure? Then your best bet is to take the train or bus if your location is far away. One of the absolute worst ways to get yourself there is by driving alone! You should always make sure to carpool if you are using a personal vehicle, and use the most fuel efficient vehicle available. If you think you’ll need more than one vehicle, then pitch in and get a single larger vehicle such as a van. You’ll get more fuel efficiency per person that way.
If you do have a car for any sort of travel, you should definitely check out this simple and amazing fuel saving device. It is guaranteed to increase your mileage by a whopping 10 miles per gallon! Better for you, better for the environment. Also, be sure to check out our other tips on how to green your car .
At all costs, you must avoid taking planes. Their exhaust is heavily laden with greenhouse gases, and worse, they get inserted directly into the most sensitive area of the atmosphere!
The best way to travel long-distances is, hands down, by train. This is also one of the best ways to prevent global warming that you, personally can take. You will get far more fuel for your dollar, and the bonus of having a relaxing, auto-piloted ride to your destination. While train travel in the United States is not up to par with Europe, it is still an inexpensive and enjoyable way to travel to almost anywhere in the nation.
Are you feeling like taking a serious long-distance travel emissions cut? Depending on the area in which you live, and the caliber of your will, you could feasibly hang-glide long distances to your destination. It may sound ridiculous (OK, it probably sounds ridiculous), but with a current record distance of 517 km (321mi.) in one flight and one day, and a few hours of enlightening views, could this be the future of human travel? This author hopes so.
You can find out more about fuel efficiency of various methods of transportation here .
Make sure not to forget about the energy you use at the hotel, campground or wherever you stay. If you plug things in, you are already contributing to further emissions. One great way you can avoid this is to use a solar charger to keep your phone, ipod or computer up and running- and completely emissions free.
Unless you bike to your destination, or take an electric vehicle powered from renewable sources, you will almost certainly have excess carbon emissions. It is important that you off-set these emissions so they do not further contribute to the potentially disastrous effects of global warming in the future.
As always, make sure that you share these helpful tips with your friends and family! It is only when we cooperate and work together to reduce our emissions that we can hope to stop global warming!
More Ways You Can Take Action:
Check our our blog on how to green your travel!
Take advantage of one of the easiest ways to help prevent global warming .
Find out how to green your car to save money and mileage!