In general, if you’re traveling alone, driving creates two times the emissions of flying in a plane. Driving with just two people in the car makes flying and driving roughly equivalent and adding more people in the car makes driving more efficient than flying.
So, If you’re going on a business trip by yourself, then take a flight, since emissions from driving alone will be greater than flying. But, if you’re traveling with your family, or a bunch of co-workers, think about making it a road trip.
Megan Hall: Welcome to Possibly, where we take on huge problems like the future of our planet and use science to find everyday solutions.
I’m Megan Hall. Today we have a question from listener Christina Marvin. She wants to know what would happen if everyone who flies on an airplane drove a car instead?
We had Dana K and Max Kozlov from our Possibly team look into this question. Welcome, Dana and Max!
Dana K: Hi Megan!
Max Kozlov: Hello!
Megan Hall: So, what’s better- flying to your destination or taking a road trip?
Dana K: Well, to find the answer we started by asking Christina why she was interested in this question:
Christina: So I’m from northeastern Pennsylvania and my fiance is from southern California. And we make a really long trip if we’re trying to visit both families.
Max Kozlov: Christina and her fiance live in Wisconsin. She felt so guilty about the flight she usually takes to visit her parents that she drove the 14-hour trip.
Dana K: Then, she flew to visit her fiance’s family in California.
Megan Hall: Ok, so let’s start with her trip to Pennsylvania– what are the emissions from that flight?
Max Kozlov: So, flying first, as you might expect, when the plane burns jet fuel, it creates carbon dioxide emissions.
Dana K: But, you know those thin clouds you see coming out of an airplane when it flies across the sky? That also warms up the atmosphere.
Megan Hall: How?
Max Kozlov: Well, those long, thin clouds are caused by vapor coming out of the plane. They’re known as contrails.
Dana K: Contrails trap heat that would otherwise escape into space, and this trapped heat warms the atmosphere.
Megan Hall: So, what are the emissions if you consider both ways that planes warm that atmosphere?
Max Kozlov: Well, based on our calculations…a one-way flight from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania is about equal to the effect of emitting a sixth of a ton of CO2.
Megan Hall: how do those emissions compare to driving to Pennsylvania?
Dana K: Well, if Christina drove your average car from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania, she would produce twice as much CO2- about a third of a ton.
Megan Hall: Wow, so driving is worse than flying? Is that the same long-distance flights, like the one Christina took from Pennsylvania to California?
Max Kozlov: Yes. long-distance flights actually burn a little less fuel per mile, since most fuel is used during take-off and landing.
Dana K: But, those flights also travel at a higher altitude, which makes those little clouds behind the plane trap more heat.
Max Kozlov: Still overall, if you’re traveling alone, flying has less emissions than driving.
Megan Hall: Ok – so should everyone fly instead of drive since it’s faster and produces less emissions?
Max Kozlov: Well, if they drive alone – yes.
Dana K: However, if some of those people on the plane carpooled, or they were a family that traveled together, the amount of emissions from driving would go down.
Max Kozlov: Driving with just two people in the car makes flying and driving roughly equivalent.
Dana K: and adding more people in the car makes driving more efficient than flying.
Max Kozlov: It’s also more efficient if people take buses and trains.
Megan Hall: Ok, so what’s the take-away?
Dana K: Well, first, try to avoid taking unnecessary long-distance trips.
Max Kozlov: But sometimes, as Christina says, you do need to travel.
Christina: We want to be considerate of people having lives and having responsibilities, things like job interviews, conferences, and family.
Dana K: So our advice is that if you’re going on a business trip by yourself, then take a flight, since emissions from driving alone will be greater than flying.
Max Kozlov: But, if you’re traveling with your family, or a bunch of co-workers, think about making it a road trip.
Megan Hall: Great! Thanks Dana and Max!
That’s it for today. For more information or to ask a question about the way you recycle, use energy, or make any other choice that affects the planet, go to “the public’s radio dot org slash possibly.” Or, subscribe to Possibly wherever you get your podcasts.
Possibly is a co-production of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society and the Public’s Radio.
References
- https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2015/09/evolving-climate-math-of-flying-vs-driving/
- https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/climate_law_institute/transportation_and_global_warming/airplane_emissions/
- https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
- https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/06/aviation-s-dirty-secret-airplane-contrails-are-surprisingly-potent-cause-global-warming
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