Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fly less - stay longer! Travel and climate change
Climate change is the single biggest issue facing our planet. It is caused by a build-
up in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are
emitted by many sources - including planes. Already, flights account for around 3-4
percent of human-induced global warming: that figure may sound small, but it is
rising year on year and threatens to counteract the progress made by reducing
greenhouse emissions in other areas.
Rough Guides regard travel, overall, as a global benefit, and feel strongly that the
advantages to developing economies are important, as are the opportunities for
greater contact and awareness among peoples. But we all have a responsibility to
limit our personal “carbon footprint”. That means giving thought to how often we fly
and what we can do to redress the harm that our trips create.
Flying and climate change
Pretty much every form of motorized travel generates CO
2
, but planes are
particularly bad offenders, releasing large volumes of greenhouse gases at altitudes
where their impact is far more harmful. Flying also allows us to travel much further
than we would contemplate doing by road or rail, so the emissions attributable to
each passenger are greater. For example, one person taking a return flight between
Europe and California produces the equivalent impact of 2.5 tonnes of CO
2
- similar
to the yearly output of the average UK car.
Less harmful planes may evolve but it will be decades before they replace the
current fleet - which could be too late for avoiding climate chaos. In the meantime,
there are limited options for concerned travellers: to reduce the amount we travel by
air (take fewer trips, stay longer!), to avoid night flights (when plane contrails trap
heat from Earth but can't reflect sunlight back to space), and to make the trips we
do take “climate neutral” via a carbon offset scheme.
Carbon offset schemes
Offset schemes run by
W
climatecare.org,
W
carbonneutral.com and others allow
you to “neutralize” the greenhouse gases that you are responsible for releasing.
Their websites have simple calculators that let you work out the impact of any flight.
Once that's done, you can pay to fund projects that will reduce future carbon
emissions by an equivalent amount (such as the distribution of low-energy
lightbulbs and cooking stoves in developing countries). Please take the time to visit
our website and make your trip climate neutral.
W
www.roughguides.com/climatechange
W
www.expedia.co.uk
(in UK),
W
www
T
02/9262 2233;
W
www.aeroflot.co.uk,
W
www
.aeroflot.com.
Air Canada
UK
.expedia.com
(in US),
W
www.expedia.ca
(in
Canada)
W
www.flychina.com
(in US)
W
T
0871 220 1111, Republic of
Ireland
01/679 3958, US and Canada
T
1-888-247-2262, Australia
T
1300 655 767,
New Zealand
T
0508/747 767;
W
www
.aircanada.com.
Air China
UK
T
www.lastminute.com
(in UK)
W
www.opodo.co.uk
(in UK)
W
www.orbitz.com
(in US)
T
020/7744 0800, US
T
1-800-982-
W
www
.travelocity.com
(in US),
W
www.travelocity.ca
(in Canada)
W
www.travelocity.co.uk
(in UK),
W
8802, Canada
T
1-416/581-8833, Australia
T
02/9232 7277;
W
www.airchina.com.cn.
www.zuji.com.au
(in Australia),
W
www.zuji
Air France
UK
1-800-
237-2747, Canada
T
1-800 667-2747, Australia
T
1300390 190, South Africa
T
0861/340 340;
W
www.airfrance.com.
Air Pacific
UK
T
0870 142 4343, US
T
.co.nz
(in New Zealand)
Airlines
T
0870 572 6827, US
T
1-800-
20
Aeroflot
UK
T
020/7355 2233, US
T
1-888-340-
227-4446, Australia
T
1800 230 150, New Zealand
6400, Canada
T
1-416/642-1653, Australia
T
0800 800 178;
W
www.airpacific.com.
