Environmentally conscious travelers who like to take advantage of cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages will be pleased to hear that if you want to make as little negative impact as possible on the climate, airplanes are a better way to travel then cars. Mind you, traveling by train or bus is even less harmful.
These finding were based on a new study published in Environmental Science & Technology. This study looked at a full range of pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and water vapor. Prior studies mainly measured carbon dioxide levels that came out of exhaust pipes.
The researchers considered the length of time each gas remains in the atmosphere and looked at how those gasses impact climate change.
When calculating the environmental impact of transporting passengers, effects vary depending on the time scale. The study showed that in the first year after a trip, airplanes increased temperature levels higher than compared to road travel.
However, over time, cars contributed more to warming than planes on a miles per passenger basis. This is because cars are a relatively inefficient mode of transport and often carry only one or two passengers. Cars also expel lots of carbon dioxide, which remains in the atmosphere and continues to retain heat over a long period of time.
This studys results could impact decisions about environmental policies and influence people to reconsider the way they travel.
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