Jaime asked me what is the one thing that people can do to help with climate change in their daily life that would make the most impact. I said that statistically one of the things that emit a disproportionate amount of CO2 in the air per person is taking a plane. So we could try to limit our plane travel. It's true, but it's also stupid.
Here's why. 1) When you take a plane, it's because the alternatives are prohibitive. For instance, yours truly takes a plane to visit her parents in France and doesn't intend on switching to boat travel. 2) Plane travel is expensive enough that people are already limiting it. For instance, businesses are already reducing plane travel by using teleconferencing and other telecommunication technology.
So, mea culpa. We, green-minded people, have to be practical when we talk about solutions that people can apply to their lives. Bus travel may not be all that attractive in El Paso. But El Pasoans can try to reduce their car trips by consolidating errands. I love driving, but if I need to go to the Northeast, I'll wait until I have two or three things to do there... That's doable, right? It helps the environment a little bit, but more importantly, it's a step in the right direction to change our mentality.
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Regarding something said on Jaime's show.....
ReplyDeleteSomething climate-change deniers (like one of Jaime's callers)like to bring up is the small amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Air contains 78%N2, 21%O2, and only 0.0385%CO2. This sounds small, and they like to use that fact because it does sound small. But the 2008 measurement of .0385% (or 385 parts per million, volumewise) is a 34% increase over 1832 measurements of 284 ppmv. This may be boring but it's important to note that the tiny pre-industrialization amount of CO2 was sufficient to maintain a normal warmth to our planet. Today's increases are unprecedented.
I didn't hear the radio show, but I think you are too hard on yourself. Remember that planes aren't just for people; even someone who never boards an aircraft may be responsible for significant air travel just through the products they buy. A few simple tips to reduce our carbon footprint include buying locally produced or manufactured goods, opting for ground shipping where possible, and buying products with less packaging that take up less space and require fewer plane trips.
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