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KICK THE HABIT
THE CYCLE – REDUCE
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port involve high greenhouse gas emissions. Aircraft are usually the most pol-
luting. Trains are always the
preferable option
climate-wise and also time-wise
Flying is one of the most dominant topics when it comes to the villains of cli-
mate change, but looking at the sober facts, its overall contribution to global
CO
2
emissions is not striking. According to the WRI, about 1.5 % of global GHG
emissions are generated by flying. But aviation is a fast-growing contributor to cli-
mate change. What counts is not only the CO
2
emissions but also ozone genera-
tion through nitrogen oxide emissions and the formation of condensation trails,
so-called contrails, from water vapour release which also have warming effects.
The IPCC estimates the overall impact of an aircraft on the climate is about two
to four times higher than the impact of its CO
2
emissions alone and concludes
that aviation is responsible for around 3.5% of anthropogenic climate change, a
figure which includes both CO
2
and non-CO
2
induced effects. It is important to
remember this when comparing the climate performance of planes and ground
transport modes.
Do you really save time?
Train versus plane in a busy world
Sources:
nyctourist.com,
eurostar.com;
amtrak.com; myclimate.org;
bahn.de;
www.amadeus.net; japanrail.com;
www.keikyu.co.jp;
aeroportsdeparis.fr.White circles are
proportional to emissions.
Eurostar (Channel Tunnel Train) plans to cut
emissions by 25% per traveller journey by 2012
Even in this case where flying is faster,
these are 5hr40m during which you can relax,
work or sleep without interruption.
Departure from city centre
Selected routes
Arrival at airport
Arrival in city centre
Tokyo
Osaka
405 km
7hr00m
7hr00m
7hr35m
7hr45m
8hr45m
10hr05m
10hr20m
9hr36m
10hr50m
2hr35m
3hr50m
Total travel time
Check-in
Take-off / Departure
Landing
Baggage claim
Flying distance
7hr00m
7hr00m
7hr20m
7hr30m
9hr00m
10hr25m
10hr40m
9hr35
11hr05m
2hr35
4hr05m
New York
Washington
D.C.
330 km
Paris
London
340 km
7hr00m
7hr00m
7hr30m
7hr00m
Train
Plane
7hr45m
8hr00m
9hr00m
10hr10m
10hr25m
9hr45m
11hr00m
2hr45m
3hr00m
Hamburg
Münich
610 km
7hr00m
7hr00m
7hr40m
8hr00m
9hr15m
10hr30m
10hr45m
12hr40m
11hr15m
5hr40m
4hr15m
20
119
CO
2
emissions (kg)
29
109
5,5
107
33
150
Schedules