The Carbon Footprint of 15 Major Travel Methods

The carbon footprint of 15 major travel methods is kind of revealing. Unfortunately, these numbers don’t reveal everything.

Cruise Ship

When you consider how much fuel a cruise ship needs it makes sense that this is at the top of the list. But the materials needed to create and maintain these sea-going beasts are even greater.

Short-Haul Flight

You would think that a longer flight would be worse, yeah? But the amount of energy needed to propel a plane for short jaunts is greater.

Diesel Car

Environmental activists are firmly against diesel engines in a lot of ways. But what many don’t realize is that these rigs are still needed.

Gas Car

It’s nice to have your own car to get around in. However, sometimes it’s better to stay home or find a closer alternative to what you need.

Medium-Haul Flight

Using shorter flights takes up more energy, which doesn’t make sense to some folks. But it’s kind of like starting and stopping in a car, it’s horrible because taking off requires far more energy.

Long-Haul Flight

The fuel conservation used in longer flights is far easier to sustain. It takes a lot to lift off, but sustaining a longer flight is much easier.

Motorbike

In truth, a motorbike consumes less fuel and produces lower emissions than most cars. It does still kick up a good bit of exhaust though.

Bus

It would make more sense to think that a bus would create a bigger footprint than many vehicles. It takes a lot to get going. But apparently, it’s not quite as bad as others.

Plug-In Hybrid

A lot of people are switching to hybrids, but one thing to remember is that the batteries do require more harmful processes to make and dispose of. Plus, the transition is still slowly gaining momentum.

Electric Car

As mentioned above, the batteries needed for these cars aren’t entirely environmentally friendly. Plus, they don’t operate well in the cold at this time.

National Rail

The more people that can fit on a transport the better. Plus, it helps that many stops along the line are close by.

Tram

Everything relies on fuel of some type, but there are modes of transportation that make more sense. It does limit the freedoms of some individuals, but it’s not the worst alternative.

London Underground

Every transportation system has its ups and downs. But the fact is that a lot of people rely on public transportation, so it’s not all bad.

Ferry

There’s still fuel involved in pretty much every mode of transportation that relies on something other than human or animal power. But some methods are less harmful to the environment.

Eurostar Train

The goal is to cut down on the overall carbon footprint, as this option proves. But at the same time, one can’t help but wonder if this will ever be possible.