Limit Flying

Flying is the area that causes me the most dilemmas in trying to achieve zero emissions. I know that flying causes the most greenhouse gas emissions per km travelled. Flying also causes problems when the emissions are released in the higher altitudes. 

One way to achieve zero emissions on long distance travel is to not fly at all. However, this is difficult in a country as big as Australia which has a poor rail network. I currently travel outside of Canberra for holidays, visiting family, walking trips and attending music festivals or events. My current goal is to limit the amount of flying I do and explore alternatives to flying.

If both my partner and I are travelling together within Australia, we normally use the electric car. This has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, compared to using trains or flying. Greenhouse gas emissions will arise from using recharging stations that are powered by electricity generated from fossil fuels. Most recharging stations have a goal of being powered by renewable energy, but currently they rely on electricity generated from fossil fuels.

If I am travelling by myself, I use trains and/or buses wherever possible. For example, I used trains to get to and from Wollongong via Sydney to attend a music festival. I used a bus to travel down to the south coast of NSW to allow me to complete a walk along a section of the coast. Long distance train and bus travel in Australia also generates greenhouse gas emissions as they use diesel but not as much as flying. 

Sometimes I need to use a combination. For example, I and my partner will travel to Adelaide in December 2022 using a combination of flying and trains. We will take a flight (about 4 hours) to Adelaide and returned on trains via Melbourne (2 days). This illustrates the extra time required to substitute train travel for flying in Australia. It wasn’t possible to use the train in both directions given the time involved and that the Melbourne to Adelaide train does not run every day.

If I have to fly, I try and avoid flying on connecting flights, which typically are short distances. For example, I will travel to Sydney via bus or train to connect to a flight leaving from Sydney. In this way, I minimise the amount of flying I do.

An example of how we can minimise flying is the holiday my partner and I have planned for Ireland in 2023. We will use a train to get to Sydney, then fly from Sydney to Dublin via Singapore and London. We will then spend a month holiday in Ireland and will travel everywhere using trains and walking. We will not fly at all for the month we are in Ireland. We will then fly from Dublin to Sydney via London and Singapore before returning by train from Sydney to Canberra.

Offsets

Carbon offset programs are offered by airlines and other providers. The provider calculates a payment based on the amount of emissions a person creates by taking the flight. This calculation will typically take into account the distance travelled, class of travel (economy, business) and type of aircraft. Once you make the payment, the provider will invest in programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions e.g. renewable energy, tree planting. The difficulty I have with offset programs is that the payment calculations can be vary significantly depending on the provider used. I have generally found that airlines calculations result in the lowest fee, as if they don’t want to discourage you from taking the flight.

I have reduced the amount of flying I do, but I still want to fly sometimes but will use a carbon offset program to offset the emission generated. This is not zero emissions but it can be net zero in terms of emissions generated – this is the only way forward until airlines start using zero emissions planes. 

My plans for 2023 include one international flight (Sydney to Dublin) and potentially three domestic flights – Canberra to Perth, Sydney to Auckland and Canberra to Hobart. I will also travel by train and bus – for example, I have a walking trip already booked which requires me to travel by train from Canberra to Port Mcquarie. Using Atmosfair (an offset provider), I calculated the offset fee I would need to pay for one international flight (Sydney to Dublin $414) and three domestic flights (Sydney to Perth $57; Sydney to Aukland $38 and Canberra to Hobart $17) giving a total of $526 for the flights alone. I donate $65 per month ($780 per year) to Greening Australia as a carbon offset. The amount donated to Greening Australia well covers the offset fee using the Atmosfair calculator and includes an additional amount to cover the cost of trains and buses. 

So, my current solution for the dilemma of undertaking flying (where there is no other alternative) is to offset by making a payment to Greening Australia. I look forward to the day when the aviation industry implements zero emission flying.