The ISCFC is all about reducing our individual and collective contributions to climate change.
But is climate change really happening? Is it mostly caused by human activity, including our production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases?
In the United States and elsewhere, there are people who are not convinced by the science. But the great thing about science is that we use evidence to evaluate scientific questions. So what is the evidence related to climate change?
Are you or are you not convinced by the majority of climate scientists who say that climate change is real and largely human caused? Why are you convinced/not convinced? What evidence might change your mind one way or the other?
Is Climate Change Real & Human-Caused? >
Planes affecting the carbon footprint
Plane rides are one of the most carbon-emitting ways of transportation. From my personal carbon footprint, my transportation section was up around 6,000 kgs more than normal because I took many plane rides around the world. According to billiontrees.com, a plane emits around 90 kg of C02 per hour. To put that into perspective a normal car emits around 1 kg of C02 per hour. Planes emit way more carbon because they burn a lot more fossil fuels than any other type of transportation. A plane like a Boeing 747 uses approximately 1 gallon (about 4 liters) of fuel every second. Although it is hard to avoid plane rides, the next time you are on a plane think about how much carbon the plane is emitting into the
Yes!! I recently calculated my carbon footprint and was shocked to see how much a couple airplane rides a year shot it up more than 5,000 kgs. Over 16 million flights per year are handled by the FAA which is a huge amount of carbon emissions. As you said plane rides are essential for our worldwide travel, but we do need to consider how much carbon we are emitting every time we fly, even short distance flights.
I completely agree that air travel is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions. Your personal experience highlights just how significant the impact can be. The comparison between planes and cars really puts it into perspective—it's startling to realize how much more CO2 planes emit. Given that many of us rely on flying for both work and leisure, it’s crucial to be aware of the environmental cost. While it may not always be feasible to avoid plane travel, being mindful of our choices can help us mitigate our carbon footprints. Perhaps considering alternatives like trains or limiting long-distance trips could make a difference.