Carbon calculator: taking one flight emits as much as many people do in a year

Re:Carbon calculator: taking one flight emits as much as man... by schappim on Friday July 19, 2019 @07:35AM (#20477723)

The math seems to be off in this article (by 3x). It claims 3,153 Kg CO2 from London to Perth.

A Boeing A380 creates 75g per passenger per Km[1]. The distance between London and Perth is 14,470 Km = 1,085 Kg.

  [1] https://www.environmentalleader.com/2007/11/airbus-a380-could-have-jumbo-sized-carbon-footprint/

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Re:Carbon calculator: taking one flight emits as much as man... by oli-hall on Friday July 19, 2019 @04:12PM (#20482039)

There are a few other aspects to consider, like radiative forcing[1], which add a significant multiplier onto the basic CO2 released from burning the fuel. For one take on calculation of emissions, see how MyClimate (a carbon offsetting service) calculate total CO2 emissions[2].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_aviati... [2] https://www.myclimate.org/fileadmin/user_upload/myclimate_-_...

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Re:Carbon calculator: taking one flight emits as much as man... by a_imho on Friday July 19, 2019 @07:42AM (#20477771)

It says return flight, that probably accounts for 2x?

The figures are averages taking into account which aircraft models are typically used on flight routes, and the estimated occupancy of seats on board those planes.

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Re:Carbon calculator: taking one flight emits as much as man... by jhart99 on Friday July 19, 2019 @11:30AM (#20479429)

I tried doing the math from Boeing's stated fuel economy for different models of planes and even older 747s which aren't great in terms of fuel economy were coming out 2.5x better than the numbers in this article. I can't figure out how they are coming up with their numbers. Maybe there are lots of empty planes on these routes or something?

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