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So, you've checked yourself and figure you're a pretty green globetrotter. You know all about how flying creates some serious carbon emissions, and that offsetting your carbon footprint is a big part of being an eco-friendly traveler.
One flight has as much impact as some other life choices that seem pretty huge, such as going vegetarian for a year. Yep, 5 hours on a place going across the country has roughly the same impact as 8,765 hours of making green food decisions. That means it's important to know just how big a footprint your flight makes so you can offset it. It might seem like a hassle to stop and figure this out, but a tool on CNN can make it quick and painless.
CNN's Carbon Calculator requires you to know only two things—the airport you're flying out of, and the airport you're flying into. Using data from AMEE, an organization that aggregates carbon emissions data and has over 2953 world airports on tab, the calcuator spits out the carbon emissions of your flight so you know just how much to offset. While there are a lot of details left out of the factoring, such as what type of plane you're taking, it gives a close enough estimation for you to feel confident in placing your offset.
Now, if you want to get really specific about flying green, check out a series of posts by our transportation guru, Michael Graham Richard:
Greener Flying: Not All Flights are Created Equal (Part 1 of 3)
Greener Flying: Top 20 Most Popular Airline Routes (Part 2 of 3)
Greener Flying: Alternatives to Flying (Part 3 of 3)
Bonus Tip: When looking into carbon offsets for your flight, be sure to factor in radiative forcing.
More on Traveling With a Light Carbon Footprint:
How to Go Green: Carbon Offsets
Can I travel without expanding my carbon footprint?
Nokia's New Website Helps Globetrotters Travel Green
Open Green Map Launching Globally to Solve Your Eco-Travel Issues
Got a tip or a post idea for us to write about on Planet Green? Email pgtips (at) treehugger (dot) com.
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