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I think it was Little Orphan Annie ( who had horribly reptilian eyes in the newspaper comic) who said, "When you gotta go, you gotta go." For the most part, that's an all-around truism. If you have to go to the bathroom, you should make an honest attempt to use the bathroom. Otherwise, you'll end up ruining your clothes or losing friends. Going is the only good option you have.
However, there might be one exception to the rule. And that exception is on an airplane. At 30,000 feet the amount of fuel it takes to flush the toilet could power a fuel-efficient car for 10 to 12 kilometers. Each toilet flush uses, on average, one liter of fuel. Chinese airlines have been asking their passengers to "spend their pennies" before they board the plane, so the airlines can save dollars on fuel.
No one is suggesting that you don’t use the airplane bathroom when you absolutely have to. You could get an infection of some sort. If nature calls to you while your sitting in a giant metal flying machine in the sky, then answer nature.
What you can do is to try and use the bathroom before you get on the plane. Don't be one of those people who rush to the bathroom as soon as the airplane is up the sky. Use the airport bathroom beforehand.
Another trick is to refrain from flushing after urination. There is no real need to flush after airplane urination as long as there is no overflow scenario. Don't flush that fuel away. It can be better spent moving people about the planet.
More on Green Air Travel:
Are You a Green Globetrotter?
How to Go Green: Carbon Offsets
Do Not Fly at Night
Green Your Long-Distance Relationship
Skipping One Cross-Country Flight = Going Vegetarian for a Year
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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