Flying? No Shame in That! The Airplane is a Sustainable Mode of Transport
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Flying? No Shame in That! The Airplane is a Sustainable Mode of Transport

It's common to come across newspaper articles or blog posts that anxiously report on the ecological impact of airplanes. They cite figures, scientific research, and interviews with experts: the emerging theses, barely veiled in emphasis, relate to irresponsible use of this mode of transport, accused of polluting more than others or even being one of the main causes of anthropogenic climate change. Some articles even argue the need for social control through the so-called "shame of flight". But is this really the case? What do statistical sources say? Should we feel ashamed when boarding an airplane?

To briefly address these potential dilemmas, it is important to point out that air transport is responsible for 2% of global emission volumes. In other words, self-proclaimed experts often omit a key piece of information: 98% of emissions are caused by other human activities. Specifically, the sector generates::

  • 1.9% of greenhouse gas emissions (which includes all greenhouse gases, not just CO2)
  • 2.5% of CO2 emissions
  • 3.5% of 'effective radiative forcing' – a closer measure of its impact on warming.

(source: www.ourworldindata.org, the first figure refers to 2016, the next two to 2018)

Reports highlight how emissions from aviation have doubled since the mid-1980s. However, this figure is often presented without the necessary context: during the same period, total CO2 emissions have also grown at a similar rate. As a result, aviation's share of global emissions has remained stable, at approximately 2% to 2.5%.

It is important to note that evaluating the ecological footprint of transportation modes is a complex issue. Among the many metrics developed in recent years, the one proposed by Vaclav Smil stands out as particularly insightful, as it allows for the comparison of different transportation systems based on the energy required to move one person over one kilometer.

 

Metro
(peak hours)

Intercity train

Passenger car
(1 or 2 passengers)

Airline

SUV
(1 or 2 passengers)

Energy MJ/pkm

0.1

0.2-0.4

1-2

1.5-2

3-5

(source Smil, Vaclav. I numeri non mentono: brevi storie per capire il mondo. Torino: Einaudi, 2021)

The analysis of the energy efficiency of transport does not appear to support the arguments that aim to blame air travel.

The more negative views often rely on assumptions that are not always transparent, particularly concerning the occupancy rate of vehicles. This is a crucial factor for obtaining consistent data: it is too often assumed that buses or trains operate at maximum theoretical occupancy, ignoring the actual average rate, which better reflects real usage conditions.

Another frequently overlooked aspect is the energy required to build and maintain basic infrastructure (airports, stations, railways, roads, parking lots, etc.). This factor has a significant impact on the overall evaluation of the various transport modes used for moving people and goods.

Pollution caused by aviation is one of those topics favored by certain schools of thought, a legacy of a time when contrails were accused of causing global cooling—a theory popular until the early 1980s. In reality, these are subjective narratives with no substantial evidence.

In this context, shame is certainly misplaced, and the appeals that leverage it are not only ineffective but also counterproductive, as they divert attention from sectors that require more significant interventions and focus.

More info: https://rhpositive.net/index.php/articoli/183-ecosystem-alterations