How To Fly Carbon Neutral: Meet MindfulFlights

We all love traveling and seeing the world, but flying has a massive cost: although aviation is relatively a small industry, it has a very large impact on our climate. So how can we fly in a mindful way? are there better alternatives? and is it possible to fly carbon neutral? and what is MindfulFlights? more about it here.

We have a beautiful planet and exploring it is one of my favorite things to do: I’ve always enjoyed getting inside airplanes, sitting by the window and looking above this wonderful planet of ours, in between the million clouds, knowing that when I land I’ll discover a new, exciting place, or a place that already feels like home.

Traveling has always been a huge passion of mine, but unfortunately, it has a huge cost: In order for them to work, airplanes are burning fossil fuels and other gasses that contribute to climate change, global warming, water pollution, and global dimming. While only 20% of the global population ever sat in an airplane, 80% of others are bearing the costs. By 2050, carbon emissions are gonna quadruple (!)

It isn’t a secret that we’re facing a climate crisis: if you think climate change is only gradually affecting our planet, you need to think again: according to the BBC, Now it seems there’s a growing consensus that the next 18 months will be critical in dealing with the global heating crisis, among other environmental challenges, till the end of 2020.

We don’t have much time left. If we don’t make changes now we will leave a wound on this planet that won’t be able to be healed ever again. I know- It is terrifying. But we still have a chance to take action and change. One of the ways to solve it is to cut our carbon footprint. The biggest, most effective way to do it is by going vegan, but since aviation has such a huge impact on our planet, we have to address it, too.

From Busses to Planes: The CO2 Emissions

Let’s look at the CO2 emissions from transport and compare (according to EEA):
✈️ Flights: 285 grams of CO2/ passenger/ km (if there are 88 people inside the plane)
🚙 Cars: 55g of CO2/ passenger/km (if there are 4 people in the car)
🚆 Trains: 14g of CO2/ passenger/ km (if there are 56 people in the train)
🚌 Busses: 68 g CO2 /passenger/km (if there are 12.7 people on the bus)

According to the German Environmental Agency, In order to avert climate change, we should produce 1 ton of CO2 per person and year, however, only a return flight from Paris to New York alone emits around 1.9 t CO₂ per passenger, according to the My Climate calculator– that’s horrible, isn’t it?

So What Can We Do?

Well, we are not perfect, and realistically speaking, I don’t think it is possible for many of us (myself included) to not fly at all. But there are some solutions to make your travels a bit greener:

Fly Less

Flying is bad for the planet, and there is simply no way around it. Try to avoid stepping on the plane whenever possible. We all love traveling and seeing the world (or traveling for work!) but if it is possible for you to fly to one country and then take the train to other close countries during the same trip, you will still get to see the world but with a much lower carbon footprint.

Take The Train Whenever Possible

trains are the least polluting form of transport (at least when not including walking or cycling). They might take longer, but they are still comfortable. One con tho is that trains tend to cost more than flights in certain areas of the world. If the difference isn’t huge and you can afford it, always go for it!

Fly Carbon Neutral

Flying carbon neutral is possible. more about it now, just keep reading!

How To Fly Carbon Neutral: Meet MindfulFlights

I discovered MindfulFlights not so long ago: This student-run non-profit organization allows you to compensate for flight emissions by supporting United Nations certified projects which offset and neutralize the exact amount of emissions your flight emits. Thus, you fly climate-neutral through compensation and take responsibility for your flights.

By supporting MindfulFlights and compensating your flights, you are supporting 3 projects:
1. The Amazon rainforest gets protected from deforestation and new trees are planted
2. Wind energy in India is made possible which substitutes coal-powered plants
3. Clean drinking water in Bangladesh is made possible that does not have to be brought to a boil

I’ve just compensated my flight from TLV to Berlin and back from July, and my impact, with only 15 euros is:
🌳360 m² of the Amazon forest protected
✨7 people provided with clean energy
💧6 people provided with drinking water

Mindful flights use data from the British environmental ministry (DEFRA) to calculate the emissions of your flights. Apart from helping the planet, they are helping the people living in it, which is even better. Protecting our planet means protecting ourselves, the animals and our mutual home, and there’s nothing more important than that. By offsetting flights and helping projects like the ones MindfulFlights support, you can really make a difference, just in one click!

So, what about you? will you compensate your flights from now on? let me know in the comments below 🙂

To offset your past or future flights, just enter Mindfulflights’s web 🙂

See you next time,

Noa

(This post is an unpaid collaboration with a non-profit org.)