Published on November 18th, 2008 | by Stephanie Evans

2008 Holiday Air Travel

By now we all know of the environmental burdens of air travel, and at certain times—particularly during the holidays—flying becomes a necessary vehicle for bringing together family members who may live thousands of miles and/or continents apart.

But even if you can’t get around jet travel this season, there are a few steps that you can take to reduce your flying impact…

When booking your flight, choose the most direct route possible. As take off and landing require most fuel, you will contribute to less fuel utilized by taking a non-stop flight.

Fly economy instead of business class. You send a message to airlines to market fewer business class seats. Less leg-room translates into room for more people, which equals fewer emissions per person.

Learn to travel with less. The less baggage you bring onto the plane with you, the less fuel the plane needs to carry its weight.

Research which airlines offer carbon offset options, and which ones utilize newer and less carbon-intensive planes.

When choosing an offset company for your holiday travel plans, there are a few guidelines to consider:

Be sure to research the company beforehand to ensure that it istruly investing in projects that are beneficial to the environment and local communities.

Look for The Gold Standard—currently the strictest available standard for carbon credits—and VCS (Voluntary Carbon Standard).

Avoid forestry projects (also called sequestration projects), which function to protect forests for their carbon absorbing properties. Opt instead for projects wth a focus on transitioning away from dependence on fossil fuels and a concentration on energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Here is a short list of a few reputable carbon offset companies to choose from: