For many of us, especially in Australia, flying is an essential form of transport, so how can we reduce its environmental impact? Getting to and from the airport is an overlooked aspect of air travel that offers an immediate way to cut total carbon emissions from the trip by a surprisingly large amount.
Our newly published research shows for an average economy passenger flying from Sydney to Melbourne, the carbon emissions from using a fossil-fuelled car to get to and from the airports make up a staggering 13.5% of the total door-to-door emissions.
Our research shows it’s easily achievable if travellers can be persuaded to change how they get to and from the airport.
Two recent studies at the University of California, Davis, suggest showing consumers the emission outcomes of different gate-to-gate flight choices, such as aircraft types and transit stops, can prompt them to choose greener flights, reducing emissions by up to 3.8%. But air journeys don’t start or end at airports.
Our air-travel carbon emissions are divided into ground and air segments and counted as airport and airline emissions respectively.
Gods I wish the effects of pollution were properly costed in to the cost of travel. Maybe then there would be more incentive to get proper high-speed rail running down the east coast from Brisbane to Melbourne. It’s ridiculous that the three routes involving Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne are all near the top of the heaviest flight corridors in the world. Two of those three could easily be replaced by high-speed rail, and even the third could probably be replaced for a certain subset of less time sensitive travellers.
If we did that, the “how travellers get to the airport” question would be moot. Train stations are so much easier to access by public transport already anyway.
But anyway, taking the article at face value, getting to the airport any way other than driving right now is so difficult in Brisbane, is possible only for the fiercely determined on the Gold Coast, and I’ve heard it’s even worse in Melbourne.
Brisbane could at least solve the problem very easily. The government needs to nationalised the AirTrain that already exists so that it operates at affordable prices. Then the frequency needs to be something more reasonable, and it needs to operate the entire duration the airport is open. The train existing is no good if you have to wait 30+ minutes for it after you’ve finally gotten through all the customs and immigration rigamarole and collected you bag and just want to get home. Nor is it any use if your flight lands at 10 pm and the last train leaves at 10:08, long before you could possibly get to it.
You want people to use alternatives to get to the airport? Make it cheaper, easier, and more convenient than driving, don’t put up huge barriers.
I hope people get to read your thoughtful replies. Perhaps ‘Active’ will give them a chance.
At least I get a notification for this, other people aren’t so lucky.
Classic pushing the carbon burden onto the consumer. Imagine if they just had a rail line too and from the airport? $22 for a one way bus ride that I have to take a $5 train ride to get to is not a great deal.
Or.
Mad concept.
You actually fine and stop the massive polluters who destroy the planet.
Mad concept holding those accountable for their actions.
Don’t blame the poor’s for the rich excecs lavish lifestyle. Maybe stop mining every last mineral. Stop coal immediately
