Comments on: Mapping Our Carbon Footprints http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/05/02/mapping-our-carbon-footprints/ Explore science, nature and environment stories from Northern California and beyond with KQED’s multimedia series Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:38:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Fred Michel http://science.kqed.org/quest/2008/05/02/mapping-our-carbon-footprints/#comment-11314 Fred Michel Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:38:02 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2008/05/02/mapping-our-carbon-footprints/#comment-11314 Jim, Don Fugler's carbon footprint calculations for a family are interesting, unfortunately his airplane fuel calculation is wrong. I am surprized you did not check his calculations yourself. Here is a better estimate of the airline carbon footprint and how it is calculated - Price on ORBITZ for a RT plane ticket from Toronto to Vancouver during ski season = $574 For four family members = $2296 total airfare (taxes not included) % Canadian Air costs attributed to fuel = 30% http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1211409450.html Family's airfare attributable to fuel costs = 30% * $2296 = $689 Price of jet fuel = 677 $/tonne http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/economics/fuel_monitor/index.htm Jet fuel used for family ski trip = $689/($677/tonne) = 1.02 tonne of jet fuel Amount of CO2 in one tonne of jet fuel (assume it is CH) = (44 g/mol )/(14 g/mol) = 3.67 g CO2 produced per g jet fuel burned (CH) Amount of CO2 produced by family for plane trip = 1.02 tonne fuel * 3.67 tonne CO2/tonne fuel = 3.20 tonne CO2 for the air travel, Fugler reports 13 tonnes of CO2 for the air travel. Fugler also reports that the family's cars alone generate 9 tonnes of CO2. With my revised air travel CO2 numbers, the air travel generates about 1/3 as much CO2 as the auto travel and less then 1/3 as much as the house (11.5 tonnes) and less than the food they eat (4.5 tonnes) Still 3.2 tonnes for one trip is alot! Jim,
Don Fugler's carbon footprint calculations for a family are interesting, unfortunately his airplane fuel calculation is wrong. I am surprized you did not check his calculations yourself. Here is a better estimate of the airline carbon footprint and how it is calculated -

Price on ORBITZ for a RT plane ticket from Toronto to Vancouver during ski season = $574

For four family members = $2296 total airfare (taxes not included)

% Canadian Air costs attributed to fuel = 30%
http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1211409450.html

Family's airfare attributable to fuel costs
= 30% * $2296 = $689

Price of jet fuel = 677 $/tonne
http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/economics/fuel_monitor/index.htm

Jet fuel used for family ski trip
= $689/($677/tonne) = 1.02 tonne of jet fuel

Amount of CO2 in one tonne of jet fuel
(assume it is CH) = (44 g/mol )/(14 g/mol)
= 3.67 g CO2 produced per g jet fuel burned (CH)

Amount of CO2 produced by family for plane trip
= 1.02 tonne fuel * 3.67 tonne CO2/tonne fuel
= 3.20 tonne CO2 for the air travel,

Fugler reports 13 tonnes of CO2 for the air travel.

Fugler also reports that the family's cars alone generate 9 tonnes of CO2. With my revised air travel CO2 numbers, the air travel generates about 1/3 as much CO2 as the auto travel and less then 1/3 as much as the house (11.5 tonnes) and less than the food they eat (4.5 tonnes)

Still 3.2 tonnes for one trip is alot!

]]>