Which would cause the highest emissions of carbon when we go on holiday to France?

Question

When we go on holiday there will be 5 of us. Would the equivalent carbon emissions for 5 people on a plane, or train be significantly lower, or higher than if we go in our petrol fuelled family car? How do I work this out?

Thinking about the environment as we know the car will be cheaper than flying or taking the train.

Don't have a garden!

Answer 1

ooh that's quite complicated.

High speed trains are not particularly low carbon. Emissions rise (roughly) with the square of speed.

A full car does not incur (per person) anything like the carbon cost of a single occupancy one.

I did once see a claim that the most modern Boeing, when completely full, was using fuel at a cost equivalent to a single-occupancy car, per passenger. Of course, that's a very very dodgy statistic: you only get the max per-mile efficiency out of a plane on long haul, because takeoff is so incredibly expensive.

So: I bet on the car. The plane doesn't stand a chance. But 5 in a car all the way to France? You like pain then? or are you starting in Dover and holidaying in Calais?

Answer 2

Best way for you to work this out from a carbon emission standpoint is to dump the trip to France and instead work on your garden at home.

Answer 3

The plane and the train will be going anyway, the car won't. Probably it would be better to take the train than the plane.

Answer 4

oh please, its all very marginal, the train and plane will be going there anyway. The majority of carbon used in cars is from the production of them, so do whats most convenient!

Answer 5

What do u mean? are you environmentalist or just lloking for fuel economy? The answers are going to be different in diferent cases. Also, time is a factor in travel, does it matter to you?

Answer 6

You can calculate carbon emissions at

http://www.travelmatters.org/