How bad are jet engines for the environment?

The combustion of hydrocarbon fuels—by aircraft engines as well as other types of internal combustion engines— produces carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor, NOx, carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of sulfur (SOx), unburned hydrocarbons, particulates (primarily soot, which in high enough concentrations is visible as smoke), and ...



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In fact, unless you're looking to venture from Los Altos to LA off-road through state parks the whole way—in a Hummer with Tonka-truck mud tires—driving is generally greener than flying.

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So, if you're traveling with three or more people, driving is the better option, and here's why: Three people on the cross-country flight would account for 1.86 tons of carbon emissions (0.62 tons of CO2 x 3), compared to the total 1.26 tons of carbon the vehicle would produce (ignoring that the extra weight would ...

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Emissions from flights stay in the atmosphere and will warm it for several centuries. Because aircraft emissions are released high in the atmosphere, they have a potent climate impact, triggering chemical reactions and atmospheric effects that heat the planet.

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Finally, the plane is the most polluting means of transport and the one that generates the most greenhouse emissions.

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Comparing greenhouse gas emissions Essentially, one long flight releases the equivalent of nearly 14 percent of the annual emissions from your car. The same route, when driven, will result in the release of 1.26 tons of carbon emissions.

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Low prices and an ever-expanding route network make it possible: 9 billion passengers are expected in the air by 2050. Thus, the passenger volume in aviation of the future will more than double compared to the current level.

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Aviation is responsible for between 2pc and 3pc of global carbon emissions. And Ms Thunberg continues to refuse to fly because of the impact on the environment.

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