Traveling in the right direction -- lessening our impact on the e...( As concern about climate change increa...)

Traveling in the right direction -- lessening our impact on the environment

As concern about climate change increasingly focuses on the environmental damage caused by travel, new research shows that there are huge variations in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that individuals' travel patterns are responsible for.

Researchers funded by the Economic and Social Science Research Council and based at Oxford University found that the climate change impact of individuals' annual travel was, on average, equivalent to 5.25 tonnes of carbon dioxide. And although a large proportion of the population are responsible for roughly the same amount of emissions, a few people are responsible for a disproportionately large share of the total. The Oxford researchers found that 61 per cent of all travel emissions came from individuals in the top 20 per cent of 'emitters', while only 1 per cent of emissions came from those in the bottom 20 per cent.

This high emitters group is mostly made up of employed men in high income groups (earning over 40,000 per year). And across the board, people in high income groups have an average climate change impact of 11.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide - twice the national average. This means they earn around four times as much as low earners and produce on average almost four times as much carbon dioxide emissions.

The research, based on a survey of almost 500 people in Oxfordshire, found that air travel accounted for 70 per cent of personal travel carbon emissions. Individuals classified as being in the top tenth of emitters, were responsible for producing 19.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, from their flying alone. This is especially high given that the suggested safe level of personal carbon emissions, the figure that any future carbon allowance scheme would probably be based upon, could be as low as two tonnes per person.

Car driving was the second largest cause of personal travel carbon emissions and the results of the survey suggest that enforcing motorway speed limits co
'"/>

Contact: Annika Howard
annika.howard@esrc.ac.uk
44-017-934-13119
Economic & Social Research Council
1-Feb-2007

Page: 1 2
Related biology news :

1. When off-target is right on
2. Study identifies energy efficiency as reason for evolution of upright walking
3. Brightly colored birds most affected by Chernobyl radiation
4. Bright future for nano-sized light source
5. Wright State scientist receives grant to help clean up polluted American harbors
6. Human ancestors learned to walk upright in the trees, say experts
7. Lessons from the orangutans: Upright walking may have begun in the trees
8. Left-right wiring determined by neural communication in the embryonic worm
9. Genes and biomarkers that allow doctors to choose the right therapy for the right patient
10. Malaria: The right vaccine in the right place?
11. Trusting your instincts leads you to the right answer

Post Your Comments: