Jean Kerr said; “I feel about airplanes the way I feel about diets. It seems to me that they are wonderful things for other people to go on” and yet fly we do… and diets we partake in. Because once you get to your destination (or dream weight) all the agitation, fear, and anticipation become excitement, thrill, and a victorious feeling of pure possibility.
Whether you are the type who maps out your itinerary Months in advance, or you like to just hop over to a Foreign country with nothing but a backpack and a stash of condoms, most choose to fly to get to their chosen destination. Do you usually just grab the cheapest flight and book it? With airlines suffering in a questionable economy, and highly competitive rates available left and right, you can now choose not just a cheap fare, but a greener fare! Green America‘s new airline comparisons will help you make informed choices when you must spend your money with an airline.
This site is helpful for answering questions like;
1. Which airline was fined $7.1 million in August 2008 for violating drug- and alcohol-testing protocols for its piolots and for flying aircraft that were not properly maintained?
2. Which airline ejected six Muslim clerics from a Minneapolis-to-Phoenix flight, subjecting them to handcuffing, detention, and questioning, after a fellow passenger told a flight attendant he was alarmed to have seen them praying before the flight?
3. Which airline was accused in 2007 by the AFL-CIO of distributing anti-union literature in an attempt to block 7,650 service employees at Newark Liberty International Airport from forming a union?
Of course, very little about the airline industry can be considered green in the first place.
Air travel is the worst way to get from here to there if you’re concerned about your carbon emissions, and the airlines are not stepping up to the plate to mitigate their impact. Each of the airlines rated at Responsible Shopper has been downgraded in the environmental category due to membership in the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has aggressively lobbied against plans for carbon emissions trading systems and other attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of global climate change.
With recycling, the results are just as bad. According National Resource Defense Council report, our country’s airlines throw away enough aluminum cans from in-flight beverages to build 58 Boeing 747 jets annually. Luckily each of Green America’s Responsible Shopper categories also include a “go green” link, with suggestions on how to take the greenest steps possible when you travel.
For example, Milwaukee-based Michael Bootzin, who manages the main stage at Green Festivals, has simply made the choice not to fly. Bootz has resolved to travel via Amtrak to each of Green America’s 2009 Green Festivals — in Chicago, Denver, and Seattle this past spring, plus San Francisco and Washington, DC coming up in the fall, and he couldn’t be happier about it. He uses the train trips to read, write, think, dream, and play guitar (with other passengers’ permission) in the dining car – a truly admirable travel style.
“Train travel is usually cheaper and always more hassle-free than flying, plus the seats are roomier and you get the chance to see part of the country you might never otherwise have seen,” Bootz says. “That’s all before you even get to the massive difference in carbon footprint.”
When you choose to fly, consult Green America’s Responsible Shopper site for more on the airlines, and consider a carbon offset to mitigate the effects of flying. They published a guide to carbon offsets which can help you find the best ones.
Now, go ahead and check out where your favorite airline stands;
- American Airlines »
- British Airways »
- Continental Airlines »
- Delta »
- Southwest Airlines »
- United Airlines »
- US Airways »
- Virgin Atlantic Airways »