Our third quadrant of the individual ecological footprint comes from personal transportation: mainly cars, planes, buses, and trains. Let’s get straight into it. 

Cars

A car can greatly increase the ecological impact of a large home in the suburbs described yesterday. Driving a 2 ton SUV in and out of town every day will always be unsustainable. 

Yes, technology does allow us to drive much more efficiently nowadays. A modern hybrid can halve fuel consumption. Electric cars offer even more improvements in regions with clean electricity. 

However, electric cars are nowhere near as green as the advertisements claim. In most of the world, a 50 MPG hybrid will still emit less CO2, especially in China and India where a lot of electricity comes from coal. Batteries also have a substantial CO2 footprint and battery materials come with all sorts of environmental, health, and social justice issues. 

Size also matters with the trend to SUVs and trucks currently canceling out much of the progress made with more efficient drivetrains.  

Planes

In the years B.C. (Before Corona), air travel was growing uncomfortably quickly, mainly due to developing Asia. 

When expressed per passenger kilometer, air travel is similarly efficient to a car. But there are many other impacts related to the operation of airports and the travel to and from airports. In addition, planes emit high in the atmosphere which doubles their climate impact.  ‘

All told, it’s easy for someone accumulating plenty of frequent flyer miles to have as large an ecological footprint as our SUV commuter from the previous section. 

Buses and trains

According to EU data, public transportation by bus is much more efficient than a single-person-in-car commute. However, when compared to a car that is fully occupied, emissions are similar.

Commuting by train is always an environmental winner though.

Walking and cycling

And now we come to my favorite transportation mode 🙂

Positioning your home in an ideal location where walking and cycling is viable for most or even all of your travel needs is one of the smartest moves you can ever make. 

It dramatically shrinks your transportation footprint (and costs), while simultaneously boosting your health and body-image. 

Virtual mobility

The ongoing epidemic has also brought this extremely environmentally and economically efficient transportation option into the spotlight.

Working from home via online meetings eliminates the large costs and emissions related to the daily commute. This is a particularly attractive option for people living in the suburbs.

In summary

Walking and cycling are undoubtedly the best options for your planet, society, wallet, and health. Virtual mobility follows closely behind. Public transport is also OK, especially when using a train. 

Cars and planes should only be used when there is no other option (which, unfortunately, is still the case in most places). If a car is a must, please choose a fuel-efficient one and ride-share as often as possible.

The regular single-person-in-heavy-truck-or-SUV commute or shopping run remains one of the most environmentally destructive habits out there.