HR: 0830h
AN: GC31B-0183    [PDF]
TI: CO2 Emissions from Air Travel by AGU and ESA Conference Attendees
AU: * Scott, B
EM: scottbm@dal.ca
AF: Department of Earth Sciences Dalhousie University, Life Sciences Centre, Halifax, NS B3H 4J1 Canada
AU: Plug, L J
EM: lplug@dal.ca
AF: Department of Earth Sciences Dalhousie University, Life Sciences Centre, Halifax, NS B3H 4J1 Canada
AB: Air travel by scientists is one contributor to rising concentrations of CO$_2$ and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. To assess the magnitude of this contribution in per-capita and overall terms, we calculated emissions derived from air travel for two major scientific conferences held in 2002: the western meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in San Francisco and the Ecological Society of America meeting in Tucson (ESA). Round trip travel distance for sampled attendees is 7971 $\pm$ 6968 km (1 sigma range given, n=337) for AGU and 5452 $\pm$ 5664 km for ESA (n=263), conservatively assuming great circle routes were followed. Using accepted CO$_2$ production rates for commercial aircraft, mean AGU emissions are 1.3 tonnes per attendee and 12351 tonnes total and for ESA 0.9 tonnes per attendee and 3140 tonnes total. Although small compared to total anthropogenic emissions (2.275 $\times$ 10$^{10}$ tonnes y$^{-1}$ in 1999), per attendee emissions are significant compared to annual per-capita emissions; CO$_2$ emission per AGU and ESA attendee exceeds the per capita annual emission of 42% and 19% of Earth's population, respectively. Per attendee AGU emissions are $\approx$6% of U.S. and $\approx$14% of British and Japanese per capita annual emission. Relocation of AGU and ESA to cities which minimize travel distances, Denver and Omaha respectively, would result in modest emission reductions of 8% and 14% (assuming 2002 attendee composition). To form a preliminary estimate of annual CO$_2$ emissions for scientists in academia, we surveyed Earth Science faculty at our home institution. Mean annual air travel distance for professional activities was 38064 km y$^{-1}$ (7 respondents). The consequent release of 6.1 tonnes y$^{-1}$ of CO$_2$ is 30% of annual per capita emissions in North America, and exceeds global per capita average of 4 tonnes y$^{-1}$ by 150%. Society and the environment often benefit from scientific enquiry which is facilitated by travel. These benefits, however, might be balanced against the disproportionate share of CO$_2$ presently produced as a consequence of professional scientific activities. Small reductions ($\approx$10%) might be achieved by optimizing conference locations. Supported by Dalhousie University and the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
DE: 0315 Biosphere/atmosphere interactions
DE: 1699 General or miscellaneous
DE: 6699 General or miscellaneous
SC: Global Climate Change [GC]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting