An estimated 35% of animals will be extinct by 2050 due to rising global temperatures and the increase in the use of greenhouse gases. The most significant way to save these animals from extinction and lower carbon emissions is by reducing air travel.
During early 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, the entire U.S. was under lockdown. This resulted in significantly less travel, with the International Energy Agency reporting that carbon emissions dropped by over 7% in that year. This means that almost two and a half billion tons of CO2 were removed from the climate—which translates to taking 500 million cars off the road for over a year. This is the largest decline in carbon use since World War II. One of the most significant factors that currently contribute to fossil fuels is airplane travel, which decreased by over 60% in 2020. Yet, as the world reopened to the public in 2021 and people began to travel again by plane, carbon emissions spiked.
The most significant solution to this existential crisis is substantially reducing plane travel. Yes, this may mean that your trip to Tokyo becomes a staycation or a trip to the Berkshires. Yet, you are doing this to care for the animals on this planet, and with that one action, you could help save an entire species from extinction.
It may seem extreme to argue for a reduction in plane travel. You may wonder, why not just recycle? Or use a hybrid car? Maybe even just conserve energy? That should be enough, right? To put it bluntly, it’s not. We are no longer in a position where we can argue about the severity of climate change. According to the climate clock, we’ll have only four years, beginning July 22, 2024, to end the widespread use of fossil fuels before climate change is completely irreversible. This is a time to unite and create major change.
If we all take responsibility for our own carbon footprint, we may be able to drastically lower carbon emissions. BBC statistics show that a flight from London to San Francisco emits 5.5 tons of CO2 per person, which is twice the emissions produced by a family car per year. Reducing plane travel is one of the most significant contributions that the average person can make to lower emissions of greenhouse gases. If we all admit that plane travel must be reduced, even at the expense of seeing the world, we can help restore the habitat of animals all around us and thus help contribute to a greener, more sustainable, and healthy planet.
It is our turn to act. We cannot afford to ignore the devastating impacts we have had on this planet. The time to restore our ecosystem is now—and this begins with us. By taking responsibility for our actions and our impacts, as well as making mindful choices like limiting air travel, we can reduce the pollution and damage we have created and start to repair Earth. Remember that every decision you make and every flight you take will impact our ecosystem. It is time to give back and create a healthier, more sustainable environment—and this begins with you.
