Carbon emissions soar as tourism reaches new heights
“This paper provides one of the first efforts to quantify the carbon emissions associated with tourist air travel in the continental United States,” explained Neil Debbage, assistant professor of geography and environmental sustainability in UTSA’s Department of Political Science and Geography.
The researchers wanted to know whether nonstop routes to tourist destinations can mitigate air travel carbon emissions compared to connecting routes through big airline hubs.
Using International Civil Aviation Organization data, USTA researchers analyzed carbon emissions for direct and connecting routes between the 10 most-populated metropolitan areas in the northeastern United States (New York, Philadelphia, Boston, etc.) and 13 different tourist destinations located in the Sunbelt and Western regions of the United States (Bexar County, Texas; Los Angeles County, California; Miami-Dade County, Florida; etc.).
Some of the key findings:
“One potential tactic to mitigate the carbon footprint associated with tourist air travel is to select nonstop routes whenever possible,” replied Debbage, who worked on the paper with Keith G. Debbage, professor of geography at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
The researchers said they hope this paper will help policymakers consider making new initiatives that accelerate technological innovations regarding aircraft fuel usage, jet engines and jet fuel. Additionally, they also emphasized the importance of broader structural shifts such as implementing realistic carbon pricing for air travel.
Neil Debbage’s research focuses on climate change, natural hazards and resiliency. He utilizes geographic information systems, statistical modeling and numerical weather modeling to better understand the changing climate at various scales.