The Benefits of Train Travel
Taking a train rather than a plane can greatly reduce your carbon footprint on the environment. Airplanes emit their carbon dioxide directly into the upper atmosphere where it’s likely to cause more than twice the damage of the same quantity emitted at ground level. Below we’ve provided how you can become a green traveler right here in Florida and the environmental impacts of traveling by plane.
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Amtrak has 23 stations in Florida making it easy to get from one city to another. Amtrak is the national rail operator that helps connect America in safer, greener ways. It operates more than 300 trains each day to more than 500 destinations with 21,000 route miles in 46 states and three Canadian provinces. You can hop on a train in Florida and easily get to another state or even Canada.
It’s also partnered with Carbonfund.org to provide their passengers with the choice of purchasing carbon offsets along with their ticket. The rail line has also taken several initiatives to reduce fuel and energy usage by providing energy efficiency upgrades, improved train handling and implementation of a Green Power Purchasing Policy.
High-populated cities like Miami and Orlando even have their own railway system. Miami’s Metrorail operates on a 25-mile dual track with 23 stations about a mile apart. In Orlando, the SunRail connects twelve stations through three different counties with double-decker passenger cars.
Train vs. Plane: The Environmental Impact
The train may be a big carbon emitter, but it’s designed to carry a lot of passengers so the per capita emissions are lower. Airplanes account for about three percent of total global climate emissions, and one single flight produces three tons of carbon dioxide per passenger. Planes also produce vapor trails and emit tropospheric ozone, which has a big impact on the climate change.
Train Carbon Emissions                                          Â
Since the middle of the 19th century, carbon dioxide emissions in our atmosphere have increased steadily from the burning of fossil fuels. Trains offer a greener option because they generate much less carbon dioxide. In 2016 alone, Amtrak passengers purchased 101 metric tons of carbon dioxide offsets that eliminated 242,000 miles driven by the average vehicle or eliminated carbon emissions from burning 107,000 pounds of coal. Year after year this can greatly improve the state of our environment and reduce global warming.
