Climate change and global warming are hot topics in our industry, and we at Delta know that how these issues are dealt with is crucial.
Global warming refers to an increase in the Earth’s average temperature, which in turn causes changes in the climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, rise in sea levels, and wide range impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. Most commonly when scientists talk about climate change their concern is about global warming being caused by human activities. Global warming is caused by the greenhouse effect, which is when certain gases in the atmosphere trap energy (heat) from the sun, which then leads to a rise in temperature on Earth’s surface. These gases are referred to as greenhouse gases (GHGs) and include water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane. GHGs act to trap the energy in the atmosphere, causing our world to warm.
As we all know, the transportation sector is a significant contributor of GHGs. Global transportation contributes an estimated 14% of global GHG emissions and commercial aviation alone produces 2-3%. One gallon of Jet A fuel converts to nearly 21 pounds of CO2. This may sound frightening, but if you multiply mileage by number of passengers, it works out that the average passenger miles per gallon is about 53, similar to driving a small SUV with 3 occupants, their luggage and a 6 year old golden lab.
All in all, climate change is an issue the entire transportation industry is coming face to face with.
Only the future will tell how other industries cope, but Delta is committed to reducing GHG emissions, for emissions are directly related to fuel usage and we want be as fuel efficient as possible. For example, in the past 10 years, the fuel efficiency of Delta’s fleet has improved by 24% and will improve even further in years to come.
Meghan
Sustainability Intern
Environmental Health
