We have entered the most popular time of the year for flying, so the Economist has published a piece that explores the environmental effects of the holiday season travel bump. Planes are 50 percent more fuel efficient than they were a couple decades ago, and are now per mile twice as efficient as cars. However, the fact that flying is now more popular than it has been at any previous point in history means that the efficiency of modern planes is offset by increased travel volume. Guilty flyers can purchase carbon offsets when they fly, but research is mixed on whether offset programs are actually effective.
Read the full article here: Is Flying Getting Better or Worse for the Environment?