Can carbon capture make flying more sustainable?
- Media Manager
- Feb 5, 2021
- 1 min read
National Geographic
Written By: Chloe Berge
Published: February 5th, 2021
It’s the time of year to set goals, and United Airlines recently announced a lofty one. The carrier plans to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. How? In part by backing a technology called direct air capture, which sucks carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Humans spew more than 44 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. Tourism contributes up to 8 percent of those emissions, with flying making up the largest share, according to a 2018 study published in Nature Climate Change.
During the pandemic, we’ve witnessed how ecosystems benefited from the slowing of a frenetic global economy powered largely by fossil fuels. It was a reckoning for many travelers, who are rethinking how and why they fly—and seeking ways to reduce their carbon footprint when they do take to the skies.
