Simple carbon emissions math problem: - Democratic Underground

XemaSab

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Wed Jan-16-08 03:15 AM
Original message

Simple carbon emissions math problem:

Which releases more CO2 (in tons), flying round-trip from LA to Tokyo, or driving a 1996 Toyota Corolla 12,000 miles (assuming 27 mpg average)?

:shrug:

Please show all work. :)

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lapfog_1

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Wed Jan-16-08 03:27 AM
Response to Original message

1. What, you in high school and you want our help to solve this?

use google, find out how much carbon is emitted by burning 44.44 gallons of gasoline... and find out how much is emitted by flying a 747 (the most common jet for a trip to tokyo) and do the math. Remember to divide the 747 carbon emissions by the average number of passengers that travel on a 747 from LA to Tokyo so that you have a per passenger tonnage.

And your problem doesn't say if your 1200 mile road trip has passengers... take that into account when you come up with the per person carbon contributions of both methods.

Good luck.

Let us know the answer when you get it.

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physioex

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Wed Jan-16-08 04:05 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. Sure but that is just part of the equation....

The 747 is not only a passenger plane but also a cargo plane that carries cargo between the journey. So a better way to look at this problem maybe payload versus payload carried not simply body count.

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lapfog_1

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Wed Jan-16-08 05:47 AM
Response to Reply #2

3. Yeah, I thought about that too, but the OP was about a person

traveling. And because you can (and they do) stuff tons of cargo into a 747, your car can carry quite a bit as well... so maybe the problem should be restated as not CO2 per passenger but CO2 per pound carried.

Anyway, it sounds like an excellent junior high or high school science homework question.

I think I'll borrow it for some students I'm tutoring right now (though they are a bit young... 12 year olds).

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patch1234

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Wed Jan-16-08 06:05 AM
Response to Original message

4. just a guess ... 40 seat-miles per gallon, in a 747

if the 747 is full.

keep in mind that a car can carry 1-4 passengers,
or half a ton of stuff

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cloudythescribbler

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Wed Jan-16-08 10:44 AM
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5. per person, the airplane is MUCH more efficient, per VEHICLE it's the car

WOW, talk about rocket science

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phantom power

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Wed Jan-16-08 10:52 AM
Response to Original message

6. that reminds me of a radio ad I heard for rail transport.

They were explaining how they could ship a ton of freight 450 miles on one gallon of fuel.

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hunter

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Wed Jan-16-08 11:40 AM
Response to Reply #6

7. An electric train doesn't even have to use liquid fuel.

Optimistically, it could use solar power generated on the right-of-way.

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Massacure

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Wed Jan-16-08 01:16 PM
Response to Original message

8. The car is a little better on emissions but not much.

A 747 uses 5 gallons per mile, so if you fly 12,000 miles you use 60,000 gallons. But if it is carrying 500 people, it only uses 120 gallons per person. A corolla would use about 440 gallons (12,000 / 27) to go 12,000 miles, but if its carrying 4 people, thats 110 gallons per person.

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