Why I Chose the Train Over the Plane

Last week I took a 48+ hour Amtrak train from Los Angeles to Dearborn, Michigan, just outside of Detroit. It ended up taking even longer, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. In this episode I talk about my experience and explain the climate impacts of aviation, rail, and buses, and explain why I think trains may be the future of long-distance transportation.

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Relevant links from this episode below:

The Eric Holthaus article that started it all: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/02/why_a_meteorologist_took_the_bus_for_28_hours_instead_of_flying.html

"Getting There Greener" (still broadly useful, although some of these numbers are out of date): https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/greentravel_report.pdf

"The global scale, distribution and growth of aviation: Implications for climate change": https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378020307779#b0300

My Jacobin article on overnight travel: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/07/greyhound-amtrak-hotel-stay-travel-vacation

My In These Times article making a leftist case for lowering your carbon footprint: https://inthesetimes.com/article/a-socialist-case-for-curbing-consumption-to-stop-climate-change

Oxfam report on inequality of carbon emissions: https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/carbon-emissions-richest-1-percent-more-double-emissions-poorest-half-humanity

"Grounded, and loving it. Can giving up air travel bring joy?":

https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2022/0418/Grounded-and-loving-it.-Can-giving-up-air-travel-bring-joy

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