The flight from SFO to SIN is one of the longest in the world, so I expected it to take a lot of carbon. However, 1.83 metric tons of CO2 was an amount way larger than I would have ever guessed initially. In terms of how I would offset that, it’s quite hard to say. In terms of local ecosystems, mangrove forests, coral reefs, and smaller tropical forests are all here, but there is not enough space in Singapore for there to be much replanting. Much of the land in fact is being bought for expansion. Instead, another route might be clean energy and changes in energy usage. I’ve definitely tried to be conscious of that here, especially with AC, as it takes a huge amount of energy to cool even a small space down when it is this hot and humid. Making sure to turn it off when I leave and use the windows instead, has been something I’ve been making sure to keep in mind. I think in general more clean energy could definitely make a difference, though. A fair bit of the economy relies on oil and petroleum and I think with all the constant sun and heat, solar would do so well instead, and also be so much better for the natural ecosystems that are already here.

 

I also find it interesting that Singapore Airlines even has a carbon emissions offset site. On it, you can put in your flight details, and it will calculate your carbon emissions, and give you options of local projects you can donate to. However, to me it feels more like greenwashing than anything, It’s not a site I would have ever found if I wasn’t consciously looking for it, and as an extremely wealthy airline company, I feel like it would be better for them to have a program to offset some chunk of their carbon emissions on their own if they truly wanted to be committed to environmental causes.

 

I think carbon emissions for flights in general are something that I’ll consider more often now, though. Right now, I’m in Ho Chih Minh City in Vietnam, and fairly downtown, and I flew then drove to get here. There isn’t a huge amount of nature around, but it still feels like there is more than Singapore. Even the food here feels more fresh than it does in Singapore (not that it doesn’t feel that way there too). My sit spot, I guess, is right by the water outside of the Fulbright University campus. It’s a really peaceful area, and it’s nice to see both the city skyline and trees across the water.