# Car travel is less carbon intensive than walking **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 19, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992 "2008-03-19T21:51:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/21 "2008-03-20T14:37:45Z")
[QUOTE=matt\_mcl] It’ll _require_ more nourishment, but it probably won’t _get_ more nourishment, or rather, you probably won’t eat less if you drive. That being the case, it’s trivially obvious that CO[sub]2[/sub](glass of milk + car) \< CO[sub]2[/sub](glass of milk). [/QUOTE] Well, regardless where the nourishment comes from, I think it’s fair to say that your body will emit more CO[sub]2[/sub] if you walk, but I agree, it’s silly. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/22 "2008-03-20T15:30:49Z")
[QUOTE=elbows] I thought we were fighting ignorance here. Such a one trick pony. How does this not qualify as ‘being a jerk’, he’s not asking anything, won’t defend his crap. I don’t get why this poster is continually allowed to do this, perhaps someone can enlighten me. [/QUOTE] [Mod Note] **elbows** , comments like this belong in the Pit, not MPSIMS. If you want to critique **Two and a Half Inches of Fun** ’s posting habits, please take it downstairs. [/Mod Note] ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/23 "2008-03-20T15:33:16Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] [Modding] **elbows** , comments like this belong in the Pit, not MPSIMS. If you want to critique **Two and a Half Inches of Fun** ’s posting habits, please take it downstairs. [/Modding] [/QUOTE] Just have to ask, is this your first official Mod Action? Did the jackboots fit ok? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/24 "2008-03-20T15:54:16Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] [Mod Note] **elbows** , comments like this belong in the Pit, not MPSIMS. If you want to critique **Two and a Half Inches of Fun** ’s posting habits, please take it downstairs. [/Mod Note] [/QUOTE] Did anyone ever tell you how sexy you are when you’re modding? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/25 "2008-03-20T17:32:47Z")
Sorry **Marley23**. I didn’t call him a nasty name or anything and thought it was a valid question. Sorry if I crossed a line, too much time in the pit I suppose. It won’t happen again. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/26 "2008-03-20T17:58:27Z")
[QUOTE=elbows] I didn’t call him a nasty name or anything and thought it was a valid question. [/quote] Some of those names, particularly “jerk,” implied trolling, which is out of bounds for this forum. That said, you raised a valid point I didn’t intend to overlook. But I wanted to give **TaaHIoF** a reasonable amount of time first: [Mod Note] **Two and a Half Inches of Fun** : **elbows** stepped over the line, but this looks like trolling anyway. Quit it. [/Mod Note] ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/27 "2008-03-20T18:15:44Z")
[QUOTE=Smeghead] Also, cows fart like you wouldn’t believe. [/QUOTE] So we should walk and then drink cow farts. It all makes sense now! ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/28 "2008-03-20T18:38:26Z")
I think the premise is pretty sound. If you are at a steady weight, and the majority of us are, then you eat an amount that corresponds to the amount you burn. If the person who walks in the example consumes those extra burned calories in an average american fashion, then we can calculate the amount of energy used to create that food. Now I haven’t done this calculation myself, but I don’t see any of you critics who have done that either. Note that the conclusion might be true even if more of the people who walk are on effective diets than those who drive. This is just a factor added to the equation. Same thing goes for hypothetical more fuel efficient eating habits of the walker. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/29 "2008-03-20T18:48:38Z")
[QUOTE=Lobsang] You are not **Kytheria**. And I suspect things are even more complicated than they state. For instance I don’t think there was an entire delivery truck devoted to my glass of milk. [/quote] At one point, if sufficiently many people drink an extra glass of milk, then you will need an extra delivery truck. You will also need extra food for a cow somewhere, and extra containers, etc. > [@](#): > > To be more serious about it… the things associated with these tiny consumptions are going to happen whether we have that glass of milk or not… That’s not a correct way to view things. Lots of tiny consumptions will make a difference. So 1 tiny consumption can be said to make 1/lots of this difference on average. > [@](#): > > And…diddly…and. If we walk more… we might actually consume _less_ as part of being healthier. True. But most of us are in energy equilibrium. Even if there is a small factor that propels people to start losing weight by walking once, I doubt it will schew the overall conclusion. Unless it was very close run. > [@](#): > > Car drivers might consume a lot more food on average than people who walk. If you mean that the fact that they consume more energy makes them drive more, then it is irrelevant. If you mean that the fact that they drive makes them consume more energy, then that is the same as the point above. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/30 "2008-03-20T19:00:58Z")
I think the moral of this is that, from the point of view of energy use, we should spend as much time as possible just lying in bed, doing nothing, and only venturing out one or twice a day to dig up some carrots or pluck some tomatoes from our vegetable patch in our backyard. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/31 "2008-03-20T19:56:16Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] [Mod Note] **Two and a Half Inches of Fun** : **elbows** stepped over the line, but this looks like trolling anyway. Quit it. [/Mod Note] [/QUOTE] How is this trolling? I read this blog post and thought it was interesting, and I decided I would share it. The forum is called Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/32 "2008-03-20T21:10:56Z")
_Pats **2 1/2 IoF** on the cheek_ You’re so cute when you’re trying to look innocent. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/33 "2008-03-20T22:45:30Z")
My questions remain unanswered. [QUOTE=Triskadecamus] My questions are: Do you personally actually believe this? Do you personally find the logic and evidence behind it to be useful in forming your opinions? [/QUOTE] Tris ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/34 "2008-03-20T23:02:00Z")
[QUOTE=Smeghead] Also, cows fart like you wouldn’t believe. [/QUOTE] Exactly. Clearly they chose _milk_ as an example to highlight the fact that some food items cause more greenhouse gas emissions than others. I can maybe accept the premise that walking results in more food consumed. But why would anyone drink an extra glass of milk, while not increasing the amount of any other food or drink? ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/35 "2008-03-21T00:45:02Z")
Am I the only one honest enough to admit that if I were to walk 1.5 miles (0.75 miles each way) to the store and back, I would totally use that to justify the purchase of a pint of Ben & Jerry’s? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/36 "2008-03-21T01:08:22Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] How is this trolling? [/QUOTE] I said “looks like” trolling and I phrased it that way deliberately: when a poster opens a thread on a controversial topic, offers little opinion and then leaves the thread alone, it creates the appearance that he’s just trying to rile people up. None of those things is against the rules, but it’s something you should pay attention to. Hence I noted it. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/37 "2008-03-21T04:02:03Z")
[QUOTE=Harriet the Spry] Am I the only one honest enough to admit that if I were to walk 1.5 miles (0.75 miles each way) to the store and back, I would totally use that to justify the purchase of a pint of Ben & Jerry’s? [/QUOTE] Dammit, now I want ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/38 "2008-03-21T05:18:51Z")
To point out some of the flaws of the OP example: 1. Cows make fertilizer as well as methane. Fertilizer helps make plants which help to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. 2. They only include the delivery man in the case of the milk. They don’t include the delivery man for the gasoline, nor all the fuel used to operate the pumps that raise the crude oil to the surface. 3. Going back to point #1, cows have existed for a long time. Even if there’s more of them in existance than would be if there hadn’t been humans, there would have been some sort of animal taking that place, farting. The earth’s ecosystem has lived without major change for a **real long time** via the process of having animals live, fart, die, get buried, turn to biowaste, and eventually oil. It’s never had any of its animals actively digging up that oil and burning all of those millions years of pent up biowaste all within a short hundred years. ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/39 "2008-03-21T05:23:32Z")
This is really just designed to make vegan environmentalists without cars who grow their own vegetable gardens even _more_ smug, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992/40 "2008-03-21T05:45:38Z")
[QUOTE=Mahna Mahna] I think you’ve missed the point by a mile. The author is saying that you should consider that every action that seems environmentally friendly at face value may have unexpected not-so-friendly repercussions hiding below the surface, and that you need to consider every single aspect of your life when calculating your impact to the planet. [/QUOTE] Not that I consider the conclussions of that, ejem, study accurate but regarding the quoted text, I have to agree that the implications of some “green” measure are not always fully contemplated (in all fairness the implications of not green measures have a long history of being ignored too) For example, solar panels; free, clean energy, but, what´s the ecological footprint of making them? I´ve read somewhere that the average solar panel needs 15 years to break even with the energy it was requiered to make it (I´d appreciate some insight here). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-travel-is-less-carbon-intensive-than-walking/441992.md?page=3)