After Diwali, the pollution level in Delhi has once again crossed the dangerous limit. The air quality index (AQI) has reportedly exceeded 600 in many areas of the capital. This is nothing new; Every year between October and November, the air in Delhi gets worse. There are also political debates about the causes of pollution. Some consider it a firecracker problem, while others blame stubble burning. At the same time, smoke from vehicles and traffic are also included among its reasons. In such a situation, the question arises: who plays the biggest role in air pollution: cars, buses or flights?
What generates more pollution, the bicycle or the car?
According to a report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), cars in general emit more pollution than bicycles. The main reason for this is the large displacement and high fuel consumption of cars, so they emit more carbon dioxide (CO2) and other harmful gases.
The ICCT report states that cars burn more fuel and emit more CO2 per kilometer than bicycles. Understanding it this way, the emissions of an average gasoline car are between 2 and 3 times greater than those of a bicycle. In addition, the weight of the car is greater, which puts more pressure on the fuel and increases the amount of pollution.
Bicycles with smaller displacement engines, such as 100-125 cc, consume relatively less fuel, resulting in fewer CO2 emissions. However, the ICCT report also states that sports bikes with larger displacement engines or motorcycles larger than 250 cc can have emissions equal to or higher than those of cars.
Are flights the most damaging to the air?
According to reports from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), air travel (flights) emits more carbon dioxide (CO₂) than cars and buses, both per person and per kilometer. This means that when compared in terms of distance, the carbon footprint of flights is greater than that of other modes of transport.
According to reports from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), air transport accounts for around 11.6% of CO₂ emissions. Of these, 81% of carbon emissions come from passenger flights, while 19% come from cargo flights.
