Aviation in Hawaii

According to the US Dept of Energy, there were 4.5 million metric tons of CO2 directly released in 2013 from Jet Fuel use in Hawaii. Keep in mind that this fuel is just used to power to initial departure leg from the islands (and interisland flights), and that this figure does not include the energy used, CO2 released and warming effects from:

> the production and transport of petroleum to Hawaii;

> the refining and transport of the Kerosene jet fuel used here;

> the warming effects produced by jet fuel combustion and release in the atmosphere (so called Radiative Forcing Index or “RFI”);

> the release of water vapor, nitrous oxides, sulphate, soot and other greenhouse gasses;

> the emissions related to all of the arrival legs to Hawaii (essentially double the departure leg total);

> the warming effects from all of the arrival and departure connecting flights and ground transport used to get here and back (this could double the total again).