• QuinceDaPence@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    But at least with trains we’re not accelerating the death of the planet

    A mag lev train doing 500+mph is going to need a lot more energy than a normal train. It will probably be less than the plane but I’m thinking it won’t be as much less as you might think.

    Thae train is also doing those speeds at sea level vs the plane doing them at 35,000ft or higher, where there’s less than 1/4 the atmosphere to fight.

    Edit: for the record I’m in favor of more trains but I don’t think these will be that much better than planes with both in cruise, however, they both have different situations where they’re more suited with some overlap.

    • flux@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Trains don’t leave exhaust in the upper parts of the atmosphere, though, and depending on how the electricity was created, it could be neither did its energy source—though I suppose there’s no avoiding that manufacturing any kind of plant and the train itself did cause emissions.

      • MatthewToad43@climatejustice.social
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        1 year ago

        @flux @QuinceDaPence Concrete and steel (for stations, track, etc) matter. So does the electricity used to maintain stations, not just propel the train. So lifecycle emissions of a train are immensely complicated, plus then you get into how to route a new rail line without destroying too many ecosystems.

        Even so, clean electricity is the easy bit compared to making planes clean. More trains please.