“You’re…older than I thought you would be,” I mumbled at the Piccadilly line train in front of me.
“Are you not just the most charming American?” The train spoke in a crisp British accent.
“Sorry. I’ve been on a plane for too many hours.”
“How long was the journey?”
“Seven hours.”
“Blimey! That is quite a harrowing trip.”
“I know. I think my legs are numb.”
“What are you on about? Daft Americans- I was talking about my poor Earth. That journey quite literally created a ton of carbon dioxide.”[1]
“But I-”
“Oh, a ton translates to around 2000 pounds for you.”[2]
“I know exactly how much that is! The airline actually uses Sustainable Aviation Fuel which isn’t made from petroleum. Plus, they’ve reduced their use of single-use plastic items.”[3]
“Splendid! Where are you travelling from?”
“Boston.”
“You must know the T! We have got a sort of estranged family relationship, but the green line is a distant cousin of mine.”
“Oh, the T told me all about you. You’re 100% electric.”[4]
“Well, not to blow my own trumpet, but they do call me the prodigious son of the family!”
“But the T also said that your stations are 30 times more polluted than a London road.”[5]
“…”
“…and I have asthma.”
“I do sincerely apologize for my state. We are working on replacing our braking system so that hard stops will not generate as much dust. I want all of my passengers to feel safe, and to limit the amount of pollution I am creating. It is a work in progress, but I would recommend choosing which public transport option to take based on your health needs.”
“I think I’d still prefer the train. It’s accessible, affordable, and generates much less carbon than the bus.[6] I’ll just wear a mask and make sure my inhaler is always with me.”
“Good thinking! Perhaps I am biased, but us trains have always taken pride in how sustainable we are. Especially compared to diesel guzzling buses…”
“Woah, let’s not badmouth any form of public transport. They are still more sustainable than cars, after all.”
“And we are better than planes.”
“Hey, there’s no trains from Boston to the UK!”
“Not in this current moment! If enough people mobilize, perhaps there could be more sustainable international travel. I can only do so much to get people to listen. Sustainability is a community effort, not an individual project. I do try to speak to everyone, but I would appreciate it if you would pass on my message.”
“I can relay this exact conversation to everyone who wants to travel in London!”
“And you would have my deepest gratitudes for that.”
1. https://co2.myclimate.org/en/portfolios?calculation_id=8694305&localized_currency=CHF
2. https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/how-much-ton-carbon-dioxide
3. https://www.virginatlantic.com/corporate/business-for-good/planet/experience
4. https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/stories/engineering/steam-green-londons-public-transport-and-environment
5. https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/news/bus-vs-tube
6. https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/news/bus-vs-tube
