Estimations of Air Travel-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions from ASLA Meetings, 1960–2019
| Year | Location | Attendees | Attendees byAird | Carbon Footprint tCO2e | Carbon Footprint tCO2 w/Radiative Forcingf | Carbonfund tCO2e | Carbonfund tCO2 w/Radiative Forcingg | Mean tCO2e | Sept. Arctic Sea Ice Loss, m2h | Labor Productivity Loss, PPPi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | San Diego | 6,500b | 5,826 | 2,272 | 4,297 | 3,146 | 8,494 | 2,679.94 | 8,039.81 | $1,795.56 |
| 2018 | Philadelphia | 6,200 | 3,061 | 643 | 1,216 | 888 | 2,397 | 765.24 | 2,295.71 | $505.06 |
| 2017 | Los Angeles | 6,318 | 5,118 | 1,791 | 3,387 | 2,456 | 6,632 | 2,098.21 | 6,294.62 | $1,342.85 |
| 2016 | New Orleans | 5,526 | 5,032 | 1,510 | 2,855 | 2,013 | 5,435 | 1,761.19 | 5,283.57 | $1,109.55 |
| 2015 | Chicago | 6,200 | 5,327 | 1,172 | 2,216 | 1,598 | 4,315 | 1,385.03 | 4,155.09 | $858.72 |
| 2014 | Denver | 5,500 | 4,950 | 1,386 | 2,621 | 1,832 | 4,945 | 1,633.50 | 4,900.50 | $1,012.77 |
| 2013 | Boston | 5,886 | 3,657 | 914 | 1,729 | 1,317 | 3,555 | 1,133.66 | 3,400.98 | $691.53 |
| 2012 | Phoenix | 4,200 | 3,338 | 1,001 | 1,893 | 1,368 | 3,695 | 1,201.59 | 3,604.76 | $720.95 |
| 2011 | San Diego | 5,576 | 4,931 | 1,972 | 3,730 | 2,712 | 7,322 | 2,366.81 | 7,100.43 | $1,396.42 |
| 2010 | Wash. DC | 5,465 | 4,355 | 1,307 | 2,471 | 1,786 | 4,821 | 1,567.82 | 4,703.46 | $893.66 |
| 2009 | Chicago | 5,103 | 4,384 | 965 | 1,824 | 1,315 | 3,551 | 1,139.97 | 3,419.91 | $638.38 |
| 2008 | Philadelphia | 5,350 | 2,641 | 555 | 1,049 | 766 | 2,068 | 660.32 | 1,980.97 | $369.78 |
| 2007 | San Francisco | 6,978 | 5,561 | 1,668 | 3,155 | 2,280 | 6,156 | 2,001.88 | 6,005.63 | $1,081.01 |
| 2006 | Minneapolis | 4,364 | 3,478 | 1,043 | 1,973 | 1,426 | 3,850 | 1,251.96 | 3,755.89 | $663.54 |
| 2005 | Ft. Lauderdale | 4,198 | 3,345 | 1,004 | 1,898 | 1,372 | 3,703 | 1,204.34 | 3,613.02 | $614.21 |
| 2004 | Salt Lake City | 2,085 | 1,662 | 498 | 943 | 681 | 1,839 | 598.15 | 1,794.46 | $299.08 |
| 2003 | New Orleans | 4,226 | 3,848 | 1,154 | 2,183 | 1,539 | 4,156 | 1,346.87 | 4,040.61 | $646.50 |
| 2002 | San Jose, CA | 3,753 | 2,991 | 897 | 1,697 | 1,226 | 3,311 | 1,076.68 | 3,230.03 | $506.04 |
| 2001 | Montreal | 0c | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2000 | St. Louis | 3,200 | 2,550 | 765 | 1,447 | 1,046 | 2,823 | 918.03 | 2,754.09 | $413.11 |
| 1999 | Boston | 3,104 | 1,929 | 482 | 912 | 694 | 1,875 | 597.88 | 1,793.63 | $263.07 |
| 1998 | Portland | 3,008 | 2,397 | 719 | 1,360 | 983 | 2,654 | 863.06 | 2,589.19 | $371.12 |
| 1997 | Atlanta | 2,913 | 2,321 | 696 | 1,317 | 952 | 2,569 | 835.58 | 2,506.74 | $350.94 |
| 1996 | Los Angeles | 2,817 | 2,282 | 799 | 1,510 | 1,095 | 2,957 | 935.46 | 2,806.38 | $383.54 |
| 1995 | Cleveland | 2,721 | 2,168 | 651 | 1,230 | 889 | 2,400 | 780.61 | 2,341.83 | $312.24 |
| 1994 | San Antonio | 2,625 | 2,092 | 628 | 1,187 | 858 | 2,316 | 753.13 | 2,259.38 | $293.72 |
| 1993 | Chicago | 2,529 | 2,173 | 478 | 904 | 652 | 1,760 | 565.05 | 1,695.14 | $214.72 |
| 1992 | Washington, DC | 2,434 | 1,939 | 582 | 1,100 | 795 | 2,147 | 698.16 | 2,094.48 | $258.32 |
| 1991 | Kansas City | 2,338 | 1,863 | 559 | 1,057 | 764 | 2,062 | 670.68 | 2,012.03 | $241.44 |
| 1990 | San Diego | 2,242 | 1,996 | 778 | 1,472 | 1,088 | 2,937 | 938.14 | 2,814.43 | $318.97 |
| 1989 | Orlando | 2,333 | 1,859 | 558 | 1,055 | 762 | 2,058 | 669.30 | 2,007.90 | $220.87 |
| 1988 | Seattle | 2,181 | 1,738 | 521 | 986 | 713 | 1,924 | 625.69 | 1,877.08 | $193.97 |
| 1987 | Baltimore | 2,121 | 1,690 | 507 | 959 | 693 | 1,871 | 608.39 | 1,825.16 | $182.52 |
| 1986 | San Francisco | 2,060 | 1,642 | 493 | 931 | 673 | 1,818 | 591.08 | 1,773.24 | $171.41 |
| 1985 | Cincinnati | 2,000 | 1,594 | 478 | 904 | 653 | 1,764 | 573.77 | 1,721.30 | $160.66 |
| 1984 | Phoenix | 2,300 | 1,833 | 550 | 1,040 | 751 | 2,029 | 659.83 | 1,979.50 | $178.15 |
| 1983 | Indianapolis | 2,000 | 1,594 | 478 | 904 | 653 | 1,764 | 573.77 | 1,721.30 | $149.18 |
| 1982 | Honolulu | 1,050 | 837 | 251 | 475 | 343 | 926 | 301.23 | 903.68 | $75.31 |
| 1981 | Washington, DC | 2,300 | 1,833 | 550 | 1,040 | 751 | 2,029 | 659.83 | 1,979.50 | $158.36 |
| 1980 | Denver | 1,700 | 1,530 | 428 | 810 | 566 | 1,528 | 504.90 | 1,514.70 | $111.08 |
| 1979 | New Orleans | 1,800 | 1,639 | 492 | 930 | 656 | 1,770 | 590.07 | 1,770.21 | $112.11 |
| 1978 | Atlanta | 1,700 | 1,355 | 406 | 769 | 555 | 1,500 | 487.70 | 1,463.11 | $82.91 |
| 1977 | Minn./St. Paul | 1,615 | 1,287 | 386 | 730 | 528 | 1,425 | 463.41 | 1,390.24 | $74.15 |
| 1976 | San Diego | 1,531 | 1,362 | 538 | 1,018 | 742 | 2,005 | 640.28 | 1,920.83 | $96.04 |
| 1975 | San Antonio | 1,446 | 1,152 | 346 | 654 | 472 | 1,276 | 414.83 | 1,244.49 | $58.08 |
| 1974 | Bal Harbour | 1,361 | 1,085 | 325 | 615 | 445 | 1,201 | 390.54 | 1,171.62 | $50.77 |
| 1973 | Mackinac Isl. | 1,277 | 1,017 | 305 | 577 | 417 | 1,126 | 366.25 | 1,098.75 | $43.95 |
| 1972 | Philadelphia | 1,192 | 588 | 124 | 234 | 171 | 461 | 147.12 | 441.36 | $16.18 |
| 1971 | Portland, OR | 1,107 | 882 | 265 | 501 | 362 | 977 | 317.67 | 953.01 | $34.94 |
| 1970 | Williamsburg | 1,023 | 815 | 244 | 462 | 334 | 902 | 293.38 | 880.14 | $29.34 |
| 1969 | St. Louis | 938 | 747 | 224 | 424 | 306 | 827 | 269.09 | 807.27 | $26.91 |
| 1968 | Niagara Falls | 853 | 680 | 204 | 386 | 279 | 753 | 244.80 | 734.39 | $22.03 |
| 1967 | Atlanta | 769 | 613 | 184 | 347 | 251 | 678 | 220.51 | 661.52 | $19.85 |
| 1966 | Yosemite Nat’l Park | 684 | 545 | 164 | 309 | 223 | 603 | 196.22 | 588.65 | $15.70 |
| 1965 | Hartford, CT | 599 | 478 | 143 | 271 | 196 | 529 | 171.93 | 515.78 | $13.75 |
| 1964 | Dallas | 515 | 410 | 123 | 233 | 168 | 454 | 147.64 | 442.91 | $11.81 |
| 1963 | Pittsburgh | 430 | 343 | 103 | 194 | 140 | 379 | 123.36 | 370.08 | $9.87 |
| 1962 | Bal Harbour | 287 | 229 | 69 | 130 | 94 | 253 | 82.34 | 247.01 | $6.59 |
| 1961 | Boulder | 143 | 129 | 36 | 68 | 48 | 129 | 42.47 | 127.41 | $3.40 |
| 1960 | New York City | 188 | 150 | 45 | 85 | 61 | 166 | 53.93 | 161.80 | $4.31 |
| Totals | 38,429 | 72,670 | 52,545 | 141,871 | 45,860.24 | 137,580.73 | $20,900.99 |
a Bold attendee values provided by the ASLA Library and Archives. I interpolated the other values between given, bold values.
↵b ASLA (2019a, p. 41).
↵c The ASLA Executive Committee canceled the 2001 meeting following the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon that occurred on September 11,2001.
↵d Airborne attendees multiplied by mean percentage of education session featured speakers who likely flew per meeting. Bold emission values based on the mean percentage of featured speakers’ for ASLA meetings in the same, respective city in 2011, and 2013–2019.1 based the other values on mean percentages of airborne speakers across all meeting speakers in 2011 and 2013–2019.
↵e Airborne attendees multiplied by mean emission weight by meeting location from Carbon Footprint or Carbonfund calculators, or for the mean of two carbon calculators. Bold emission values based on mean emission weights of featured speakers’for ASLA meetings in the same, respective city in 2011, and 2013–2019.1 based the other values on mean emission weights across all meeting speakers in 2011 and 2013–2019.
↵f Carbon Footprint calculator radiative forcing factor is 1.891. Values account for the potential global warming effect due to the emission of greenhouse gases from aircraft in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere.
↵g Carbonfund calculator radiative forcing factor is 2.7.
↵h Values based on mean tCO2. For every 1 tCO2 emitted into the atmosphere, 3 m2 of September Arctic sea ice loss occurred between 1953 and2OI5 (Notz & Stroeve, 2016).
↵i Values based on mean tCO2. Labor productivity loss of annual GDP in 2011 international dollars of purchasing power parity (PPP) from Chavaillaz et al. (2019), where 1 tCO2 corresponds to an annual GDP loss of $0.59.1 adjusted PPP for inflation between 1960 and 2010, and between 2012 and 2019, using usinflationcalculator.com.