I remember a radio commercial from way back that had someone singing, “take the train to the plane, take the train to the plane.”  But Carbonfund.org has a good reason for just taking the train on your next trip.

According to Carbonfund, taking the train instead of flying 2,500 miles will save almost a thousand pounds of CO2 emissions.  Check out this chart:

Carbonfund is also teaming up with Amtrak to make it easier for passengers to offset their trips.

“By choosing to travel by rail, Amtrak passengers are already a step ahead because the carbon footprint generated by their trip is smaller than that of most other modes of transportation,” said Roy Deitchman, Vice President, Environmental Health & Safety for Amtrak. “Because it is more energy efficient, traveling by rail contributes less per passenger mile to greenhouse gas emissions than either cars or airplane. Rail travel also helps to reduce highway congestion in major urban centers.”

In addition to other energy-saving initiatives, Amtrak has committed to a 6 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from its diesel locomotive fleet from 2003-2010.

So think about taking the train the next time you plan a trip.  Kicking back on the train with a good book and a cup of coffee seems much more relaxing than braving crowds at the airport or getting stuck in holiday traffic anyway.