Your 3-Day Masai Mara Safari Emits 5 Tons of CO2 and Why Planting 234 Trees Won’t Quite Balance the Impact

A safari in the Masai Mara is an unforgettable experience, but like all travel, it has an environmental impact. Calculating your carbon footprint is an important step in understanding and mitigating your contribution to greenhouse gas emissions during your trip. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to estimate your carbon footprint for a Masai Mara safari.

1. Understanding Key Contributors to Your Carbon Footprint

Your carbon footprint as a safari-goer is influenced by several factors:

• Air travel: For most international visitors, flights to Kenya represent the largest portion of their carbon footprint.
• Ground transportation: Safari vehicles, typically diesel-powered Land Cruisers, contribute to your carbon emissions.
• Accommodation: Lodges and camps vary in their energy sources, with some running on diesel generators while others use solar power.
• Meals and waste: The carbon footprint of food consumption and waste production also factors in.

2. Calculating Emissions from Air Travel

Flying to Kenya from various parts of the world can generate a significant amount of CO2. For instance:

• One-way flight from New York to Nairobi emits about 2.5 metric tons of CO2 per passenger.
• One-way flight from London to Nairobi emits approximately 1.6 metric tons of CO2 per passenger.

You can use online carbon calculators like the ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator or MyClimate to determine the emissions based on your flight details.

3. Estimating Vehicle Emissions on Safari

In the Masai Mara, safari vehicles are predominantly diesel-powered. For example, a 2013 Land Cruiser Series 79 can consume 16-20 liters of diesel for a full-day game drive, covering around 160 kilometers. Diesel vehicles emit approximately 2.68 kg of CO2 per liter of diesel burned.

For a full-day game drive, you can estimate your emissions as follows:

• Emissions per game drive = liters of diesel consumed × 2.68 kg CO2
• Example: If a vehicle consumes 18 liters of diesel in a day, the emissions would be 48.24 kg of CO2.

For shared vehicles, divide the emissions by the number of passengers to estimate your individual contribution.

4. Accounting for Accommodation Impact

Lodges and camps in the Masai Mara vary in their energy usage:

• Eco-friendly camps that use solar power have a much lower carbon footprint compared to lodges that rely on diesel generators.
• To estimate the emissions of your accommodation, you can:
  • Ask the lodge about their energy sources and daily consumption.
  • Assume 3 to 10 kg of CO2 per night for eco-lodges, and higher for diesel-powered ones.

5. Including Meals and Waste

Food production and waste management contribute to your overall carbon footprint. This contribution is typically lower than transportation and accommodation but still significant. A meal’s carbon footprint can range from 1 to 5 kg of CO2 depending on the type of food (e.g., meat-heavy meals have a higher footprint).

6. Use Online Carbon Calculators

There are several online tools that can help you calculate your safari’s carbon footprint more accurately by inputting your specific activities:

• Carbon Footprint Safari Calculators: Some travel websites and carbon offsetting programs allow you to input details like flights, vehicle usage, and accommodations.
• Carbonfund.org and Carbon Neutral are examples of organizations offering calculators specifically designed for tourism activities, including wildlife safaris.

7. Offsetting Your Carbon Footprint

After calculating your carbon footprint, you can offset it by supporting carbon offset projects. Many organizations offer carbon credits that you can purchase to support reforestation, renewable energy, or conservation projects. Some options include:

• Carbonfund.org renamed Climaco.com
• MyClimate

Carbon Footprint Breakdown for a 3-Day Safari to Masai Mara from New York

This breakdown estimates the carbon emissions for an American traveler flying from New York to Nairobi, staying at an eco-budget camp such as Kambu Mara Camp (which runs on solar power), and enjoying a single full-day game drive in the Masai Mara.

1. Air Travel (New York to Nairobi)

Air travel typically has the highest carbon footprint. A round-trip flight from New York (JFK) to Nairobi (NBO) generates significant CO2 emissions. Using an average value from carbon calculators:

• One-way flight (JFK to NBO): Approximately 2.5 metric tons of CO2 per passenger.
• Round-trip flight: 5 metric tons of CO2 per passenger.

This value can vary slightly depending on the flight path and airline efficiency, but for long-haul flights, this estimate provides a general idea of the emissions.

2. Ground Transportation (Nairobi to Masai Mara)

For transportation between Nairobi and the Masai Mara, the traveler would likely take a 4WD diesel safari vehicle, typically a Land Cruiser. The distance from Nairobi to the Mara is about 270 kilometers each way, and a Land Cruiser consumes around 12-15 liters of diesel per 100 km.

• One-way trip (Nairobi to Masai Mara): Approximately 32-40 liters of diesel.
• CO2 emissions: Diesel emits 2.68 kg of CO2 per liter of fuel burned, so the round-trip drive generates:
  • 86-107 kg of CO2 for the trip to and from the Masai Mara.

3. Full-Day Game Drive in Masai Mara

For a full-day game drive in the 2013 Land Cruiser Series 79, typically covering 160 kilometers, fuel consumption is about 16-20 liters of diesel.

• CO2 emissions for the game drive:
  • 16-20 liters of diesel × 2.68 kg CO2/liter = 43-54 kg of CO2.

4. Accommodation at Kambu Mara Camp (Eco-Friendly)

Staying at Kambu Mara Camp, which runs on solar power, significantly reduces the carbon footprint. Since the camp is solar-powered, it generates almost no direct carbon emissions for electricity usage.

For three nights of accommodation at an eco-budget camp, assuming minimal energy consumption (such as for lighting, charging devices, and heating water):

• Estimated emissions: 1-2 kg of CO2 per night, for a total of around 3-6 kg of CO2 over three days.

5. Meals and Waste

The carbon footprint of meals depends on the type of food consumed, with meat-based meals having a higher impact than vegetarian meals. Assuming an average mix of meals:

• Daily carbon emissions from food: Approximately 3-5 kg of CO2 per day, totaling 9-15 kg of CO2 over three days.

Total Carbon Footprint for a 3-Day Safari

Summary

For a 3-day safari to the Masai Mara with a full-day game drive, the carbon footprint of an American traveler flying from New York is largely dominated by air travel, contributing around 5 metric tons of CO2. Ground transportation and game drives add about 130-160 kg, while the eco-friendly accommodation and meals add a minor amount of around 12-21 kg.

To mitigate this carbon footprint, travelers can consider carbon offset programs, support sustainable lodges, or opt for electric safari vehicles where available.

Interpreting the Carbon Emissions (5,141 – 5,182 kg of CO2) for the 3-Day Budget Safari

To give context to the emissions from a 3-day safari to the Masai Mara (5,141 to 5,182 kg of CO2), it helps to compare it with other common activities and to understand the broader implications for climate change:

Comparison with Other Emissions:

• Driving a Car for a Year: The average car emits around 4,600 kg of CO2 per year if driven 20,000 kilometers. Therefore, a 3-day safari to the Masai Mara emits more than an entire year’s worth of driving a standard vehicle.
• Annual Carbon Footprint per Person: The global average carbon footprint per person is about 4,000 kg of CO2 per year, though this varies by region. In the U.S., the average footprint is closer to 16,000 kg per year. The emissions from this single trip represent more than the annual carbon footprint of an average person globally.
• Round-trip Transatlantic Flight: A round-trip flight from New York to London emits about 1,500-2,000 kg of CO2 per passenger. The emissions from this Masai Mara safari are about 2.5 times higher than a transatlantic flight.

Impact on Climate Change

This 5 metric tons of CO2 may seem small compared to global emissions, but every individual contribution adds up. The global carbon budget to limit warming to 1.5°C is finite, and individual emissions like this accumulate to strain the target. For context:

• The average global CO2 emissions per capita need to fall to around 2-3 tons per person per year by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement goals . A single trip emitting over 5 tons far exceeds this, contributing significantly to the climate crisis if replicated widely.

Offsetting the Emissions: Can Planting Trees Help?

To offset 5,141-5,182 kg of CO2 through tree planting, it’s essential to consider how much CO2 trees can absorb:

• A single mature tree can absorb about 22 kg of CO2 per year, depending on the species, soil conditions, and climate .
• To offset this safari’s emissions, you would need to plant about 234 trees, and wait for them to grow and absorb CO2 over their lifetimes.

However, trees take many years to mature and absorb meaningful amounts of CO2, so planting trees alone may not be enough to offset emissions immediately. Additionally, tree planting should be part of a broader climate action strategy and not relied upon as the sole method of offsetting emissions.

Other Ways to Offset Emissions

• Carbon Offset Programs: Purchasing carbon credits is a faster and more scalable way to offset emissions. Programs such as Gold Standard, Carbonfund.org, and MyClimate offer ways to invest in renewable energy, forest conservation, or reforestation projects that offset your carbon footprint.
• Cost of Offsetting: The cost of offsetting 5 metric tons of CO2 can vary, but on average, it ranges from $10 to $20 per ton. To offset the emissions from this safari, you might spend approximately $50 to $100 depending on the program.

Can Planting Trees on Safari Offset the Emissions?

While planting trees during your safari can be a great way to contribute to environmental conservation, it will not immediately offset the 5+ tons of CO2 from your trip. However, it can be a valuable long-term investment in sustainability. For immediate offsetting, a combination of tree planting and carbon offset programs is the most effective approach.

Conclusion

The 5,141 to 5,182 kg of CO2 emitted from a 3-day safari to the Masai Mara is comparable to driving a car for a year or several long-haul flights. While tree planting is beneficial, it alone won’t offset this amount of carbon in the short term. Using carbon offset programs, supporting renewable energy projects, and engaging in sustainable practices during your safari can help mitigate the impact of this carbon footprint.