Ever-expanding circles ... jet engines have brought the world close together, but is it time they were all switched off? Photograph: Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images

In the fourth article of our week of debate on aviation and climate change, Steve Allen, of travel club WEXAS, argues that where and how we travel can be as important as whether or not we do so

In the late 18th century Thomas Malthus took current facts and predicted that population growth would outstrip the food supply and lead to starvation. While his predictions were wrong, his concerns were absolutely right.

In this century, the debate about climate change and carbon emissions similarly centres around current known facts and huge concerns for the future. The debate is very much focused on aviation, the fastest growing source carbon emissions. But are we asking the right questions about how current trends will influence the future?

Let's start by examining some of the known facts about carbon. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, aviation currently accounts for 3.5% of the global emission of gases - including carbon dioxide - responsible for climate change. That figure could grow to a total contribution of 5% by 2050, according to the IPCC.

What is responsible for the other 95%? The Economist recently reported that transport in all its forms accounted for 27% of US carbon emissions, while electricity generation produced 34%, industry 19%, agriculture 8%, residential property 8% and commercial property 5%.

So what is the answer for an individual trying to minimise their carbon footprint amid this welter of statistics?

My suggestion would be to take everything into consideration: not just the impact of your flight in isolation. So, yes, try to minimise your electricity consumption by turning appliances off and switching to green suppliers. And offset your carbon emissions - if only to become more aware of the environmental impact of each aspect of your life. Ask your travel agent whether there is a reasonable alternative to flying. Could you enjoy a similar break in the UK? Could you travel by sea or train? Don't just consider the obvious routes: what about working ships or ferries? Could you get around on public transport or hire a bike during that city break? One of my travel consultants at WEXAS is planning a second-career gap year. He'll be going round the world slowly, without taking a single flight.

But if you really have to fly, there could be changes on the horizon with lighter fuel-efficient planes like the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner. Reform of air traffic control procedures alone could reduce wasted time and energy in the air. You can personally make a difference by taking only daytime flights, because night and winter flights are reported to produce more pollution.

Thoughtful travellers can also make a difference when they fly by staying longer and, crucially, putting more money into local people's pockets when they travel. This is where I really feel carbon emission is not the only issue we should be talking about.

As a traveller, you need to consider whether your visit might contribute to an emerging economy and, thereby, help to deter carbon emissions in the future.

Travel is global industry where the buyer can potentially interact with hundreds of sellers. Go to a local restaurant in Spain or Sri Lanka and you are helping to sustain local agriculture, economies and skills - especially if you avoid imported foods and wines and their associated "secondary carbon".

It is also possible to travel to areas of the world where money from tourism is being put to good use, such as in buying more fuel-efficient stoves, installing lower energy lighting systems, or engaging in conservation in its broadest sense.

So I believe the question to ask regarding climate change is not just "to fly or not to fly?" There is certainly an issue about whether to travel, but there is also one about where and how you travel. An immediate and wholesale move away from flights could damage the livelihoods of many people who depend on tourism.

So my advice would be to live and travel thoughtfully. Think not only about what you can give up, but also about what action you can take, and what you can put back into the countries you may visit.