Spectator N0 2651 By Fieldfare
Crosswords5 mins ago
Is Money The Answer To Global Warming?
//Sir Elton John has defended the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's use of private jets - and said he paid to carbon offset their trip to his French home.//
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Does this mean that given the financial resources to donate a significant amount to green projects, we may all fly around the world at will with a clear conscience? Since eco warriors the Duke & Duchess of Sussex, both eager to lecture the rest of us on our moral duty to address global warming by moderating our lifestyles, have no problem with Elton’s beneficence, one can only assume that money is the answer. However, rationally, regardless of any donation we may make, the actual pollution our journeys create is still exacerbating the problem – isn't it?
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Does this mean that given the financial resources to donate a significant amount to green projects, we may all fly around the world at will with a clear conscience? Since eco warriors the Duke & Duchess of Sussex, both eager to lecture the rest of us on our moral duty to address global warming by moderating our lifestyles, have no problem with Elton’s beneficence, one can only assume that money is the answer. However, rationally, regardless of any donation we may make, the actual pollution our journeys create is still exacerbating the problem – isn't it?
Answers
If I buy my mistress a Mink coat........
14:16 Thu 22nd Aug 2019
Spath //"Private jets usually carry fewer passengers than commercial planes, meaning they burn much more fuel per person per hour." //
Totally irrelevant, the more weight the more fuel is used.
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Totally irrelevant, the more weight the more fuel is used.
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danny, it isn't irrelevant.
//The reason travelling by private jet isn’t considered particularly green is because, although the amount of fuel burnt and therefore CO2 emitted is a lot lower than a commercial jet, generally speaking there will be far fewer people on board. Private flights are therefore considerably less efficient, and the personal carbon footprint of passengers who choose to travel this way is much higher.//
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But the question I'm actually asking is how can money negate – or even offset – pollution when the damage is already done? The emissions from journeys taken by plane are already in the atmosphere. Money doesn’t act like a big, magic eraser. The aim surely should be to prevent pollution occurring in the first place.
//The reason travelling by private jet isn’t considered particularly green is because, although the amount of fuel burnt and therefore CO2 emitted is a lot lower than a commercial jet, generally speaking there will be far fewer people on board. Private flights are therefore considerably less efficient, and the personal carbon footprint of passengers who choose to travel this way is much higher.//
https:/
But the question I'm actually asking is how can money negate – or even offset – pollution when the damage is already done? The emissions from journeys taken by plane are already in the atmosphere. Money doesn’t act like a big, magic eraser. The aim surely should be to prevent pollution occurring in the first place.
For info..
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// Is Money The Answer To Global Warming? //
Personally I don't think there is an answer. Massive changes to people's lifestyles would be required, that people simply will never be prepared to make. Air travel is one such example.
I wouldn't criticise them for taking private jets all over the place, and I wouldn't criticise them for delivering a lecture about the dangers of global warming, but doing the two together - no, that isn't particularly smart.
https:/
// Is Money The Answer To Global Warming? //
Personally I don't think there is an answer. Massive changes to people's lifestyles would be required, that people simply will never be prepared to make. Air travel is one such example.
I wouldn't criticise them for taking private jets all over the place, and I wouldn't criticise them for delivering a lecture about the dangers of global warming, but doing the two together - no, that isn't particularly smart.
But....just very but.
//The team behind teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg’s yacht voyage to New York on Sunday fended off claims that her trip will create carbon emissions because team members will take transatlantic flights.
A spokesman for German round-the-world sailor Boris Herrmann, the yacht’s co-skipper, told Berlin newspaper TAZ that several people would fly into New York to help take the yacht back to Europe. Hermann himself will return by plane, according to the spokesman.
The paper estimated that in fact Thunberg’s boat trip would end up being more polluting than if she and her companions had just taken flights to New York themselves.//
//The team behind teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg’s yacht voyage to New York on Sunday fended off claims that her trip will create carbon emissions because team members will take transatlantic flights.
A spokesman for German round-the-world sailor Boris Herrmann, the yacht’s co-skipper, told Berlin newspaper TAZ that several people would fly into New York to help take the yacht back to Europe. Hermann himself will return by plane, according to the spokesman.
The paper estimated that in fact Thunberg’s boat trip would end up being more polluting than if she and her companions had just taken flights to New York themselves.//
Conscience doesn't seem to work the same for all. Some will have a clear conscience having polluted massively and offset nothing. Others will be troubled having done all they can.
It's bound to take time between polluting today and getting carbon, or whatever, captured in future years. Buying a clear conscience doesn't mean all's well. We need to reduce emissions where reasonably possible, counter the effect of the excess pollution in the medium term, and find ways of extracting and storing all the troublesome stuff long term.
A single journey isn't such a big deal, making them and lecturing others, offset or no offset, is bound to attract criticism. (Being a precocious kid and lecturing adults on your favourite hobby horse as if they were doing nothing is definitely going to get backs up.)
It's bound to take time between polluting today and getting carbon, or whatever, captured in future years. Buying a clear conscience doesn't mean all's well. We need to reduce emissions where reasonably possible, counter the effect of the excess pollution in the medium term, and find ways of extracting and storing all the troublesome stuff long term.
A single journey isn't such a big deal, making them and lecturing others, offset or no offset, is bound to attract criticism. (Being a precocious kid and lecturing adults on your favourite hobby horse as if they were doing nothing is definitely going to get backs up.)
//You can't expect royalty to fly BMIbaby economy can ya?//
Maybe not. But the second in line to the throne, Prince William, has been known to fly SqueasyJet and the Queen regularly uses the Great Northern rail service between London and Kings Lynn when travelling to Sandringham.
I don’t care what the Royal Family does but I don’t want to be told:
1. That they are just like you and me
2. That their journeys are more important than mine
3. That I should not travel whilst they can
4. They (or somebody else) has paid to “offset” their carbon
emissions.
5. That they travel privately for the safety of everybody else (which is the nonsense that Ms Markel’s handlers are putting about).
The carbon offset scheme – as well as its cousin the “carbon credit” scheme - is a farce. The only way to reduce carbon (if you feel you must) is to stop burning things. To say that it is OK to burn things so long as you plant trees is disingenuous and Mr John (or is it Mr Dwight?) is essentially a rich man who has fallen for a scam in an attempt to help a friend. That friend would not have needed help if he and his wife had simply carried on with their lives which included a good dose of jetting round the world. Instead he chose to pontificate about what terrible damage all the rest of us are causing to it.
Maybe not. But the second in line to the throne, Prince William, has been known to fly SqueasyJet and the Queen regularly uses the Great Northern rail service between London and Kings Lynn when travelling to Sandringham.
I don’t care what the Royal Family does but I don’t want to be told:
1. That they are just like you and me
2. That their journeys are more important than mine
3. That I should not travel whilst they can
4. They (or somebody else) has paid to “offset” their carbon
emissions.
5. That they travel privately for the safety of everybody else (which is the nonsense that Ms Markel’s handlers are putting about).
The carbon offset scheme – as well as its cousin the “carbon credit” scheme - is a farce. The only way to reduce carbon (if you feel you must) is to stop burning things. To say that it is OK to burn things so long as you plant trees is disingenuous and Mr John (or is it Mr Dwight?) is essentially a rich man who has fallen for a scam in an attempt to help a friend. That friend would not have needed help if he and his wife had simply carried on with their lives which included a good dose of jetting round the world. Instead he chose to pontificate about what terrible damage all the rest of us are causing to it.
NJ, it should be remembered that Reg is not famous for his brains so we do need to cut him some slack.
It is of absolute nonsense that you can buy you way out of the 'carbon footpriint' unless of course, like myself, you consider climate change rubbish to be just that.
Planting trees is not the answer if you want to reduce pollution but then self flagellation is not the answer either just like the rank hypocrisy displayed by Megain and dimwit.
It is of absolute nonsense that you can buy you way out of the 'carbon footpriint' unless of course, like myself, you consider climate change rubbish to be just that.
Planting trees is not the answer if you want to reduce pollution but then self flagellation is not the answer either just like the rank hypocrisy displayed by Megain and dimwit.
It's a fair question Togo. I think most of us would agree that this whole business of thinking you can carbon neutralise something by donating something else is just a way for wealthy people to pay off their guilty consciences, so they can happily carry on as normal.
Does your wife know about that mistress by the way?
Does your wife know about that mistress by the way?
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