Guess they learned from the best, eh? Yet more politicians not practicing what they preach on gw:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein offers plenty of tips on how California households can combat global warming, such as carpooling and running only a full dishwasher.
But one bit of information Feinstein declines to share is the number of times that she flew last year on her husband’s Gulfstream jet, which burns much more fuel per passenger-mile than commercial airliners.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also has asked constituents to do their part to conserve energy — including cutting summertime power consumption — even though he takes to the skies on leased executive jets.
Aides say there is nothing contradictory between the pro-green pronouncements and the flying habits of the Democratic senator and Republican governor.
Some environmentalists aren’t so sure.
“There appears to be a discrepancy between calling on people to make personal reductions and using a private jet that exacerbates the problem,” Clean Air Watch President Frank O’Donnell said.
Flying on a Gulfstream rather than an airliner is like driving a sport utility vehicle instead of riding a bus, O’Donnell and others say.
A single cross-country round trip on a Gulfstream IV, or GIV, the model owned by Feinstein’s husband, churns out about 83,000 to 90,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, experts say. By contrast, on a per capita basis, the average American produces 50,000 pounds from all activities in an entire year.
Nonetheless, Feinstein and Schwarzenegger intend to continue their noncommercial flying ways because their jobs demand a flexibility the airlines can’t match, spokesmen say.
Schwarzenegger’s office said he and a jet-leasing company are establishing a “carbon offset” program for the governor and fellow customers, retroactive to Jan. 1. Carbon offsets are bought from organizations that plant trees and support renewable energy enterprises, among other measures, to offset greenhouse gases produced by the buyers.
“This is big news,” Schwarzenegger spokesman Bill Maile said of the governor’s undertaking with NetJets, the leasing firm.
Feinstein, however, got the jump on Schwarzenegger. She began buying carbon offsets last year to partially cover the travel on the GIV, and will purchase enough offsets this year to compensate for all the trips, spokesman Scott Gerber said.
He added that Feinstein took “numerous” commercial flights in 2006, but flew mostly on the GIV. He balked at disclosing the tally of her Gulfstream journeys.
“We’re not going to get into specifics,” he said.
L.O.L.
Hat tip: Instapundit
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Barbara Striesandism - the belief in others doing what you preach. Like her asking others to hang their laundry.. when she doesn’t.
How about if the crisis mongerers focus on themselves for a change and stop growing government to fix the problems they are a part of… in a big way.
Comment by Baklava @ 2/28/2007 - 1:27 pm
On the wall behind my desk at work is a Demotivators poster that really is aptly suited for this whole issue:
Idiocy - Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
The idiots are on the march with this AGW hysteria, and the amount of damage they will be able to do to both the US and the world’s economies if they get their way will be extreme. Unfortunately, stupid people in large groups are dangerous.
Comment by Severian @ 2/28/2007 - 1:47 pm
This is rich:
Linky
Yeah, this is the guy I want advising the world on science and technology issues…
Comment by Severian @ 2/28/2007 - 2:25 pm
But it’s OK, he bought “science IQ credits” from some brainy kid.
Comment by Severian @ 2/28/2007 - 2:26 pm
It seems that the “Global Warming Crisis” is a new religion of the non-religious; and buying “Carbon Credits” is the new “Purchase of Indulgence”. Hey, I’ll take their money to say I planted trees; same way I’ll give them a deed to a star!
Comment by Tom TB @ 2/28/2007 - 2:56 pm
“because their jobs demand a flexibility the airlines can’t match, spokesmen say”…there is indeed a flexibility advantage to private aviation, but there are also lots of bizjets that are smaller and use less fuel than a Gulfstream IV. Maybe they could check out the new Eclipse, or even a used smaller-model Citation like the cj2.
I’d also note that there is a “flexibility advantage” in driving a car instead of taking mass transit, but this doesn’t keep the Feinsteins of the world from trying to require the Little People to do the latter…
Comment by david foster @ 2/28/2007 - 3:13 pm
This is hysterical!
and this:
Comment by Severian @ 2/28/2007 - 3:20 pm
But don’t you see, DiFi and governor Schwartzenkennedy are part of that elite class Mwalimu Daudi posted about yesterday. So they’re allowed to spew all the toxins or greenhouse gasses they feel they need to. However, you guys - Bak, Sev, Tom, David - and I - we must keep our homes dark and cold in the winter. Hey, someone’s gotta make a sacrifice for the First Church of Gaia!!
What’s next from these elitists - ‘crime offsets’? For example, will it soon be OK for Sandy Burglar to steal more government documents if he donates enough money to the local PBA?
Comment by Great White Rat @ 2/28/2007 - 3:30 pm
What’s next from these elitists - ‘crime offsets’? For example, will it soon be OK for Sandy Burglar to steal more government documents if he donates enough money to the local PBA?
I want to see Sandy “Pants” Berger get waterboarded until he confesses what he stole…
Comment by Severian @ 2/28/2007 - 4:30 pm
Somebody at Roger Simon’s blog used the term “sumptuary laws”…as in the medieval laws that were intended to keep people of the lower orders from dressing or living like their betters.
Feinstein, the Gorebot, and their friends clearly would like to micromanage the lifestyles of the American people, with generous exemptions being available for those with the right connections.
Comment by david foster @ 2/28/2007 - 4:49 pm
ST, After the first woman (Gina) sang on American Idol, there was a Global Warming commercial playing on everyone’s emotions. It was a horrible commercial with a train heading down the tracks to hit a girl. Horrible. The website promoted was fightglobalwarming.com which I definitely will be going to to see what “solutions” (leftist - big government - economy and people hurting solutions I’m sure) they are calling for.
Just wanted to type this before I forgot the website. Hope I didn’t get it wrong.
Comment by Baklava @ 2/28/2007 - 11:14 pm
The ad is on their website.
According to them me and my family of 3 create 32 Tons of CO2 per year and the average household of 2 emits 25 tons of CO2 per year.
Bad Baklava !
They have a one sided story with no contrary evidence. It is all information on their side of the debate as if we haven’t seen it. But maybe some Americans haven’t seen it. But I would say it’s not balanced.
Comment by Baklava @ 2/28/2007 - 11:35 pm