The White House will reportedly discuss reducing carbon emissions with airline executives, even if it remains silent on the use of a private jet by John Kerry, the best climate change adviser.
According to Reuters, White House National Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy and Economic Adviser Brian Deese will hold a virtual meeting on Friday with the heads of four airlines – American, United States, Delta and Southwest.
This is because, according to reports, the airlines are urging the Biden government to increase subsidies for low-carbon fuels to combat climate change.
The Air Transport Action Group said air travel accounts for about 2% of global emissions. Private plane travel has been under scrutiny amid the climate debate, as elites create a much larger carbon footprint per capita than others taking commercial flights.
JOHN KERRY HAS PRIVATE JET IN ICELAND FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ALLOCATION, CALLING IT ‘ONLY CHOICE FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME’.
It is estimated that private jets emit 40 times as much carbon per passenger as commercial aircraft. Fox News reported earlier that Kerry’s family plane had received an estimated 116 tons of carbon emissions in the past year.
In 2019, Kerry took a private jet to receive the Arctic Circle Climate Leadership Award and was interviewed about the apparent hypocrisy.
The Icelandic reporter, Jóhann Bjarni Kolbeinsson, confronted Kerry during the event about his choice of transport and asked: “I understand that you came here by private plane. Is this a way to travel?”
Kerry defended his pollution drive at the time, calling it “the only choice for someone like me traveling the world to win this battle” in an interview with Fox News.
He added: “If you set off your carbon dioxide, it’s the only choice for someone like me who travels the world to win this battle.”
JOHN KERRY FAMILY PRIVATE JET EXHIBITED 116 METRIC TONS OF CARBON LAST YEAR
“I negotiated the Paris Accords for the United States,” he said, referring to the multilateral climate agreement signed while he was secretary of state under Barack Obama.
“I have been involved in this struggle for many years. I negotiated with [Chinese] President Xi to bring President Xi to the table so we can get Paris. And I believe, the time it takes me to get somewhere, I can not sail across the ocean. I have to fly, meet people and do things. ‘
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It is unclear how Kerry compensated his carbon production, as he claimed, but flight books indicated that his family’s private plane had spent more than 20 hours in the air over the past year – resulting in an estimated 116 tonnes of carbon emissions.
By comparison, a report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in March 2018 estimates that the typical passenger vehicle emits approximately 4.6 tons of carbon dioxide per year. According to the calculation, a car that drives about 11,500 miles per year, with a fuel consumption of about 22.0 miles per liter.