Jet-Sharing Easing Celebrities' Eco-Guilt
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 05.19.08
Waxy Brad and Angie emit no carbon and do not procreate. Thanks DanieDVM at flickr
Celebrities aren't like the rest of us. They are generally prettier, their teeth are whiter, and they have a many-times bigger carbon footprint than we do. Many times bigger. Ask any carbon calculator - even one jet trip a year drastically skews your yearly total, and People-type celebrities seem always on the go. If you look at Madonna, her carbon footprint in 2006 was estimated to be 1,018 tons - or 100 times the average British citizen's. Not only do celebs fly a lot, the more famous they get, the more likely they are to want the convenience and luxury of a private jet. So now you know why Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt never look jet-lagged!
London-based Private Jet Club has launched a service to pair up different jet-setters going to some common cities to reduce their costs and (incidentally) their per-person carbon footprint - and calling it jet pooling. While jet pooling may sound like a ridiculous bit of greenwash, the CO2 load of flying solo in many jets is astronomical, making jet pooling better than nothing. Maybe this is why Angelina and Brad are concertedly going about increasing their brood. Via Guardian UK
See also: Earth Day:Latin Celebrities Give Green Advice and Celebrity Eco-Hypocritique
Hollywood celebritry's have been hypocrites on the environment for decades (as most people of the liberal persuasion have been).
Even Al Gore was driving an gas guzzling, CO2 spewing SUV on his own ranch in his documentary on global climate change and only recently added solar and geo-thermal to his Tennessee ranch home.
What would we expect from Hollywood? They are all actors pretending to be someone else. Most are weak when it comes to actually practicing what they preach; except Ed Begley Jr., a very notable exception.
This is nothing new. There are web sites where you can book vacant seats and deadhead legs on corporate and private jets. If it fits your schedule and you share my fondness for airports, it's a good way to go. Now someone's wired in a carbon meter to help sales? Just opportunity knocking.
A rose by any other name...