Gordon Brown has Huge Carbon Footprint

Terra Eco, a French environmental Web site and magazine, named British Prime Minister Gordon Brown as the winner of its first award for European leaders who proclaim concern about climate change, but who also generate significant carbon emissions themselves.

According to Terra Eco, in 2008 Mr. Brown generated a larger carbon footprint than German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Mr. Brown was responsible for the equivalent of 8,400 tons of CO2 from domestic and international plane travel, according to the publication, which based its calculations on information from other journalists and aviation experts. Ms. Merkel placed second with 7,400 tons, followed by Mr. Sarkozy with 7,100 tons and Mr. Zapatero with 6,700 tons.

Terra Eco said it performed the study on these leaders because they were defenders of ecological causes. “A bit of transparency about the carbon generated by our elected officials” was due, the magazine’s editors said.

What is perhaps most surprising about the findings is how some of the leaders traveled more ecologically than others. Mr. Sarkozy, for example, produced a smaller carbon footprint than his British and German counterparts but still voyaged over 200,000 miles – more than twice as many as Mr. Brown and nearly twice as many as Ms. Merkel.

The reason, according to Terra Eco, is largely due to the types of aircraft used by the leaders. Although the authors of the study readily admit that determining the types of aircraft used for all trips was difficult, they concluded that Mr. Brown deserves the title of “the least green” in part because of his heavy reliance on Boeing 747, 757 and 777 aircraft.

Terra Eco says Mr. Sarkozy, meanwhile, kept a cap on his emissions by using an Airbus A319 converted for VIP use. But the magazine warns that the president could be poised to broaden his footprint considerably. It says the French state has confirmed the purchase a larger Airbus A330 for the president that is more polluting.

Other Current Environmental News:

1. What Is Santa’s Carbon Footprint? Infographic We know there has to be a carbon footprint to the Christmas Eve trek Santa makes every year. This fun infographic adds it up for us....
2. British Prime Minister Asks Ministers and Civil Servants to Fly Coach Britain's Foreign Office has already asked ambassadors and civil servants to fly economy in an effort to cut their carbon emissions . (See Mike's excellent guide to greener flying on why the demand business class seats creates more emissions...
3. Carbon footprint disclosed for the first time At around 1.5m tonnes of carbon, the energy usage of the online giant is on a par with the United Nations Google's carbon footprint is on a par with the United Nations, the internet giant revealed on Thursday as...
4. The Carbon Footprint of Whisky, and How to Reduce It Liquor can have a negative impact on more than just your health, the massive waste problem of tequila being a prime case in point. Whisky-making too can be a pretty energy-intensive and wasteful process, but steps are being taken...
5. Angela Merkel revisits carbon capture Merkel’s plan, which implements a European Union law, would help her plug a potential gap in the energy mix serving Europe’s largest economy caused by her retreat from nuclear after the disaster in Japan. It would also give E.ON and...