Staying Under the Branson Line

Now this global warming thing is gaining traction we should spotlight the glorious people who got us here. From the wikipedia entry:

While an avid advocate for the environment, David has been accused of living a less-than-green lifestyle, leading critics to tag her a "Gulfstream Liberal" or "Learjet Liberal." In an interview with The Guardian in November of 2006, Ms. David acknowledged that owning two homes on opposite sides of the country and flying in a private jet several times per year is a bit at odds with her message to others. In the interview she notes "Yes, I take a private plane on holiday a couple of times a year, and I feel horribly guilty about it. I probably shouldn't do it. But the truth is, I'm not perfect. This is not about perfection. I don't expect anybody else to be perfect either. That's what hurts the environmental movement – holding people to a standard they cannot meet. That just pushes people away."

Critics note that every hour of flying time in a mid-size private jet emits 6000 pounds of CO2 while every hour of commercial flying time emits just 230 pounds of CO2 per passenger. With per-capita emissions in the US at about 20,000 pounds of CO2 per year, three 10-hour flights (roundtrip) in a private jet for holiday represents 180,000 pounds of CO2, or the equivalent CO2 output of 9 people in the US for an entire year.

Sure, it would be easy to criticize. But remember, one of her cars is a Prius.