Barack Obama’s plane emits more CO2 than driving 72 cars
Agencies | December 02, 2015, 02.39 am IST
Paris: President Barack Obama may warn that carbon dioxide is causing global warming, but his flight to Paris to join other world leaders at the United Nations climate summit emitted more CO2 than driving 72 cars for a year.
Obama’s Paris jaunt will send more CO2 into the atmosphere than 31 American homes’ energy usage for an entire year. The president’s trip is equivalent to burning 3,68,331 pounds of coal or 797 barrels of oil, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon footprint calculator.
Just one leg of the president’s Sunday trip to Paris emitted 189 tonnes of CO2 after travelling 3,855 miles and burning 19,275 gallons of jet fuel, according to Daily Caller News Foundation calculations based on past presidential flights. Obama’s return flight to Washington D.C., would double the amount of CO2 burned to 378 tonness — more than 72 cars driving for a year.
Obama has been criticised for past plane rides in the name of fighting global warming. Earlier this year, Obama flew down to the Everglades for Earth Day and was hammered for potentially damaging the fragile eco-system and costing taxpayers more than $8,66,000. World leaders gathered on Monday in Paris to kick off the UN’s 21st attempt to get countries to sign onto a agreement to cut Co2 emissions.
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