Anyone find it petty/stupid when climate change deniers like to criticize individuals who use private planes even if they believe in climate change?

[KAMI-SAMA]

Was reading about some deniers criticizing John Kerry for using private airplanes when he travels. I find it really petty. I understand we can all and should reduce our carbon footprint, but the issues of climate change won't be something you can individually solve. There needs to be an entire gigantic shift in moving onto renewable energies. Entire industries/governments world wide will need to make the shift before any real change can come. John Kerry's carbon footprint although maybe larger than a lot of people isn't going to change the overall issue of climate change even if he was to live a completely Buddhist lifestyle.

Not to mention, the world currently runs on fossil fuels for planes, cars and boats. There's no getting around it so if a political figure needs to travel the world, he's going to use it. Personally, if I have to travel all the time on a plane and I can afford it, then I don't know I would rather not have to go through airport checkpoints and baggage all the time. Plus, maybe he can have important private conversations while on a private plane.

 

[echoshifting]

We need systemic changes most of all, that's true, but that doesn't change the fact that we also need a cultural shift to one in which individuals take responsibility for their own carbon footprints and work to reduce them. It's not an either/or situation, it's both, and private planes are absolutely terrible for the environment.

Now, should deniers be saying it? Probably not, it's not a real criticism in that case, it's a deflection. But your post seems to be suggesting that it should be okay to take private planes if you're wealthy or "important" enough, and I would say generally speaking, it's really not.

 

[Yuli Ban]

It's because the Card Says Moops. It doesn't matter how illogical or inconsistent your own beliefs are so long as you can hammer in the surface-level inconsistencies and seeming hypocrisy of The Libs.

 

[HStallion]

Its a deflection tactic that avoids the actual issue by finding some inconsistency or incongruity and harping on it ad nauseum.

 

[shintoki]

Its a bullshit gotcha moment to avoid any real criticism, but they ain't wrong either. Just because he is wealthy enough for it, doesn't mean him flying a private plane is just.

 

[Kevers]

Does he offset his usage in any way? If he does then I don't see the issue.

 

[Chaos-Theory]

We need systemic changes most of all, that's true, but that doesn't change the fact that we also need a cultural shift to one in which individuals take responsibility for their own carbon footprints and work to reduce them. It's not an either/or situation, it's both, and private planes are absolutely terrible for the environment.

Now, should deniers be saying it? Probably not, it's not a real criticism in that case, it's a deflection. But your post seems to be suggesting that it should be okay to take private planes if you're wealthy or "important" enough, and I would say generally speaking, it's really not.

Click to shrink...

Good post.

 

[Paroni]

Depends. It does admittedly rub me the wrong way when people like Lewis Hamilton - who makes his living through Formula 1 and collects cars - preach climate activism and justify retaining their own lifestyles by being rich enough to invest in green energy and businesses to compensate.

 

[Arilian]

I understand we can all and should reduce our carbon footprint, but the issues of climate change won't be something you can individually solve.

Click to shrink...

Taking a piss during your shower won't solve it, but reducing the number of time you use one of the less climate friendly mean of transportation is still a really good step to take.

Does he offset his usage in any way?

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Offsetting is mostly a way to appease your mind while emitting metric tons of CO2 while changing nothing in how you live.

 

[Samiya]

It is entirely correct that politicians who preach about climate change and then does nothing about it, politically and individually, while living a rich, CO2-intensive lifestyle are hypocrites and liars who will ultimately lead us into millions of people dying. In this particular case, climate change deniers are just looking for any excuse to continue the genocidal status quo.

Kerry's climate politics is also totally ineffective and dead in the water but that's a whole 'nother topic :)

 

[samoyed]

You do not actually "need" to travel to, like, Copenhagen to talk about climate change in the same way an average citizen "needs" to drive to work. So no I do not find it petty. I would prefer it if every climate activist paid attention to their net emissions instead of appealing to noethicalconsumptionsonic.jpg to justify their travel expenses. If your personal presence does not cut emissions more than you produce with a flight you should just teleconference. I don't want to hear about managing my carbon footprint from people who don't manage theirs.

Edit: oh somehow I missed "deniers", yeah they're all morons.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Anyone find it petty/stupid when climate change deniers

Click to shrink...

Yes.

That said, there is some amount of hypocrisy in warning against climate change and using private jets. But the wrong part of the equation is the private jets, not the climate change.

 

[SmartBase]

I think deniers are imbeciles but I can sympathise with people being shouted at for driving to work and eating meat while private jet use is only increasing.

 

[Beef Supreme]

It's a deflection tactic, but they are also are not wrong. Yes, they are wrong with their stance, but he is also wrong for doing the exact same thing he's campaigning against.

 

[Richiek]

 

[Samiya]

Click to shrink...

I don't think the use of this comic applies here. We are talking about a powerful politician who's trying to appear as if he is fighting against disastrous, ecocidal climate change, yet doing little politically and flying around in a private jet that he doesn't really need to do what he does.

 

[Croc Man]

No. A small number of frequent flyers like that cause half of global aviation emissions. Flying around in private jets lecturing how regular people shouldn't fly once a year is stupid and harms their argument.

1% of people cause half of global aviation emissions – study

Exclusive: Researchers say Covid-19 hiatus is moment to tackle elite ‘super emitters’

www.theguardian.com

 

[KAMI-SAMA]

No. A small number of frequent flyers like that cause half of global aviation emissions. Flying around in private jets lecturing how regular people shouldn't fly once a year is stupid and harms their argument.

1% of people cause half of global aviation emissions – study

Exclusive: Researchers say Covid-19 hiatus is moment to tackle elite ‘super emitters’

www.theguardian.com

Click to shrink...

holy crap, well then there goes my position lol. Like I was going to try to make a difference between John Kerry flying his private jet and Leonardo DiCaprio using his yacht to have a weekend getaway with supermodels but I guess the point is all moot. Ha

 

[samoyed]

Dicaprio on his yacht with supermodels is vastly more preferable than John Kerry on a jet.

I especially loathe large numbers of upper class people flying to Europe for a "climate summit".