Global Warming Czar John Kerry Defends Elites Flying Gas-Guzzling Private Jets to Davos

Planes are parked at Dubendorf airport, on January 18, 2023. Environmental lobby group Gre
SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images; FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images
Wendell Husebo

John Kerry, special presidential envoy for climate, defended attendees who flew on gas-guzzling private jets to Davos, Switzerland, where global warming is often discussed as a preeminent crisis.

Private jets pollute up to 14 times more than commercial airliners per passenger. They also pollute 50 times more than trains, according to a study by Transport & Environment. Fifty percent of all aviation emissions in 2018 were due to only one percent of the world’s total population.

Notably, about 1,040 private jets reportedly flew in and out of airports serving the global economic summit in 2022, “releasing four times the average weekly CO2 emissions from this highly polluting mode of travel,” Euro News reported.

In a sit-down interview over the weekend, Yahoo News’ Ben Adler questioned Kerry about the contradiction of many global warming alarmists flying gas-guzzling private jets to Davos. The event was held from January 16 to 20.

Adler began to form his question. “You recently switched, I read, from flying private flying commercial–”

 “No, I didn’t fly private while I was in this job,” Kerry shot back, claiming he only took two private flights, during the pandemic.

“I fly commercially,” he said.

Alder tried again. “The reason I bring that up is private aviation is an example of something where people are starting to pay more attention and– but when people who go to Davos to talk about climate change fly private, it seems like they don’t want to make–”

Kerry cut Alder off and justified those who flew private. “Well, they actually– I’ve talked to them about it. They offset … They buy offsets, they offset. And they are working harder than most people I know to be able to try to effect this transition,” he added:

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.

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