On Climate Change, Obama Talks the Talk But Does Otherwise

On this year's Earth Day, President Obama celebrated by taking Air Force One on a short trip from Washington D.C. to the Florida Everglades.  As some have noted, that short jaunt  burned the equivalent of a year's worth of fuel for 17 automobiles.

When the President goes anywhere, there is an entourage of at least 4 planes; not just Air Force One.  There is also a backup Air Force One; and at least 2 heavy-lift cargo jets that burn fuel faster than Air Force One. These are needed to carry all the automobiles and helicopters necessary for the trip.  International excursions usually add another cargo jet and another passenger jet to carry additional aides and extra reporters.  Also required, are at least two fully-armed fighter jets to escort the President's plane. Then, of course,  an advanced security team must be flown in to make sure that he is fully protected.  When on the ground, the motorcade causes thousands of cars to be backed up in traffic jams; all the while those cars sit idling and wasting gas and spewing unnecessary CO2.

I guess what bothers me most about Barack Obama and his continual complaining about our carbon footprint and climate change, is that he is one of the nation's single biggest polluters of CO2.

Already he's our most traveled President. His trip to India in 2010, cost the earth an estimated 19 million tons of carbon dioxide.  A trip that also involved 40 aircraft and 34 warships that were brought into the region.  Last year, he and 900 people descended on Brussels for a 24-hour trip.  That involved 3 cargo jets and a motorcade of 45 vehicles and protection by 350 motorcycle police.

Then, there are all his vacations, golfing, and fund raising trips.  In fact, early in his first year in office, he took Michelle on a one-evening date to New York City.  And, then all those one-day trips all over the country to pitch an agenda item in front of some crowd of affected and disaffected workers, or other small group of Americans.  One estimate has the President's personal annual carbon footprint at 41,000 tons while the average American only spews out 19.8. 

Then we have Hillary Clinton who, under Obama's direction, was the most traveled Secretary of State.  A record that her replacement, John Kerry, is on track to break. Of course we have to add all the First Lady's "good will" trips she's taken on her own.

The simple fact is that if President Obama truly cared about Climate Change and carbon footprints, he would lead by example. But, like so many on the left, he could never once consider himself part of the problem.


References:

Obama’s Earth Day Flight Emits More CO2 Than 17 Cars Would In A Year: http://dailycaller.com/2015/04/22/obama-earth-day-flight/

Study: Obama Most Traveled President, With 31 Costly Trips Abroad: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Obama-travel-presidents-summit/2014/03/24/id/561415/

Flashback: How Big Is Obama’s “Carbon Footprint”?: http://www.thepiratescove.us/2013/06/24/flashback-how-big-is-obamas-carbon-footprint/

Obama India Trip: 40 Aircraft, 34 Warships, 3,000 Entourage, Entire Taj Mahal Booked, Coconut Removal, Bomb-Proof Tunnel Construction, 19 Million Pounds Of CO2 @ $200 Million Per Day?: http://sadhillnews.com/2010/11/04/obama-india-trip-40-aircraft-34-warships-3000-entourage-entire-taj-mahal-booked-coconut-removal-bomb-proof-tunnel-construction-19-million-pounds-of-co2-200-million-per-day

Are you watching Vladimir? Obama lands in Belgium with entourage of 900 and 45 armored vehicles for ONE night only costing THEM $10.4 million in security: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2589438/Are-worried-Vladimir-Obama-lands-Belgium-entourage-900-45-armored-vehicles-ONE-night-costing-10-4-million-security.html

Hillary Clinton breaks travel record - Associated Press: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78594.html

5 Facts You May Not Know About How Much Obama’s Travel Costs You: http://www.ijreview.com/2014/03/123748-money-well-spent-obama-now/

First Family Vacations: http://www.judicialwatch.org/obamas-vacations/

Obama's Miami visit on immigration sparks mixed reactions: http://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/2015/02/25/24008531/

Obama touts immigration plan in his third visit to Las Vegas: http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-1122-immigration-high-school-20141122-story.html

President Obama tours to call for minimum wage rise: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-25949797

Obama trip mends a broken heart: http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/16/politics/obama-south-dakota-broken-heart-50th-state/

Google Search on Obama's Visits Over Minimum Wage: https://www.google.com/search?q=obama+visit+minimum+wage&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Kerry did not set out to break Hillary Clinton’s mileage record, but that may become one measure of his ultimate success: http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2013/07/31/john-kerry-six-month-report-card/F5CBhgRDlXEaQxQUeyvPtI/story.html

Obama frames global warming as national security threat: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20150520/us--obama-cf7a594290.html

Obama and Climate Change: Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Even as a Senator, running for the presidency, Barack Obama made fighting climate change a priority. In fact, in his latest budget submission, the dollars to fight it got top billing and some big bucks.

So, one would think that, if climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, this President would personally do as much as possible to minimize his own carbon footprint.  But, no.  Instead he has used Air Force One, and its entourage of vehicles and other planes, more than any other President in our history; and, subsequently, has left a massive carbon footprint on the planet.

When ever any President travels, there is a minimum of two copies of Air Force One (one serving as a backup), 45 vehicles, and 3 massive cargo jets to transport those 45 vehicles.  On top of that, there are hundreds of members of the Presidential entourage who can't be accommodated by the two hundred available seats on the 2 Air Force One's.  In fact, on a recent trip to Belgium, 900 people accompanied Obama. That meant that 700 of them needed to arrange their own transportation over and above what Air Force One could handle.

Of course, there are times when any President must travel.  But, think about this. Was it necessary for Obama to take all those aircraft, vehicles and personnel in order to use a New York City GAP store as a mere "prop" to sell an increase in the minimum wage?  Oh, yes, he did buy a few clothes. But here's a question.  Were there no GAP stores near the White House in Washington, D.C.?  Well, in fact, a Google search shows there are two.  Yet, it was essential that he travel 400 miles to New York City and burn up as much fuel as possible.


These prop-trips to sell some personal political agenda item are a constant habit with Obama.  It seems like he has made 2 or 3 of them a week since he's been in office.  But, he doesn't have to pay the bill or, more importantly, worry about his personal impact on the planet.  Yet, he wants all of us to pay more and conserve more in order to fight climate change.  Even Jimmy Carter, when telling us to turn down our thermostats in order to conserve energy and fight the OPEC oil embargo, did so while wearing that now-famous sweater.


The fact that the President doesn't personally reduce his own carbon footprint just shows he doesn't care or really believe in it.  If he did, he would walk-the-walk to match all the talk.  Instead, combating climate change is just another political issue that he uses to garner votes.


References:

Obama's Budget Puts Climate Change Front and Center: http://mashable.com/2014/03/04/obama-budget-climate-change/

Air Force One Stats: http://askville.amazon.com/total-seating-capacity-Air-Force/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=13637222

5 Facts You May Not Know About How Much Obama’s Travel Costs You: http://www.ijreview.com/2014/03/123748-money-well-spent-obama-now/

Are you watching Vladimir? Obama lands in Belgium with entourage of 900 and 45 armored vehicles for ONE night only costing THEM $10.4 million in security: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2589438/Are-worried-Vladimir-Obama-lands-Belgium-entourage-900-45-armored-vehicles-ONE-night-costing-10-4-million-security.html

President Obama makes shopping stop at New York Gap as part of minimum wage campaign: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/obama-unscheduled-trip-gap-part-min-wage-campaign-article-1.1718211